Restorative justice and youth courts: A new approach to delinquency prevention

Abstract

This study presents findings from the South Carolina Youth Court Initiative, a statewide community corrections approach to delinquency prevention. The national youth court movement, its restorative justice theoretical underpinnings, and a brief history of youth courts in South Carolina are reviewed as a context for the present study. A mixed-methodological design utilizing a survey, costs–benefits analysis, site visits, and interviewing was employed to analyze the entire study population (N=21). Findings are presented which call into question the value of youth court performance in terms of effectiveness and expenditure.

Citation

Ventura Miller, H. (2008), "Restorative justice and youth courts: A new approach to delinquency prevention", Ventura Miller, H. (Ed.) Restorative Justice: from Theory to Practice (Sociology of Crime, Law and Deviance, Vol. 11), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 189-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1521-6136(08)00408-9