Youth court at risk in
Saratoga County

Saratoga County Youth Court had received $40,000 a year in state funds for several years -- almost half of its annual budget. But that revenue ceased two years ago and the county does not contribute funding to the program, run by the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council of Saratoga County.

The now $70,000 shortfall faced by the peer-led alternative sentencing court threatens what prosecutors, judges, parents and teens say is a great investment in the area's youth.

Without new money, the program faces closure or a drastic reduction by Jan. 31, said Judy Ekman, prevention council director.

Grant applications to the county and regional foundations have been unsuccessful, so the agency is seeking donations from the public to keep the 10-year-old court afloat, Ekman said.

"This is really very little money when you look at the consequences of youth crime, both for individuals and society," Ekman said.

The goal of Saratoga County Youth Court is "to make a young person's first arrest their last." First-time petty offenders ages eight to 18 face a "court hearing" operated entirely by trained teenage officers picked from a pool of 175, and must serve sentences of community service, jury duty and other penalties.

The court program travels to town and city courts in the county, averaging more than 100 cases a year. It's most busy in Clifton Park and Wilton, according to law enforcement officials. The program is the only one in the county that deals with youth.

Family Court hearings are reserved for serious or repeat offenses, and the county's Probation Department cannot provide alternative sentencing.

Amanda Mosher of Corinth said youth court got her back on the right track after she was arrested with five friends for stealing jewelry from a store in Wilton Mall about two years ago. She was required to provide 20 hours of community service, had to take a risk and responsibility class, tour the county jail and participate in two youth court juries. But the shoplifting charge didn't go on her permanent record, something she was worried about.

"It was scary when I was going through it, but looking back, it taught me a lesson," Mosher, 19, said. "I think it's a program they should help fund."

About $21,000 of the program's annual budget comes from municipalities and school districts.

Saratoga County, which had a $28 million unappropriated fund balance in April, gave the program $40,000 about five years ago, but has since turned down grant requests, Ekman said. The $70,000 needed would go toward staffing and travel costs, she said.

"I am very distressed by the lack of funding," county District Attorney James A. Murphy III said. Having to admit something in front of peers, he said, has a significant impact on youth and is useful in keeping them out of the court system.

How to help

Donations for the Saratoga County Youth Court can be made by contacting Ekman at 581-1230, or www.preventioncouncil.org.