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Mondays: 10:00- 19:00
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Tuesdays: 10:00- 19:00
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Wednesdays: 10:00- 19:00
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Thursdays: 10:00- 19:00
The Concept
The idea for Anchorage Youth Court, incorporated as a 501(c)3 non profit in 1989, started when Blythe Marston, a local attorney, shared information she had gathered from the Ithaca Youth Court in New York, while attending Cornell University. She and others from the Anchorage Bar Association Young Lawyers Section organized a town meeting in 1988 to explore developing a local youth court.
They invited possible supporters from Juvenile Intake, the court, the local police department, school district, business, the Anchorage Bar Association, students and parents to the meeting. These volunteers created and developed the Anchorage Youth Court model. With community involvement, in‐kind
donations and $1,700 from the Anchorage Bar Association, the new program took root, winning its first national education award from the American Bar Association in 1989. Anchorage Youth Court provides youth with legal education to understand and appreciate the law, as well as juvenile diversion by including formal legal training, a youth court bar association, and a court operated completely by youth in grades 7 through 12. Juvenile Intake refers cases of youth, ages 12 to 18, arrested for committing a criminal offense, but not considered a threat to themselves or society. Adults participate as advisors.
Our Start
AYC received its first juvenile criminal cases in March 1989, after almost 100 Anchorage area youth received training and were sworn‐in as Youth Court attorneys and judges. Between 1989 and 1995 the student volunteers adjudicated between 18 and 20 cases annually. Assisted by a coordinator, who
worked part time, an attorney who volunteered as primary legal advisor, volunteer attorneys and a budget of up to $50,000 annually, the defendant recidivism rate was under 5%, according to Juvenile Intake.
During this period, Anchorage Youth Court earned two national education and collaboration awards from the American Bar Association and Information America.
However, also during this time juvenile crime in Anchorage rose dramatically, concerning the public. Anchorage's local government leaders began efforts to reduce local juvenile crime.
Learning of Anchorage Youth Court’s effectiveness, low operating cost and large youth volunteer base, which had grown to over 250 students annually, they invited AYC and others to help plan and implement the
Making a Difference Program. This pilot project would hold more youth accountable for breaking the law and would reduce the time between arrest and intervention, enabling youth to relate their actions to consequences. Anchorage Youth Court student members reorganized Youth Court to weekly arraign and sentence up to 25 defendants pleading no contest at Juvenile Intake. Anchorage Youth Court would, also continue to accept cases in which the defendant pleads not guilty.
Where We Make a Difference
From 1989 through December 2006 the State of Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice has referred 4,237 juvenile criminal cases for AYC adjudication. From 1996 through 2006 defendants have earned and paid victims over $79,000, and worked over 101,000 hours to repay the community for breaking its laws. Although Anchorage Youth Court accepts cases in which the defendant may have a previous arrest record, long term, in the last recidivism check 89% of those who completed their Youth Court obligation had not re‐offended. At a cost of $601 per defendant, $50 of which the defendant pays, Anchorage Youth Court continues to provide effective, low cost legal diversion, education and intervention for local youth.
Successes
AYC serves as a charter member of the United Youth Courts of Alaska; hosted the National Youth Court Conference in 1999, with 27 states participating; and served on the advisory committee for the "National Youth Court Guidelines" published by the National Youth Court Center. It has also cosponsored 2 state youth court conferences here. AYC was selected as one of four youth courts in the
2002 Department of Justice Evaluation of Teen Courts Project. Results showed AYC as the most effective with only 6% re‐offending within 6 months of completion, whereas 23% of juveniles with similar cases, who did not go to AYC, re‐offended. Locally AYC, one of four community programs cited, helped
Anchorage earn its 2002 All‐America City Award. Northeastern University School of Law chose AYC for a project developing a formal trial program, which could serve as a model for Alaskan and national youth courts. In 2006 Anchorage Youth Court was one of the reasons Anchorage gained recognition as one of
America’s 100 best cities for youth and was also represented on the founding task force formed by the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention that created the National Association of Youth Courts