Commends the efforts and supports the practices of youth court programs in improving the U.S. juvenile justice system.
Encourages: (1) the recognition and observation of a National Youth Court Month; and (2) cultivation of a bond among volunteers serving others in the pursuit of justice for all youth.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 986 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 986
Recognizing youth court programs for the efforts of such programs in
enhancing the quality of the juvenile justice system in the United
States and encouraging the recognition of a National Youth Court Month.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 7, 2006
Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida (for herself, Ms. Jackson-Lee of
Texas, and Mr. Walsh) submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing youth court programs for the efforts of such programs in
enhancing the quality of the juvenile justice system in the United
States and encouraging the recognition of a National Youth Court Month.
Whereas a strong country begins with strong communities in which all members
have an active role and investment in the success and future of the
youth of the United States;
Whereas a National Youth Court Month would celebrate the outstanding achievement
of youth court programs throughout the country, including the
achievement in 2005 of over 110,000 young persons volunteering to hear
over 115,000 juvenile cases and over 20,000 adults volunteering to
facilitate peer justice, thereby reducing juvenile crime;
Whereas 1,158 youth court programs in 49 States and the District of Columbia
provide restorative justice programs for juvenile offenders, which
provide effective prevention of criminal activity, early intervention
with respect to such criminal activity, and education for all youth
participants in such programs, and which enhance public safety
throughout the country;
Whereas some youth court programs use as models several community-based court
programs, including diversionary courts, tribal courts, and school-based
courts, and all of the youth court programs include active youth
participation in advocacy and decision-making to meet the needs of the
respective community;
Whereas youth court programs are a benefit to the judicial system and the
community by holding youth offenders accountable, by addressing the
concerns of victims of juvenile crime, juvenile offenders, the families
of such offenders, and the communities of such victims and of such
offenders, by reducing case loads for the judicial system, by
investigating offenses which may otherwise be ignored until the
offending behavior escalates, and by encouraging juvenile offenders to
become contributing members of their communities;
Whereas Federal, State, and local governments, corporations, foundations,
service organizations, educational institutions, juvenile justice
agencies, and individual adults support youth court programs because
such programs actively promote and contribute to building successful,
productive lives and futures for the youth of the United States;
Whereas a fundamental correlation exists between community service while one is
a young person and a lifelong commitment and involvement to one's
community;
Whereas community service and related service learning opportunities enable
young people to build character and to enhance and learn life skills,
including responsibility, decision-making, time management, teamwork,
public speaking, and leadership, which are skills that prospective
employers value and which help to transform participants in youth court
programs into productive members of their communities;
Whereas 1,158 youth court programs in 49 States and the District of Columbia
believe recruiting, recognizing, training, and retaining youth and adult
volunteers will achieve the sustainability, growth, and effectiveness of
youth court programs and the ability of such programs to reduce juvenile
crime;
Whereas such 1,158 youth court programs exemplify the practice of empowering
youth through involvement in community solutions, increase public safety
by holding juvenile offenders accountable for illegal acts, use positive
peer influence to achieve law-abiding behavior, provide understanding
and appreciation of the law through classes and court participation, and
develop individual competence and leadership skills through problem-
solving and decision-making; and
Whereas for the past five years some youth court programs throughout the country
have celebrated the month of September as a youth court month: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes and commends the 1,158 youth court programs
in existence in 49 States and the District of Columbia for the
support and efforts of such programs in enhancing the quality
of the juvenile justice system in the United States and
supports the purposes and practices of such programs in
improving such system;
(2) encourages the recognition of a National Youth Court
Month and urges the people, schools, businesses, and media of
the United States to observe such a month by participating in
activities to preserve and strengthen youth court programs in
each respective community; and
(3) encourages the cultivation of a common bond among all
young people and adult volunteers dedicated to serving their
peers, communities, and the United States in the pursuit of
justice for all youth.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Select Education.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line