Welcome to the ANYSYC website.
Thank you for visiting our site and discovering what the Association of New York State Youth Courts is all about.
The Next ANYSYC Meeting is
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 – 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Elmira, NY
607-737-5802
Host: Luanne Strauser, Elmira Youth Court
Members at today’s meeting in action
Chief Judge Judith Kaye (retired) Chairs Special Committee on Youth Courts
Pictured above are Stephen Younger (President of the NYS Bar Association), Nancy Fishman (Project Director for Center for Court Innovation) and Chief Judge Judith Kaye, Chair for the NYSBA Committee.
Special Committee on Youth Courts Mission Statement
Youth Courts have a dual purpose. First, they are a vehicle for addressing real-life problems faced by young people (such as truancy, school fighting, graffiti, vandalism and shoplifting), intervening early to avoid more serious encounters that trigger a downward life spiral. Second, they offer participating teens, who are trained to serve as jurors, judges, attorneys and court personnel, education in our justice system, too often lacking today.
Overseen by volunteer lawyers, judges, educators, law enforcement officials or community members, Youth Courts take various forms. Sanctions typically include community service, letters of apology, behavior modification classes, essays and counseling. The courts use positive peer pressure to ensure that young people who commit even minor offenses give back to the community and avoid further entanglement with the justice system. There are more than 80 Youth Courts operating throughout New York State.
The New York State Bar Foundation has supported Youth Courts by providing grants for the Center for Court Innovation to develop a comprehensive Recommended Practices Manual; for the Staten Island Youth Court to develop programs that provide opportunities for local teens to hear cases involving low-level offenses committed by youth; and for the Youth Justice Board, which seeks to influence juvenile justice through a model participatory democracy program that brings the voice of informed youth directly to policymakers.
The newly formed Special Committee will examine what roles the Bar Association can play in strengthening Youth Courts, defining best practices, identifying locations where new Youth Courts can be established, and developing strategies for raising funds to enlarge the initiative.
Please see the list of committee members throughout the state.
The Mission Statement of the Association of New York State Youth Courts
To act as a catalyst for the comprehensive development of youth courts across New York State, to maintain a juvenile justice alternative that is operated for and by youth, and to promote Youth Courts as an important feature of the juvenile justice services that seeks to improve juvenile justice outcomes for all community youth.