The mission of McCullum Youth Court is to offer youth offenders a second chance through restorative justice, peer accountability, and empowering opportunities; and to engage all youth – especially those at risk for entering the juvenile justice system -- in expansive experiences related to law and justice with the aim of changing young lives and impacting communities towards a better present day and brighter future.

Description:
MYC values responsible engagement in the world and supports youth in taking responsibility for their own actions; joining with others to share responsibility for their community; taking responsibility for their own future and considering the future of the planet, as well; and holding others, along with oneself, accountable for words and actions.

Broadly speaking, MYC programs and services aim to:

 interrupt intergenerational cycles of crime and incarceration by offering asset based early intervention to divert young people from the traditional juvenile judicial system;

 invest resources in positive community and youth development rather than in the costs associated with youth offenders who enter the juvenile judicial system;

 engage vulnerable youth in activities that build developmental assets towards resiliency and success;

 increase all young people’s positive involvement with the law and justice -- through empowering, experiential learning in the context of collaborative justice.

Using principles of restorative justice, early intervention, and peer accountability, MYC focuses on under-resourced communities and underserved populations, especially communities with disproportionate police contact and incarceration rates, and communities with persistent under representation in higher education, not to mention law schools and the legal profession.

Core services include the Youth Offender Program, where youthful offenders are represented, counseled, and held accountable by peers. With the support of peers and an adult Case Manager, youthful offenders complete a sentence that includes 1) gender specific programming to build positive self concept and greater self understanding; a sense of self efficacy and social responsibility; and life skills and 2) connection to positive individuals and a community through civic involvement in the form of community service and juror service. As needed, other special services and programming (e.g., Healthy Risks or Healthy Boundaries and Positive Self Expression) are provided at MYC or accessed through referral to other agencies and organizations. MYC operates under California Penal Code with the full authority of the law, and the peer-determined sentences are binding. Youth offenders who successfully complete their sentence avoid the traditional juvenile judicial system.

Through a Youth Law Program, high school students develop legal knowledge and skills to counsel youth offenders, as well as to prosecute and defend them in court. Lead Attorneys, Bailiffs, and Clerks participate in intensive training, including an overnight Law & Justice Summer Institute, followed by ongoing after-school support in school-affiliated Law Clubs. Participants in the Youth Law Program are intended to serve as peer support and role models for the youth offenders. Youthful offenders who successfully complete the program are encouraged to join the Youth Law Program. In addition, middle and high school students from anywhere in the County may participate as peer jurors, earning community service hours, after attending a Juror Service training held each Court Night before jury duty. With the exception of the adult Judge, Court is staffed and operated entirely by youth. The guidance, mentoring, supervision of adult staff are key to youth building and applying the necessary skills, values, and attitudes.

The Law & Justice Youth In Leadership Program furnishes an opportunity for youth to partner closely with staff. MYC’s newly expanded Law & Justice Leadership Program and two new initiatives (an Apprentice Program for middle and high school age youth offenders) received significant Title V funding for the current fiscal year related to DMC (disproportionate minority contact) in collaboration with the City of Oakland. These projects all aim to extend the reach of MYC and the opportunity for youth to experience peer justice, as well as to increase the number of youth offenders who crossover into the Youth Law Program. Youth in Leadership partner closely with MYC staff in all aspects of program planning and implementation. First year college students who complete the Youth in Leadership program and remain in the area are eligible to apply for a paid Scholar position – mentoring Youth in Leadership and partnering even more closely with staff in the delivery of services. Additional funding through Title II, via the California Standards Authority, is funding enhancement of MYC services in terms of restorative justice, gender responsive services, and developmentally appropriate services, as well as continuing attention to DMC.

In MYC’s Youth Law and Youth Offender programs combined, 97% of MYC participants are youth of color, more than 85% are from low income households, approximately two-thirds show low academic performance, and more than half are involved or have been involved in the juvenile judicial system. A majority of MYC youth are Oakland residents from high need communities. In FY 2005-2006, MYC provided services to 350 youth and their families referred through the Probation Department and area police departments in North Alameda County, and educational outreach to 3000 additional youth and community members. More than 80% of youth offenders who completed the program reported that they felt like a more responsible person (more than 70% of their parent/guardians reported improvement in the same regard), and two thirds of them felt that their ability to work with others had improved. Three out of four youth offenders who completed the program reported that their ability to stay safe improved as a result of the program, and more than that number reported that they knew more adults who are there to support them in handling difficult situations, and nearly two-thirds of their parent/guardians reported improvement in this regard. More than 90% of youth attorneys at MYC reported that their ability to get to know, understand, and work with people of difference backgrounds had improved.

