Each year in the District, over 3,500 juveniles are arrested and over 1,000 of these are committed to secure detention. Many become involved with the juvenile justice system for relatively minor and nonviolent offenses because there are no alternatives to the traditional track of arrest, trial, commitment and/or probation. Access Youth provides intervention and prevention services at the most vulnerable times in their lives - when they are facing arrest and prosecution, or suspension and expulsion from school. As the only “diversion” program in the District, it uses mediation (instead of prosecution or expulsion), restorative justice techniques (in which perpetrators take responsibility for their actions and repair the damage they have done), and life skills courses (to steer youth toward more positive futures). A pilot program at Ballou High School offers conflict resolution as an alternative to suspension for bullying and school fights. 90% of these juveniles hail from highly distressed and underserved communities. Let’s give them a second chance.
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