Montgomery County District Attorney’s Youth Aid Panel (YAP) Program is currently seeking volunteers to serve as Youth Aid Panelists. The program is expanding the number of panels that meet in areas throughout Montgomery County. Ideal volunteers would be adults of all ages, genders, races and ethnicities who live in areas of Montgomery County.
About the YAP Program
The Youth Aid Panel (YAP) Program has been giving juveniles a second chance to have a clean criminal record since 2000. In its 20-year history, the program has helped more than 10,000 juveniles, ages 10 to 17 (or age 18 if a current high school senior), avoid a criminal record by going before a panel of local, trained volunteers and taking responsibility for their actions. Through the involvement and support of local community volunteers and assigned interventions, community Youth Aid Panels hold juveniles accountable for their actions with conditions that focus on community responsibility while facilitating positive outcomes.
The YAP Program is an alternative to having a juvenile charged with their criminal infraction and having the matter handled in Juvenile Court. Successfully completing YAP means the child won’t have a criminal record that can be found through background checks routinely done by colleges and employers. The program is also designed to help juvenile offenders avoid future contact with the juvenile justice system through the involvement and support of local community volunteers, who serve on the more than 40 active Youth Aid Panels across Montgomery County.
Apply if you:
- want to make a difference in your community…
- want to have a positive impact on the lives of youth…
- want to promote community protection and juvenile justice accountability…
- want to hold juveniles accountable for their actions while sending a message that they live in a community that cares.
For More Information
Email us at da.yap@montcopa.org or call the YAP office at 610-551-6628.
