Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee
Awards $95,000 to the Town of Newton

TRENTON - The New Jersey Governor's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Committee has awarded a $95,000 grant to the Center for Prevention and Counseling in Newton, Sussex County, to fund its Project for Youth Empowerment and Safety (YES).

This Prevention Program is designed to reduce the risk factors associated with delinquent behavior, particularly anti-social behavior and rebelliousness. Community involvement and school participation are two of the main goals of the program. Project YES implements two programs, the Peers Making Peace Program, a peer-mediation/conflict resolution program, and the Parents Anonymous Program, which concentrates on conflict resolution and family communication. Four schools will administer the program, the Merriam Ave School and the Middle School in Newton and the Durban Ave School and Middle School in Hopatcong. Through this grant, project YES will serve a total of 30 students from these four schools.

"Our entire Prevention Policy team is excited to be bringing the Peers Making Peace and Parents Anonymous programs to Sussex County. Through Peers Making Peace, we will create peer mediation programs in four schools. The outcomes of this program will be a decrease in youth involvement in high-risk activities and an increase in school attendance and performance. Through Parents Anonymous, we will offer on-going support to parents throughout Sussex County. This multi-faceted approach to prevention promises to decrease youth delinquency while increasing the health of our families and communities," said Barbara Adolphe, Executive Director, Center for Prevention and Counseling.

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. We are proud to be part of a partnership that takes a proactive approach to help adolescents and their families, said Howard L. Beyer, Executive Director, 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