How many youth courts are in the U.S., and when was the first youth court implemented?
According to the National Youth Court Database, in 1994 there were only 78 youth court programs in operation; as of October 2006, there are over 1127 youth court programs in operation in 49 states and the District of Columbia. Conflicting accounts in the literature create challenges to tracing the exact beginning of youth court programs. One of the earliest known programs still in operation is the Naperville Youth Jury in Naperville, Illinois. Naperville’s program started in June of 1972. There are also anecdotal reports of a youth court that began operating in Horseheads, NY in 1968. Visit National Facts and Stats for more information.
