Tennessee Youth Courts Information

In 2000, our leaders had an enlightened moment when two members of the General Assembly sponsored a bill that was to become the Tennessee Teen Court Act of 2000. The act proposed the creation of teen courts, now called youth courts, to be established by local judges with juvenile court jurisdiction, to be composed of various numbers of youth and various models. The act proposed nontraditional penalties for juvenile offenders. It proposed not penalties but instead a means to make amends for the bad decision made and actions undertaken. It also proposed that the “court system” be made up of peer teens operating under the supervision and guidance of local attorneys and judges. For youth who volunteer, Youth Courts inform and educate young people about the role of law in our democracy and their role as active citizens. Volunteers learn about court procedures, sentencing options, trial techniques, the structure of the justice system, the meaning of justice, and relationships between rights and responsibilities. Teenagers who volunteer to sit on the Youth Court decide the sentence for other teens who admit to committing an offense. These teen volunteers base their verdict on the principles of restorative justice: * Accountability * Competency * Community