Kudos to the White Plains Youth Court and Frank Williams, Executive Director of the City of White Plains Youth Bureau, for the terrific story by Ronald Claiborne, describing their innovative effort to address criminal conduct of young people in the community ages 12 to 17. To be eligible to participate, the accused must have already admitted guilt, and a sentence of community service and counseling will be determined by their peers. Each case reviewed is a low-level criminal offense and referred to the Youth Court by schools, police, probation officials, and prosecutors. The effectiveness of this creative approach has led to reduced recidivism and greater self-awareness by those appearing before the court. I applaud this effort.
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