NEW ORLEANS(WGNO)— While everyone wants to see punishment doled out for crimes committed, the fact is as it relates to juveniles, getting them on the right path takes a front seat. The city’s Office of Youth and Family Services has developed a robust Juvenile Justice Handbook that spells out services for system-involved youth.
Emily Wolff, Director of the Office of Youth and Families stated, “We published the handbook for the first time last year, and it was really an effort to get into the hands of the community, of our policymakers, a tool to understand what all of the programs and services are across city government.”
The handbook was done in partnership with Juvenile Court and once a young person is referred to the program they are attached to one of several services designed to get them on track. One avenue is the Pathways program that offers jobs for young people.
According to Pathways Director Kendra Parson, “Pathways is a 15-week program that teaches life skills and works readiness for system-involved youth ages 14-17, through mindful meditation, creative arts, and nature.”
And while the headlines have included a number of crimes committed by young people in the city, the agency pushes back on the perception that the majority of our kids are committing crimes.
“I think that that’s one of the myths that I want to correct is that the number of young people who were arrested last year is about 450. That’s a little under 1% of the total population of young people in the city that are getting arrested for these crimes,” said Wolff
At Pathways, what success looks like is clear said Parson, “From point A to point B is coming in not knowing who you are to point B understanding what it is to keep and maintain a job. I want to see them not back in front of a judge.”