The Community Youth Aid Panel (CYAP) process is an innovative diversionary program designed to effectively address the juvenile offender. The panels are comprised of community volunteers who act as an important voice for their community. The program goals include offender accountability, victim participation and reparation, as well as community involvement.
The panels assist in providing a means to increase the accountability and responsibility of youths for their actions, while attempting to meet the needs of the victim. This process strives to achieve two important goals: first, to prevent the youth from becoming more deeply involved in delinquent behaviors and the juvenile justice system; secondly, to hold the juvenile responsible to both the victim and the community through completion of panel imposed obligations. The panel meets monthly in person in various townships across Berks County.
