From the Youth Service Bureau:
Helping non-violent juvenile offenders turn their lives around is one of Youth Service Bureau’s main missions. YSB carries out this important work through Crossroads, our juvenile delinquency intervention program.
YSB Crossroads helps youth restore their relationship with the community through restitution to victims, community service, anger management counseling, Internet safety education, parenting education for their parents or legal guardians and – thanks to the Louisana Bar Foundation – Law Related Education.
Supported by a generous grant from the Louisiana Bar Foundation, Law Related Education puts juvenile offenders on a more positive track through better understanding of the law, legal system, and consequences of crime. Aimed at 10- to 16-year-olds who have committed non-violent offenses such as shoplifting, vandalism and others, these classes help juvenile offenders take responsibility for their actions and make better decisions.
Law Related Education incorporates classroom lectures, role-playing and testing. Juvenile offenders learn the legal definitions and potential sentences associated with assault, battery, vandalism, burglary, robbery, theft, drug possession, cyberbullying, cyberstalking and other offenses. Louisiana Bar Foundation funding enables YSB Crossroads to staff and administer the program and work closely with clients to improve their outcomes. YSB Crossroads is fortunate to have local attorneys teaching our Law Related Education classes – Shannon Christian (at our Slidell location) and Veronica Kittok (Covington location).
An eye-opening segment of the course is “No Kinda Life,” a video filmed at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola and the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel. “No Kinda Life” presents an unflinching picture of prison life, with inmates explaining how they became incarcerated and losses they suffered due to poor choices, including drug and alcohol use. The video is a powerful springboard for meaningful class discussion and group participation.
Together, the Louisiana Bar Foundation and YSB Crossroads are changing lives.
In the last fiscal year:
- 97.7% of YSB Crossroads clients completed their community service
- 96% successfully completed the YSB Crossroads program
- 99.5% of those completing the program had not re-offended six months later
YSB Crossroads is deeply grateful to the Louisiana Bar Foundation for making this life-changing resource available to our community. The Louisiana Bar Foundation exists to preserve, honor, and improve our system of justice. YSB is humbled and excited to be a partner in that vital mission.
Visit Youth Service Bureau to find out more about what we do!
Click here to learn more about the Louisiana Bar Foundation.
