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West Chester, PA 19380
Young Adult Community Conferencing (YACC) is a restorative justice program for West Chester University students who commit alcohol-related summary offenses in the borough of West Chester in Chester County.
YACC is an opportunity for student offenders to repair relationships with West Chester borough residents who have been impacted by students’ illegal and inappropriate behavior.
YACC is also an opportunity for West Chester borough residents to participate in the university’s disciplinary process by volunteering on a community conference panel.
A community conference is a formal meeting between students and volunteer community representatives led by a trained facilitator. Within a safe environment, students and community representatives discuss how each student’s specific actions impact the West Chester borough and community at the large.
If a specific individual, family or business was harmed, the victim is invited to attend, along with a support representative for the student, such as a parent or friend.
As students and volunteer community representatives talk together, community representatives are invited to share personal stories and perspectives on how alcohol-related offenses—like public drunkeness, noise violations, or drunk driving—impact local neighborhoods, families, and the student him or herself. Then, students and community representatives work together to define a series of tasks that:
Each task must be meaningful to the student. Sample tasks include:
After a pre-determined amount of time, students and community representatives meet again to review students’ progress. If a student successfully completes his or her tasks, the university may lift its disciplinary probation and restrictions.
