After-School Delinquency Prevention Program

The OJJDP FY 10 Earmarks Program furthers the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Conference Report to accompany the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (P.L. 111-117), H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 111-366 at 702-714.

Zelpha's Cultural Development Corporation, Inc. provides a structured music education curriculum for school-age children during the after-school hours and summer vacation months when school is not in session. Instruction is offered free of charge in order to provide increased access to individualized music education to children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who are at greater risk of involvement in criminal activity. In 1992, the National Data Resource Center reported that students with in-school suspensions, arrests and drop-outs, totaled 12.14 percent of the total school population, while only 8.8 percent of students enrolled in music classes were similarly classified. In addition, numerous studies have reported that there is a positive correlation between music instruction and improved school performance. Students who are successful in school are less likely to become involved in delinquent behavior. In this program, participants receive instruction in music theory and actually learn to play various instruments. Values such as sharing, respect for themselves and others, and respect for property are emphasized, as they progress through the program. By providing children with an enriching cultural experience at no cost, the University of Alabama Juvenile Justice Program seeks to contribute to the area's juvenile crime prevention efforts. This program expects an increase in grades and an increase in the participants' sense of self-respect. NCA/NCF