About Us

The Philadelphia Community Youth Court (PCYC) was founded in 2012 by Francine Hardaway as a pilot program designed to help eradicate the school to prison pipeline. Our objective is to provide training for the development and implementation of school- based youth courts and a community -based youth court in Philadelphia. Youth courts are programs in which youth sanction their peers for minor delinquent and school discipline policy offenses and other problem behaviors. 

Youth offenders agree to participate in a hearing utilizing the principles of restorative justice and agree to complete restorative sanctions offered by a jury of youth peers. Youth Court members are trained in the Philadelphia Community Youth Court Process to serve in various roles including judge, youth advocate, juror, bailiff, and foreperson. During the hearing, youth court members ask restorative questions with the intention of discovering any underlining factors that may have caused the behavior. The objective is to eliminate the behavior by connecting them to the necessary resources to help them heal and prevent recidivism. Youth offenders who participate in the program are still held accountable for their actions and are responsible for repairing the harm that has been done.

Our mantra is "Changing Thinking, Changing Behavior". 

We nurtured and developed a generation of youth who understand delinquent behavior as a public health crisis which requires systemic legal, educational, behavioral /social interventions, and policy changes to reduce the likelihood of a youth returning to the legal system and or going to prison.