Putnam County Youth Bureau Expands Teen Driving Court
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Earlier this year, the Putnam County Youth Bureau announced the expansion of the Putnam County Teen Driving Court, a diversion program targeting ticketed youth drivers, to the Town of Philipstown.
Teen Driving Court is an extension of the Putnam County Youth Court program, simulating a courtroom experience and educating young drivers who have recently received a traffic violation. An agreement with Philipstown Justice Court will allow these ticketed drivers the opportunity to address their behavior before a courtroom of their peers and be assigned specific restorative recommendations to make amends for their actions.
“This is an incredibly valuable program that I’m excited we’ve been able to expand to Philipstown,” said Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne. “I’m grateful to our partners in Philipstown for agreeing to join this innovative program and hope the individuals who go through the program gain valuable insight into the consequences of their actions.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about eight teens aged 13 to 19 die every day in motor vehicle crashes, and hundreds more are injured. In addition, teen drivers engaging in one transportation risk behavior were more likely to engage in other risky driving behaviors, including impaired driving.
Putnam County Teen Driving Court can hear non-moving and moving violations. Cases will be drawn from the towns of Carmel, Kent, and Philipstown, with plans to expand to other municipalities within Putnam. To be eligible, the driver must be at least 16 years of age and haven’t previously participated in Teen Driving Court. The individual justice courts dictate the maximum age for participation.
“Successful program completion may significantly reduce or dismiss the traffic violation for the teen, but the true aim is early intervention,” said Janeen Cunningham, Executive Director of the Putnam County Youth Bureau. “If young drivers can receive further education after making a mistake and positively interact with the justice system, they will be less likely to re-offend, improving the safety of our community for everyone. Increased training for young drivers will have an immediate benefit and a continued impact as they become adults in the community.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/