YouthStat Crime Prevention Program Phase I

YouthStat is a unique innovation that creates synergies through open communication between all agencies of government and community organizations working with children. YouthStat is a weekly process to examine criminally adjudicated youth offenders in the greater Trenton area. This collaborative involves city, county, state, and private systems, programs, and agencies, all tasked with the proper application of preventive programs and interventions for such youth. The idea is to identify children who are headed to the next level of gangs, guns, and drugs ' with jail or death as the end result. The goal is to match youth with the right intervention, turn them around and monitor their progress. Established under the authority of a Family Court Waiver, the various systems and agencies bypass the confidentiality barriers which are usually imposed and are able to fully disclose information as it pertains to each child discussed during the weekly YouthStat meeting. Information sharing has led directly to the discovery of gaps in services, inter-agency disconnects, and the need for the implementation of performance measures for youth programs and services. NCA/NCF