WHEREAS, South Carolina has recognized the need to proactively reform its legal and social services systems by bringing together public, private, and grass-roots organizations involved in the development, implementation, and sustainment of community-focused juvenile justice and family-based policies and programs; and

WHEREAS, there is a need for these organizations to work on issues in a more coordinated, cooperative, comprehensive, and cost-effective manner; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of the State of South Carolina need the operation of effective community coalitions to address the needs cited above;

NOW, THEREFORE, I hereby establish Governor’s Community Youth Councils to be located in each of the sixteen (16) judicial circuits (hereinafter referred to as "Youth Councils"), which shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

• Address community problems through broad-based local collaborative programs designed to protect public safety, recognize the needs of victims, rehabilitate in the community juveniles who are not a risk to public safety, enhance families, develop intervention and prevention programs for juveniles at risk of offending; and
• Study and understand the trends on youth crime and other issues-related data for their particular circuits; and
• Develop and maintain circuit-wide inventories of services available to youth and families while utilizing existing community assets; and
• Explore, develop, implement, sustain, evaluate, or expand, in the light of such analysis, at least one community-based diversion/intervention/prevention program per Youth Council annually.

It is further provided that these Youth Councils shall have the following voting members:

• Balanced representation from each county within the circuit.

Representation from, at a minimum, the following groups:

• The court system;
• Legal and law enforcement communities;
• Education;
• Human service agencies;
• Local business/industry;
• Government
• Nonprofit organizations;
• Foundations and other funding sources;
• Civic groups;
• Chambers of commerce;
• Print and electronic media;
• Faith community;
• Grassroots community activists;
• The Youth Council service population (youth, parents, etc.); and
• Other citizens who represent an organization with, or who has a personal interest in, the mission of the Youth Councils.

It is further provided that these Youth Councils have the following non-voting member:

• Representative of the SC Center for Family Policy.

Each member will serve a term of two years, with no consecutive term limit for service on the Youth Councils. There are no limitations on the number of individuals that can serve on any Youth Council, as long as they meet the requirements stated above. Nominations to the Youth Councils will be made to the Office of the Governor through the SC Center for Family Policy.