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Juvenile Offenders Outreach Program

The Juvenile Offenders Outreach Program (JOOP) is a program in which first and second time juvenile offenders are enrolled in lieu of being sent to the Mercer County Youth House. Juveniles, ages 12 through 17, are referred by the family court, police departments, and the Mercer County Probation Department. This program was originally specifcally for auto theft-related offenses, but as demand for effective programming outlets for juvenile probationers increased the types of offenses referred to the program expanded.


The program is a twelve-week intensive program designed to redirect the offenders to more positive pursuits, attitudes, and approaches to circumstances which affect them. The curriculum is designed to increase the young offenders self-esteem and self-worth, develop positive value systems, teach decision making skills and conflict resolution/anger management skills, develop the ability to distinguish between fact and fantasy, instill respect for authority and begin to develop goal-setting ability. Participants are strongly encouraged to remain in school and if they have already dropped out, are assisted in the re-enrollment process. As an incentive to complete their education and to remain active in the program, JOOP graduates receive credits at the Trenton Daylight Twilight School.


JOOP has an open door policy and any graduate of the program is welcome to attend the weekly sessions. Attendance by graduates is a regular occurrence and often these young people serve as examples for currently enrolled participants. The success of the program is measured in the recidivism rate of JOOP graduates. To date the majority of graduates have not re-entered the juvenile justice system.

 

“Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

STATISTICS

* Juvenile arrests have increased overall by 20%.


* In 2005, Mercer County was #1 in the state for the number of juvenile motor vehicle theft arrests and #4 for robbery arrests.


* 7 of 9 JOOP graduates who were drop-outs reenrolled in school in 2006.


* Since its inception JOOP has had 588 participants.


* In 2006, the recidivism rate is 25% for graduates; for comparison, other sentencing option programs have a rate of 42-65%.