NCJ Number
172267
Date Published
1996
Length
5 pages
Annotation
A detective with the juvenile division of the St. Louis Police Department and a major with the Salvation Army Midland Divisional Headquarters created a specialized camp program, known as the Positive Attitude for Living Camp Institute (P.A.L.), which is designed for boys and girls as young as 10-12 years whom the court system has found to be felons and offenders.
Abstract
Throughout the week of P.A.L. attendance, campers participate in classes that teach them how to deal with the experiences in their lives that are the most problematic. Classes focus on such topics as drug abuse, gang involvement, how to approach a police officer and report a crime that occurs in their neighborhood, how to relate to others, and how to perform as team members. Activities include ropes courses, repelling, and swimming. Campers attend daily Bible classes, and every night they participate in a cabin devotional period with their cabin counselors. During the week, "special friends" are invited to visit for part of a day. Each day there is a team field trip designed for a particular age group. It teaches them how to move as a group, how to respect those in leadership roles, and how to respect the property of others. The program staff is composed of Salvation Army officers, summer camp staff (usually college students), juvenile police and parole officers, correctional officers, and school counselors. Law enforcement officers do not reveal their identity until the last night of camp. At the end of the camp, there is an awards and graduation ceremony. Youths' parents, school teachers, counselors, and pastors have observed attitudinal changes, improved study habits, and increased involvement in church and community center activities after P.A.L. participation.