[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.
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