Joya Schreurs: Hello! We’re so excited to hear about everything that’s happening with the DOVE (Diversion, Occupation, Vocation, Education) program. To begin, could you give us an overview of what DOVE is and how it serves at-risk youth? Kolbe Cole: We want to divert at-risk behaviors, because we recognize that any behavior could be good or bad. We want to catch any kind of truancy or delinquency, like small crimes or infractions and turn those in a positive direction, like entrepreneurship, engineering, or farming. We have a lot of amazing youth in our county and we have a lot of […]

Introduction The trajectory of an entire nation is greatly influenced by how its systems of justice treat the  younger and future generations. Unfortunately, the magnitude of this sobering reality may cause us to delegate the responsibility of opposing harmful juvenile justice policies and of crafting beneficial juvenile justice policies to adults alone. Juvenile justice reforms are sweeping the nation, and the prime movers behind them are the voiced experiences and passionate policy proposals and protests of America’s youth. The VOYCE (Voices Of Youth In Chicago Education) movement in Chicago, IL, is Exhibit A. Background of the SB 100 Campaign By […]

This interview is another part of our series on diversion programs and juvenile justice, exploring how institutions and individuals can help redirect youth from justice system involvement. Joya Schreurs: To begin, can you give us an overview of your connection to the community of Allison Hill, Harrisburg and how that led to your current leadership of the Rock City Learning Center?  Pastor Joshua Robertson: I was born and raised in the Allison Hill community, so it’s near and dear to my heart. I grew up here with my mother and father. My dad’s a pastor, so I’ve been in church my […]

There are 6 million students in a school where there is a School Resource Officer (SRO) — usually an armed member of law enforcement — but no school psychologist on staff, according to a recent Brookings report. The Center for Public Integrity reveals that in the 2017-18 school year alone, almost 230,000 students were referred to law enforcement. These statistics are often used to illustrate the consequences of the school-to-prison pipeline. But what is the school-to-prison pipeline? Sociologist Mark Warren defines it as “an interlocking system of policies and practices that push students of color from low-income communities out of […]

This article is the first in an ongoing series featuring different models of diversion programs, which redirect youth from justice system involvement and its host of harmful effects. Through articles and interviews, we will explore the many incarceration alternatives and prevention programs and highlight efforts in our own communities that are already committed to providing a just future for our youth The United States admits over 200,000 youth into juvenile detention centers per year. This statistic is unsettling, but more so is that this system isn’t working — in some states, recidivism rates are as high as 80% for youth […]

On May 22, 2021, Daryll Hayes’ name was read out loud and his picture was displayed in front of his friends and family. Unlike in his court hearing, this time his name was accompanied by cheers, a sense of pride and a diploma in Faith and Community Leadership. After 26 years in prison— five of which were spent in the Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI), his undergraduate program — Daryll Hayes became a college graduate.  Now, almost a year after his release from prison, Hayes has a diploma, but he has struggled to find employment and stable housing. “Graduation and being […]