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court programs. One Chief of Police from the Antioch Police Department notes, “I believe that their first minor juvenile crime should teach them about accountability without damaging their selfesteem.” Another Chief of Police from Lindenhurst notes, “Youth Court is both tougher on the kid who makes a mistake and, simultaneously, healthier for that kid and society.” Still another Chief of Police from Grayslake says, “Teen Court is a great way to keep first-time young offenders out of the formal court system, and an equally great opportunity for high school students to volunteer and serve their community as jurors on cases of their peers.” that were literally unknown to most of America just a decade ago (Pericak, Peterson, & Lockart, 1996). Highlighting the importance of volunteering at an early age, a report by the Independent Sector and Youth Service America revealed that two-thirds of all adult volunteers began volunteering their time when they were young. The study also showed that volunteering among high school students recently reached the highest levels in the past 50 years. Youth court is now a leading national example of a program that engages several hundred thousand youth volunteers and youthful offenders each year in both volunteer service and mandated community service in communities across America. Volunteering Time to Reduce Crime The number of youth volunteering in the more than 1,200 local youth courts across America is staggering. In a one-year period a minimum of 117,310 youth typically ages 12–19 volunteered in a local youth court program. The 2008 national data collection report on youth court also revealed that 16,522 adults volunteered alongside the record-breaking number of youth who now volunteer in local youth courts. This is a combined 133,832 adults and youth volunteering for local youth court programs in the United States in a one-year period. America’s youth are responding to the call of service for this unique juvenile justice program that engages and empowers youth to assist their peers who have committed minor crimes and offenses. Support among adults who establish these local programs only appears to be increasing, given that the most recent year also posted record numbers of adults involved in these local community-based juvenile justice programs Service can take on several meanings including public service, community service, and elected service. Beyond its value to the community, service in programs like youth court can help provide young people with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to assume the most important role they have in society—that of a citizen. In youth court, volunteer youth impose mandated community service hours to their peers for committing minor crimes and offenses. As a result, these youth assigned to mandated service may experience service to their community for the first time. Youth court programs and the staff and volunteers involved are widely known to make their service as meaningful as if it were volunteer service. An increasing number of youth courts undertake service projects that include both the youth who are volunteering and those mandated, and it is difficult to tell the difference (Peterson & Colydas, 2001). The service that volunteers provide in youth court is absolutely critical to the operation of local youth court programs. It is also one of the reasons youth court is among the least expensive juvenile justice and community youth programs in existence in the United States. The national data collection survey recently released by George Washington University calculated the average cost of operating a local youth court program at $55,000 per year. These costs vary when considering such factors as numbers of cases, adult and youth volunteer roles, and 50 | reclaiming children and youth www.reclaimingjournal.com