This publication by the Youth Reentry Technical Assistance Center (YRTAC) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) discusses the implementation of the EPIC Youth TN (Empowerment, Perseverance, Innovation, and Community in Tennessee) collaborative initiative.
This publication by the Youth Reentry Technical Assistance Center (YRTAC) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) provides information about the implementation of the EPIC Youth TN (Empowerment, Perseverance, Innovation, and Community in Tennessee) collaborative initiative. EPIC Youth TN’s objective is to change the nature of reentry and outcomes for Nashville and Davidson County youth who are reentering their communities after confinement in a juvenile facility. Persevere, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, the Juvenile Court of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County (JCDC), and an active collection of service providers and employers are implementing the initiative. EPIC Youth TN will provide coding courses and coordinated support to 180 youth (between 13- 17 years of age) leaving secure youth justice facilities in Davidson County, Tennessee. Programming is set to begin at the Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center in April 2024, which is, fittingly, Second Chance Month. This multitiered program begins at least 90 days prior to a youth’s release from detention with a 6-week coding bootcamp, followed by ongoing training after return to the community. Youths are assigned a youth support specialist who will facilitate wraparound case management services from enrollment throughout reentry and continuing through 1 year after release. Persevere was incorporated in 2014 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing recidivism and empowering justice-involved individuals through education in computer coding and programming, along with employment support provided through career readiness instruction, individualized job-based mentoring and support, and job placement services. Founded by and for people with lived experience with criminal justice, corrections, and poverty, Persevere understands the needs of the justice-impacted population as few organizations can.