Juvenile and Penal Recovery Programs

Crime prevention is better than a cure.

Studies have validated the fact that if children and adolescents develop adequate life skills, their rate of crime recidivism decreases. Our Pathways to Success program addresses the root issues which lead to crime and incarceration.

What the statistics are documenting:

• Although fewer women and juveniles are sentenced to prison, their rates of incarceration are increasing faster than men. Women and juveniles reenter communities with unique needs and challenges related to children, family issues, employment, and abuse.

• Since 1990, the annual rate of growth of females institutionalized in state or federal prisons has averaged 7.5%.

• The total number of male prisoners has grown 24% since 1995, while the female population has increased 33 percent.

• In England, statistics show the number of 10-to-17 year olds in prison has more than doubled in the last five years.

• In the U.S., an estimated 1.5 million children have a parent held in a state or federal prison, leading to a lack of fathering and healthy parental relationships.

• According to a report by the Washington State Department of Correction, "More than 600,000 offenders are released from state or federal prisons each year." This number increase annually and is predicted to reach one million within the next few years. In this same report the juvenile population ages 10 to 17 years-old has increased by 8%. In contrast juveniles and young adults ages 18 through 24 will increase 22%. Thus, proactive and preventative programs like EducateSuccess have proven to be part of the solution.

• Nationally, the recidivism rate in state and federal prison is around 70% within the first year after release.

EducateSuccess is a flexible and customized model that can aid in crime prevention. Participants learn to apply values with integrity through education, community support, and life coach mentoring.

The pathways are taught as proactive and preventative models:

1. Identity. By discovering and celebrating individual uniqueness, at-risk individuals increase self-worth. These confident individuals are more likely to embrace their talents and natural abilities to fulfill dreams and life purposes.

2. Environmental Influences. Environment can impact an individual's ability to be productive and successful in life. This pathway identifies and corrects sabotaging belief systems, unhealthy patterns, and addictive triggers.

3. Emotional Intelligence. Instructs a person in developing skills such as self-assessment, self-control, anger management, communication, conflict resolution skills, empathy, and stress management.

4. Life Purpose. Identifies life goals and constructs strategies to fulfill dreams and passions. The pathway includes life skill topics such as financial planning, parenting skills, and healthy relationships.

Our experience in the penal system highlights that most offenders struggle with problematic behaviors and barriers inherent in their family system (or lack thereof). Transformational programs such as EducateSuccess are being used to assist offenders to first identify these barriers, and then build resiliency by challenging and replacing negative thinking, thereby reducing recidivism with positive life skills.

Our proactive and preventative strategy involves reaching out to individuals before they become entrenched in the penal system. EducateSuccess mobilizes a collaborative community approach where participants develop a sense of belonging, to break feelings of isolation, powerlessness, and oppression. We continue to work with ex-offenders, empowering them to get back on their unique path to success.