Opportunities to Reduce Recidivism

Youth Opportunity (YO)is a program of the Office of Jobs and Community Services (JCS), a division of the City's Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC). YO has developed both a detention-based model to work with young people prior to release and a community model to work with young people placed on juvenile probation, community placement, and those returning to the community from secure treatment facilities. The overall goal is to provide an intervention for youth identified by juvenile court or committed to the Department of Youth Services and engage them in positive activities, support them in complying with the conditions of liberty set by the juvenile justice system and assist them in avoiding additional convictions. YO will support 100 participants in developing individual service plans that articulate education, career, and personal goals. YO offers academic support, referrals to alternative education and training, paid transitional employment opportunities designed to develop academic, job readiness and occupational skills, and supported job placement in the private sector. YO staff will measure reductions in juvenile delinquency by collecting data on the number of participants that are adjudicated delinquent or convicted of a new offense within a program year. NCA/NCF