HENDERSON, Ky. (AP) - A program in western Kentucky that helps troubled high school students turn their lives around is getting statewide attention because of its success rate.
Since the Center for Youth Justice Services opened a year and a half ago at Henderson County High School, it has served about 130 students and cut down the number referred to court. The center offers services for behavioral, family and school-related problems.
Student Le-Onta Carey told The Gleaner (https://bit.ly/1k9CooE) that the center gave her the support and resources she needed to turn her life around. She says last year, she was struggling in classes and on the path to court. Now, she has clear goals and direction.
“I feel like I’ve got a better mindset,” she said. “You can only get that if you apply yourself. I’ve applied myself and I feel like I got a very positive outcome.”
Steve Steiner, who is director of pupil personnel at Henderson County schools, says there is interest in expanding the program to other schools.
The program came about after Henderson District Court Judge Rob Wiederstein discovered statistics showing Henderson County led the state in sending juveniles to court. He contacted the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice to see if that agency could help. In an effort to produce a change, the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice, the Henderson County Attorney’s Office, the Henderson Police Department and Lighthouse Counseling Services all banded together for a collaborative effort.
“The old response to the juvenile justice wasn’t working, so all these folks got together to figure out how we could make it better,” said Pinkston, who was hired in January 2013 to work at center.
“The program is working,” said Lashana Harris, an assistant director with the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. “The intent of the program was to reduce the number of youths that were referred to not only the court system, but inevitably detention. And the statistics and performances measures we’ve used to evaluate the program definitely can conclude the program is making a difference.”
She said there’s been a 60 percent reduction in the number of cases the school has referred to the court system.
The Department of Justice has invested more than $150,000 in the program so far.
“This is a cost-effective program that works,” Harris said. “It’s not that expensive to implement, but the results of what the program does far outweighs the money that we’re investing in the program.”
___
Information from: The Gleaner, https://www.thegleaner.com/
Please read our comment policy before commenting.