By KHIRSTIN WHITE
The number of youth crimes committed in Utah demands youth rehabilitation programs to help redirect delinquent juveniles. Work programs, detention centers and wilderness camps are some methods that have been organized to get youth back on track.
Work programs serve to help youth repay the community for their crimes while keeping them off the streets between the peak crime hours of 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Locking youth up is not the solution, said Odell Erickson, superintendent of Slate Canyon Youth Center in Provo.
'I think that just locking kids up is not a deterrent to crime,' he said. 'There has to be other components, like education, life skills and self-esteem building. These are all big issues that if neglected, youth will keep committing crimes.'
One such program is the Juvenile Community Service Program, which is designed for youths under 16 years old who can't work to earn money for retribution.
'Our program is for kids that have been ordered by the court to work community service hours so they can pay back victims and work off restitution,' said Wanda Santiago, program coordinator for the Utah County Juvenile Court Community Service Program.
Boredom, gang membership, dysfunctional families and behavior disorders all contribute to juvenile delinquency. The work program gives youths the opportunity to be involved with positive activities in the community.
'We offer a very balanced approach to involve the community and victims while developing accountability of the juveniles. There are approximately 80,000 hours of community services hours rendered every year. That is the equivalent of $3.4 million which effectively holds kids accountable. They are putting labor back into the community and giving back to the victims,' Santiago said.
For victims, the community service work program offers compensation for stolen or damaged possessions. Teens Against Graffiti is one of the biggest projects under the program.
TAG is nationally acclaimed for promoting graffiti clean up by the offenders themselves. It has been one of the most effective programs in Utah.
Youth can also earn money to pay back stolen items. 'Someone broke into my car while I was at a friend's house and stole my stereo and music,' said Geno Hadley, an Ogden resident. 'He was caught and the judge ordered him to do community service until he paid the estimated $300 for my stolen things.'
Work programs are also designed to help youth feel productive and successful. By doing service they can have a positive impact on the community.
'The work is a byproduct,' Santiago said. 'We are concerned with holding them responsible, teaching them to work as a team and giving them a good work ethic. I have a number of kids that beg to stay on even when their community service hours are done. They feel good about working, being a team and they don't want it to end.'
The work program's goal isn't to offer juveniles a fun experience. It is to teach accountability and retribution. By holding youth responsible for their actions, hopefully, they will decide not to break the law again.
'It's not really fun. I want to go home,' said a juvenile offender, 14. 'All we do is just clean high schools and the courthouse. We sweep and pick up garbage. After pushing a broom for two hours straight your arms get really tired.'
Work programs offer a solution to a growing concern. The only concern is funding for such programs. Santiago said the program is partially funded by the state, but they are always looking for support grants, partnerships with businesses and community assistance. Undaunted by the difficulty of funding work programs keep offering successful rehabilitation of juveniles.
'It is by far one of the best programs that the juvenile court operates,' Santiago said. 'It is effective in what the youth have to accomplish and what is expected of them: to payback the community and the victim.'