Employment and Training for Court-Involved Youth Videoconference

• NCJ Number: 186403
• Date Published: February 2001
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP Teleconference Videotapes
• Grant Number(s): 98-MU-MU-0005
• Agencies: OJJDP-Sponsored; OJJDP
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description

Annotation

This two-part video of a teleconference first discusses the importance of employment and the provision of job-related training for court-involved youth and then describes three programs that provide such services, with a representative from each program serving on a panel to answer participant questions about the program.

Abstract

"Court-involved youth" are defined as "youth who come in contact with the juvenile justice system for committing a status offense or delinquent act." In profiling such youth, the video notes that they are often disenfranchised by the education system and find it difficult to learn marketable skills and compete for jobs. Research shows that employability is critical to the social and economic success of high-risk youth. The main theme of the teleconference is that the link between crime and lack of economic opportunity requires a concerted response that features collaboration among employers, the juvenile justice system, and the workforce development system. The three programs described in the teleconference are examples of such a response. The Career Exploration Project (CExP) is a program of New York City's Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services. Through CExP, judges sentence teen felony offenders to 6 months of intensive supervision that combines education, vocational, and job training and support services. Participants are first-time felony offenders, ages 15 to 19, who reside in low-income neighborhoods in New York City. A second program, the Avon Park Youth Academy, operates from a 212-bed private residential facility in Florida. It serves 16-18 year-olds committed to the Florida Department of Juvenile justice. The 9-month program is designed to simulate a real work experience as much as possible in order to prepare youth for transition to the community and employment opportunities at a living wage. The third program, called the Fresh Start Program, serves 16-19 year-olds from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Maryland who have not completed high school. The program emphasizes the development of work and life skills through an integrated curriculum that includes personal development, team building, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.