How will this program benefit the community?
The goal of this program is to help youthful ex-offenders from our neighborhoods re-integrate into our community as responsible and productive citizens. The core of our program is a life-skills curriculum that aims to teach our youth and young adults the skills they need to live changed lives. The program also involves job training and work experience in our restaurant. The life-skills program and the work experience aim to achieve the following goals:
A. Improve the participants’ basic socialization skills necessary for successful reintegration into the community;
B. Significantly reduce criminal recidivism in terms of frequency and seriousness;
C. Reduce the high rate of probation or parole violations;
D. Reduce participants’ need for gang participation and affiliation as a support mechanism;
E. Alleviate the participants’ dependence on alcohol or illicit drugs;
F. Provide a trade or skill that will allow participants to transition to more stable long-term employment;
H. Improve overall lifestyle choices (social, education, job training, and employment).