Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee
Awards $18,000 to Unified Vailsburg Services Organization in Newark

TRENTON - The New Jersey Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Committee has awarded a grant to Unified Vailsburg Services Organization (UVSO) to provide young people with summer employment. The award is in the amount of $18,000.

This Summer Expansion Program grant provides employment and community services for 15 students from the Vailsburg, Newark area. During the seven week program, students engage in neighborhood service projects and leadership workshops, while earning money from paid employment through the program. Younger participants are employed at the UVSO, while older participants are employed at outside jobs as preschool aides, camp counselors, and at banks, auto shops and photography studios. The participants are also advised by mentors from the program.

"The Youth Leadership Corps program provides important services for the people of its community. Through the support of the JJDP Committee, Unified Vailsburg Services Organization has been able to provide a critical link between work and community service. By offering work opportunities for neighborhood teens, as well as providing vital community service projects to the residents of the Vailsburg area, this organization continues to make a valuable contribution to the stability of the community," said Mark El-Amin, Director, United Vailsburg Services Organization Leadership Corps Program.

The Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC), as the designated planning authority for the allocation of federal grant funds, works with the JJDP Committee to identify appropriate programs, award funds and monitor their success. The JJDP Committee is responsible for the distribution of more than $3 million in federal grant awards annually to local and state agencies. The JJDP Committee reviews proposals for programs that aim to reduce delinquency and/or seek to create local delinquency prevention strategies. Programs that receive funding work with individuals, families and communities to reduce the risk factors associated with delinquency. Programs that demonstrate success are eligible for continued funding for a maximum of three consecutive years.

"The JJC is committed to helping local communities address the specific needs of their young people. It is important to allow these young people a chance to engage in positive programs that keep them on the right track during the summer months," said Howard L. Beyer, Executive Director of the JJC. "We know that the earlier we reach out to children, the better chance we have of ensuring that they lead productive lives."

Created in 1995 to bring together services for delinquent young people, the JJC is the single state agency responsible for providing juvenile correctional rehabilitation and parole services. The JJC also funds local prevention programs that divert young people from involvement in the juvenile justice system.

The project is monitored by staff from the Program Development and Prevention Services arm of the JJC's Office of Local Programs and Services.

For more information on the JJC, please visit www.njjjc.com