TRENTON
- The New Jersey Governor’s Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP)
Committee has awarded a $95,000 grant
to the Center for Prevention and Counseling
in Newton, Sussex County, to fund its
Project for Youth Empowerment and Safety
(YES).
This Prevention Program is designed to
reduce the risk factors associated with
delinquent behavior, particularly anti-social
behavior and rebelliousness. Community
involvement and school participation are
two of the main goals of the program.
Project YES implements two programs, the
Peers Making Peace Program, a peer-mediation/conflict
resolution program, and the Parents Anonymous
Program, which concentrates on conflict
resolution and family communication. Four
schools will administer the program, the
Merriam Ave School and the Middle School
in Newton and the Durban Ave School and
Middle School in Hopatcong. Through this
grant, project YES will serve a total
of 30 students from these four schools.
“Our
entire Prevention Policy team is excited
to be bringing the Peers Making Peace
and Parents Anonymous programs to Sussex
County. Through Peers Making Peace, we
will create peer mediation programs in
four schools. The outcomes of this program
will be a decrease in youth involvement
in high-risk activities and an increase
in school attendance and performance.
Through Parents Anonymous, we will offer
on-going support to parents throughout
Sussex County. This multi-faceted approach
to prevention promises to decrease youth
delinquency while increasing the health
of our families and communities,”
said Barbara Adolphe, Executive Director,
Center for Prevention and Counseling.
The Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC),
as the designated planning authority for
the allocation of federal grant funds,
works with the JJDP Committee to identify
appropriate programs, award funds and
monitor their success. The JJDP Committee
is responsible for the distribution of
more than $3 million in federal grant
awards annually to local and state agencies.
The JJDP Committee reviews proposals for
programs that aim to reduce delinquency
and/or seek to create local delinquency
prevention strategies. Programs that receive
funding work with individuals, families
and communities to reduce the risk factors
associated with delinquency. Programs
that demonstrate success are eligible
for continued funding for a maximum of
three consecutive years.
The JJC is committed to helping local
communities address the specific needs
of their young people. We are proud to
be part of a partnership that takes a
proactive approach to help adolescents
and their families, said Howard L. Beyer,
Executive Director, JJC. We know that
the earlier we reach out to children,
the better chance we have of ensuring
that they lead productive lives.
Created in 1995 to bring together services
for delinquent young people, the JJC is
the single state agency responsible for
providing juvenile correctional rehabilitation
and parole services. The JJC also funds
local prevention programs that divert
young people from involvement in the juvenile
justice system.
The project is monitored by staff from
the Program Development and Prevention
Services arm of the JJC’s Office
of Local Programs and Services.
For more information on the JJC, please
visit www.njjjc.com.
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