Youth Academy offers teens insight into criminal justice system

Sacramento County high school students interested in learning about the criminal justice system are invited to apply for the third annual Youth Academy.

The program is presented by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office in partnership with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department; Sacramento County Probation Department; and the Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Elk Grove and Galt police departments.

Topics will include the anatomy of a criminal case, race as a factor in the criminal justice system, use of force, gun violence, gangs, dating violence, human trafficking, marijuana, crime scene investigation and evidence, and distracted driving, according to a District Attorney’s Office news release. A career fair will be held at graduation.

The evening classes will be held twice a month at four locations throughout the county:

• South Area: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 21 through March 15, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Community Service Center, 7000 65th St., Sacramento.
• North Area: 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 19 through March 20, Roberts Family Development Center, 770 Darina Ave., Sacramento.
• East Area: 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 27 through March 14, Rancho Cordova Police Department, 2897 Kilgore Road, Rancho Cordova.
• Elk Grove/Galt: 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays, Sept. 25 through April 2, Elk Grove City Hall, 8401 Laguna Palms Way, Elk Grove.

An optional one-day field trip is scheduled to tour the Sacramento Superior Court.

The program is open to current Sacramento County high school students. Applications, which are due by Sept. 8, can be downloaded from the District Attorney’s Office website, www.sacda.org. Space is limited and students will be admitted to the program on a first-come, first-served basis.

This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Youth Academy offers teens insight into criminal justice system."