Proposal to Reduce the Incidence of Juvenile Crime in 50 Undereserved Local Communities by Providing Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentoring Services to At-Risk and High-Risk Youth

This solicitation invites eligible applicants to propose the enhancement or expansion of initiatives that will assist in the development and maturity of community programs providing mentoring services to high-risk populations that are underserved due to location, shortage of mentors, special physical or mental challenges of the targeted population, or other analogous situations identified by the community in need of mentoring services. OJJDPs National Mentoring Programs initiative is authorized by the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117).

The Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) Juvenile Justice Initiative will reduce the incidence of juvenile crime in 50 underserved local communities across the country by providing research-based local mentoring services to newly identified high-risk and at-risk youth. Statistics clearly indicate the presence of risk factors in those currently served by Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS): 41.6% live in poverty, 14% have one or more incarcerated parents/guardians, and 74% live in a single-parent household. Local BBBS programs will screen and train new adult mentors using its research-based screening system and training curriculum. Rigorous external evaluations of BBBSA programs have found that youth mentored by BBBS volunteers are 70% less likely to initiate drug use, one third less likely to exhibit violent behavior, and half as likely to skip school days as their peers. The result of the proposed BBBSA Juvenile Justice Initiative will be reduced drug abuse, truancy, and other high-risk behaviors among thousands of at-risk and high-risk youth from our waiting lists and juvenile justice referrals. The cost per match will not exceed $1,750 over the two-year grant period, making this initiative a very cost-effective prevention and intervention strategy. CA/NCF