McCullum Youth Court represents an interagency collaboration between the Alameda County District Attorney's Office; Alameda County Department of Probation; Police Departments in the cities of Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, and Piedmont; other law enforcement agencies such as BART Police, the Sheriff’s Department, etc.; and the Alameda County Superior Court. A range of formal and informal partnerships exist with the City of Oakland’s Safe Passages, Berkeley Youth Alternatives, Catholic Charities of the East Bay, Center for Family Counseling, East Oakland Youth Development Center, the Native American Health Center, OASIS High School (for “dropouts”), Seneca Center, Alameda Family Services, YEP (Youth Employment Partnership), the YMCA of the East Bay, Boys & Girls Club, among others. Continuing to explore and build new relationships with Oakland public and charter schools, faith-based organizations, and other youth serving organizations continues to be a priority. In addition, MYC is currently exploring collaboration with several other peer leader and peer educator programs so that youth can get joint trainings, build their youth leader network, and cross fertilize their programs.

Summer Programs

Youth Law Basic Training
This five-week program for high school youth who are interested in becoming attorneys, bailiffs, or clerks, consists of weekly half-day trainings and workshops. It targets youth who chose not to participate or were not chosen to participate in the Leadership Institute. Youth who complete the summer program will be certified as eligible for a Mentor role in the coming year. The target number is 20 youth.

Bona Fide Summer Law Program
This five-week program for youth who have been trained to be attorneys, bailiffs, or clerks, consists of weekly half-day trainings, guest speakers, field trips, and social activities. It targets youth who chose not to participate or were not chosen to participate in the Leadership Institute. Youth who complete the summer program will be certified as eligible for a Mentor role in the coming year. A Mentor role will be a prerequisite for any youth to apply for a Leadership position next year (fiscal year 2007-2008). The target number is 18 youth.

Law & Justice Leadership Institute
The Leadership Institute provides an opportunity for intensive team building, law/justice-related skills building, and leadership skills development for 10 Lead Attorneys, 10 Lead Bailiffs, and 6 Lead Clerks who will assume leadership within MYC for the coming school year – through a college campus 3-day overnight experience at Stanford University. As in years past, the Institute will provide law and justice related workshops, guest speakers, field trips, tutorials, and mock trials mentored by adult attorneys, as well as offering community building, social, and recreational activities. Professional attorneys and judges provide tutorials, coaching, and mentoring during the Institute. Pre-Training for participants is provided in July prior to the Institute. Generally, the Leadership Program is for high school seniors (beginning while they are rising seniors). A monthly stipend is provided during the school year (10 months). Target number is 26 youth.

Law in Action (Not in 2007)
A four-week experience for 6 outstanding youth to observe the law in action in a variety of settings, from the District Attorney and Public Defender Offices to pro bono legal assistance work by law students. Youth will participate twice a week in participatory observation followed by debriefing and workshops. A stipend is provided. Target number is six (6).



Law& Justice Peer Advisor Program
The summer Law Peer Advisor Program provides an opportunity for youth who have demonstrated outstanding leadership at MYC to serve as mentors, trainers, and coaches for peers in the summer programming. The Law & Justice Peer Advisors participate in training, ongoing workshops, and as a partner with staff in a particular component of summer programming. Priority is given to graduating seniors. A stipend for the summer is provided. Target number is six (6). For Oakland youth only.

Novice Law Program
The five-week program for rising 8th and 9th graders will include a) special activities including trainings, field trips, and workshops, b) shadowing a peer mentor in the Youth Law program at Law Club meetings and Court, and c) assisting with the Court process as they develop and demonstrate the necessary skills. The Novice experience will include workshops and activities (such as time/stress management, goal setting, efficient reading, and effective written and verbal communication, peer pressure, and conflict resolution) to help the youth prepare for some of the challenges of 9th grade. Reading, writing, and speaking skills will be addressed through the vehicle of a summer law program. Target number is 25.

History:
Founded in 1994 by a group of attorneys, judges, and educators to provide diversion and early intervention for youthful offenders, MYC today reaches approximately 3,000 youth and their families, including 350 voluntary youth offenders ages 10 – 17+, primarily from the cities of Alameda, Berkeley, and Oakland. Using principles of restorative justice and peer accountability, MYC focuses on under resourced communities and underserved populations, especially communities with disproportionate police contact and incarceration rates, and communities with persistent under representation in higher education, law schools, and the legal profession. MYC asset-based programs also address the need for experiential learning and leadership/civic opportunities for all youth to foster confidence and a sense of self efficacy; cultivate relationships across such boundaries as race, ethnicity, gender, and class; and nurture young peoples’ college and career aspirations in households where they will be the first generation to attend college.

Contact people:

Rachel Sing, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Maria Nodal, Program Director, (phone), (email) Darren White, Program Director, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (510) 832-5858
Office fax number: (510) 834-4421

Address:

287 Seventeenth Street, Suite 207 Oakland, CA 94612 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.youthcourt.org

Directions:

Public transportation by BART: Get off at Oakland's 19th Station and when you come above ground, follow Broadway to 17th street and walk up 17th Street approximately 4 blocks to Harrison. Our building is at the corner of Harrison. . . (more)   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: 19th Street in Oakland,   Walk distance (in minutes): 15 mins.   Nearest Bus Stop: Multiple lines come into downtown Oakland at 12th Street and we are several blocks away., 15 mins. minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?
	Farsi, Hindi, Mandarin, Spanish, Urdu
What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?
	10
Is your agency wheelchair accessible?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?
	No