Lawrence Hall Youth Service's Youth Delinquency Prevention Project.

Lawrence Hall Youth Services (LHYS) serves children and youth with backgrounds of abuse, poverty and neglect which are often compounded by the chaos of parental drug abuse, gang intimidation, and homelessness. LHYS offers two effective prevention and intervention strategies: the Balanced and Restorative Justice Peer Jury Initiative and Therapeutic Recreation. These two strategies are designed to help these children overcome the damaging lessons they have learned and to combat juvenile delinquency.

The Balanced and Restorative Justice Peer Jury Initiative (Peer Jury) was designed to work with representatives of the juvenile court system, the police department, DCFS, and the State's Attorney's office. LHYS has been successful in establishing the first peer jury system within a child welfare agency. The Peer Jury is a positive, productive alternative to arrest and juvenile court for youth under 17 who have committed non-felony offenses.

Therapeutic Recreation (TR)is designed to promote self-sufficiency for children from abused and neglected backgrounds. With a wide range of positive activities during the after-school hours, TR provides a counterweight to the lure of illicit behavior and provides opportunities to develop social skills, self-esteem, discipline and responsibility.

Anticipated outcomes from the Peer Jury and TR program activities include: increases in decision making skills, socialization skills, self-esteem, leisure resources, budgeting/money management skills, and feelings of safety while participating in Peer Jury and TR program activities. The applicant has included a logic model with the application that identifies the indicators and data sources for the outcomes.

NCA/NCF