Southold Town Youth Bureau director Lynn Nyilas is spearheading an effort to bring youth court to the North Fork and if all goes as planned, we could begin seeing cases being tried by the end of the year.
Youth court is a program that trains high schoolers to take on the roles of judge, attorney and other courtroom positions to handle real-life cases involving their peers.
Juveniles who have committed non-violent crimes can opt to be tried in a youth court rather than in a traditional setting such as family court. Referrals for respondents come from police and schools.
“The goal of the youth court model we’re using is restorative, not punitive,” said Nyilas. Offenders are sentenced to community service and might receive counseling, she said.
“The sentence is supposed to, as much as it can, have something to do with the infractions. So, for example, if a student is caught making graffiti, you would channel that in a positive direction by having this student participate in an art club and make a mural at a school. Or if you find out that art is their passion you find a way to channel it so it brings something positive to their life.”
Offenders are often required to apologize to the people who have been affected by their crime.
Students in grades nine through 12 who attend school in Mattituck, Southold and Greenport will be eligible to join youth court. Next month, Nyilas will begin visiting schools to let students know about the program, which requires after-school training for all participants.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to learn about the criminal justice system and learn the roles in a trial,” said Nyilas. And it’s a great way to stop unwanted behavior before it becomes a pattern or before an offender is entered into the juvenile justice system, she added.
Superintendents, principals and social workers from all the North Fork high schools are backing the program and funding will most likely come from grants, although details have yet to be worked out.
