Raytown Police Announce Implementation of Youth Court Program

The Raytown Police have implemented their Youth Court program. The Raytown Youth Court will process cases involving first time, misdemeanor, juvenile offenders. The local youth court will reduce the number of referrals to Jackson County Family Court, which will allow that court to focus on more serious crimes. The Youth Court is a diversion program that is vetted and endorsed by Family Court.

The program is peer-based. Offending juveniles will have an opportunity to be judged by their peers, using the power of positive peer pressure. Raytown Youth Court mirrors the judicial system, in that there will be a judge, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, court clerk, and bailiff. Those roles are staffed by trained, juvenile volunteers. A group of those volunteers have recently graduated from the training program.

Not only is the program valuable to the offender, but to the participants as well. Volunteers get the opportunity to see firsthand, on a smaller scale, how our judicial system works in the United States of America.