The Cecil County Neighborhood Youth Panel, Inc. (NYP) is a juvenile diversion program which gives first-time juvenile misdemeanor offenders the option of appearing before a panel of community volunteers rather than entering the juvenile justice system. The program provides immediate intervention with the first-time juvenile offenders and allows community members to take an active part in the process of determining sanctions for youth offenders, monitoring sanction compliance and acting as positive role models to our youth.

NYP has successfully created an environment where the community and law enforcement agencies interact in a program designed to understand the many aspects of the youth’s life, home, social network, and community.

Neighborhood Youth Panel Sanctions

Community Conferencing

A Community Conference allows all parties involved in the conflict to come together to have a dialogue with each other. A trained, invested facilitator will manage the conference as a neutral third party to ensure that each person has a voice in the matter. At the conclusion of a successful conference, we will have a written agreement, determined by the participants, that will attempt to repair the harm and make the situation better.

Criteria for Youth Participation in NYP

• Cecil County resident
• Under 18 years of age
• At-risk youth or low risk offender
• Admission of involvement in offense
• Consent to have case handled by NYP

Requirements for Panel Members

• Community member
• 21 years of age
• Desire to work with young people
• Positive role model
• Criminal background check required
• Must sign Confidentiality Agreement
• Panelist Training provided

Caleb is a 15-year-old boy from the North East area who was arrested and charged with theft from the local Walmart. The panel met with Caleb and his mother and discussed the circumstances of the event, his school and home life and his goals. In talking with the youth, it was discovered that he was spending the night at his friend’s house and he and a group of other boys went out to Walmart in the middle of the night because they were bored and hungry and there was no food in the house. He is a tenth grader who does “OK” in school and his mom works long hours and some weekends. He has a lot of unsupervised time after school and is not involved in sports or other activities at school but did play little league baseball when he was younger. He is unsure about his plans after graduation but is interested in working on cars. Caleb was given an action plan to complete which included making a list of ways to get out of a difficult situation, shoplifting abatement class, life choices workshop which focused on goal setting, time management, choosing a career, college and military options, financial literacy and budgeting, and sexual choices. Caleb met with a military recruiter and discovered he was interested in that path for himself. He has a family member that he looks up to that is in the Marine Corps and would like to do the same. He hadn’t really thought about the fact that a criminal record could prevent or hinder his getting into the military but is grateful that he has the opportunity to have the charges removed from his record.

Caleb’s mentor worked with him regularly; helping with his community service project, helping Caleb look into other branches of military service and their requirements, and encouraging him to try out for the school baseball team in the spring. Caleb’s mom reports that he is no longer hanging around with a couple of the friends that she was concerned about and is doing better in school.