Volunteers for Youth/Peer Court

 

Become a volunteer and you'll soon discover why volunteering is such a rewarding and satisfying experience. There are so many great reasons to volunteer - here are just a few:

     » Learn new skills
     » Feel good about yourself
     » Make a contribution to your community
     » Gain work experience and build your resume
     » Explore a career
     » Meet people and make new friends
     » Share your time, skills and energy
     » Support a cause you believe in
     » Fulfill a school course requirement
     » Make a difference

     We are always looking for volunteers to help in several areas, including:

     » Assisting with court
     » Marketing, public relations, and advertising
     » Outreach and special events
     » General administration
     » Mentoring
     » And much more...

Volunteer time is flexible. It can fit any schedule and any lifestyle. You can volunteer for several hours every week or for just one day a year.

Youth Volunteers

The Shasta County Youth/Peer Court uses youth volunteers as jurors, jury forepersons, attorneys and clerks.  Volunteers are between the ages of 12-18.   Volunteers attend training where they learn about the court, restorative justice, the 40 Developmental Assets program, sentencing options as well as practice a mock trial. 

Volunteers attend training to begin as jurors and work their way up to become jury forepersons.  If they have an interest in broadening their experience, they can become student attorneys.   The student attorneys work in pairs, with one of the attorneys usually having more experience.  They are coached by local adult attorneys, who volunteer to meet with the students in advance, help them prepare their cases, and then come to court to watch them and provide constructive feedback to the students.   Experienced volunteers can assist with teaching other new student volunteers at training sessions and with talking to community groups about the Youth/Peer Court program. 

 

Adult Volunteers

Adults can volunteer to be Attorney Coaches.  Shasta County attorney volunteers meet with the student attorneys to coach them on their cases and provide feedback to them on their performance in court.   Attorneys can also volunteer to assist with teaching the basic volunteer class to the students.

Adult judges volunteer their time to sit on the bench and hear the cases.   While it is the youth jurors who determine the sanctions imposed, the judges ask questions, run the court just like a regular court, and can modify the sanctions if they feel it is necessary. 

Adults who have successfully passed a background investigation can volunteer to help with the court, with administrative office work, and with classes as needed.   Please call if you are interested in order to determine your interests and the needs of the Youth Violence Prevention Council staff. 

 

 

 

"We really appreciate all of our volunteers and the hundreds of hours that they collectively donate to our program.  It's what helps to make the Shasta County Youth/Peer Court such a successful program!"

 

Call 244-7194 if you are interested in volunteering, training,  or finding out more about the program.  The court is open to the public to come observe on any court night.  Check out the calendar to find out when the next court date or training session will be held.