Empowering Youth: Reducing RecidivismThrough Advocacy and Community-Based Programs

Abstract

I will present my internship with Open Door Youth Services, an organization dedicated to providing a safe environment for ages 10-21. We offer residential care, after-school programs, psychological evaluations, therapy, crisis management, and emergency shelter for those abruptly removed from home. In my internship, I researched and advocated for alternatives to traditional juvenile processing with the goal of reducing recidivism, unnecessary out-of-home placements, and further victimization. These alternative programs included youth advocate and mentorship programs, police-based diversion programs, and community-based programs that offer a combination of therapy, vocational training,educational assistance, and rehabilitation.