The majority of youth in the juvenile justice system have little to no prior history of delinquency, have not committed a felony or a person offense and do not score as a high risk to reoffend. Simultaneously, the risk of over-involvement in the juvenile justice system is disproportionately borne by over-policed communities and Black and Brown individuals. One way we can reduce involvement in the juvenile justice system is to implement youth or teen courts in schools. Youth courts involve young people in the sentencing of their peers and serve as an immediate intervention to divert minor offenders from the juvenile justice system. Youth courts have proven to reduce recidivism compared to individuals involved in the traditional juvenile justice system and thus serve as an effective counter to the school-to-prison pipeline.
 
In 2019, the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission released a report recommending the implementation of youth courts as student-run courts in schools, as well as recommending that the state provide guidance and support to schools desiring to adopt a student youth court program. The 2021 Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice Task Force recommended the expansion and standardization of informal adjustment and other pre-petition diversion, including youth or teen courts.
 
Acting upon these recommendations, we intend to introduce a companion bill to Sen. Kearney’s Senate Bill 219 of the current legislative session, which would establish a School-Based Youth Court Pilot Program within the Department of Education to support the development of youth courts in schools as a trauma-informed approach to alternative disciplinary disposition and effective system of restorative justice for student misconduct.
 
Through this legislation, we can facilitate schools implementing programs effective in reducing student involvement in the juvenile justice system, while also granting students involved in school-based summary and misdemeanor cases with a second chance.
 
Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation to provide schools with the necessary tools to support their students and build strong communities.