YOUTH CRIME PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION PROGRAM

To implement a Crime Prevention and Intervention Program, the DERRICK BROOKS CHARITIES YOUTH PROGRAMS (DBCYP) will create programs that will serve as a deterrent to youths who are at-risk of embarking on a life of crime.

Recognizing the importance of parental commitment to the success of the program herein outlined, the DBCYP has linked parental/guardian involvement with youth participation. The parent/guardian of each selected youth will be requested to sign a contract fully committing to the philosophy of the statewide crime prevention and intervention program.

The DBCYP intends to use school auditoriums, recreational facilities, churches, and any other available community facilities to conduct classes, workshops, and training programs using learning techniques identified as appropriate to the younger learner. The program will serve as the impetus to empower local citizens to unite and to control negative influences within their communities thru:

Community Bridge Building
Monthly meetings/workshops are held to discuss significant crime issues and prevention strategies as they relate to the Crime Prevention and Intervention Program. Meetings/workshops are open to all interested parties.

Teen Summits
Youth participate in Teen Summits one (1) Saturday per month. Local volunteer speakers are utilized to discuss their areas of expertise and various career opportunities. The youth also participate in various community service activities.

Parent Skills Training
Primary care givers of the program's clients participate in quarterly training workshops. Those who complete the workshops participate in a recognition ceremony.

Tutoring
Qualified, trained volunteers provide tutoring in math, language arts, and science to middle school students. The tutoring component is aimed at increasing the chances of clients graduating from high school by focusing on math, science, and language arts.

Employability Skills Training/Job Placement Services
Participants who are sixteen (16) years of age or older take part in quarterly Employability Skills Workshops. Upon completion of the training, clients are referred to available jobs.

First Time Offender
This program is open to youthful offenders between the ages of 10 and 18 who have committed misdemeanors and are referred by juvenile justice officials. Youth and their parents are provided with training from a curriculum that includes:

• Self-Esteem Building
• Behavior Management
• Refusal Skills
• Crime Prevention

At-Risk Youth
This component strives to reduce the risk factors for participating youth through appropriate intervention services. Participants are youth who are residents of high crime areas, public housing, history of family violence, and incarceration, etc.

Youth Anger Management Activity
Participants in this program are provided with a curriculum that includes:

• Anger Management
• Decision-Making Skills
• Crime Prevention
• Dealing with Peer Pressure

School Dropouts
Youth 16 years of age and over who have dropped out of school are encouraged to return to school, enroll in an alternative program, or enroll in a general development program. Participants are also provided with employability skills training, job placement services, behavior management training, and classes designed to increase their employment opportunity.

Gender Specific Programs
Youth between the ages of 10 and 18 years old who are interested in building their self-esteem and improving their personal development skills can join the following programs:

Female/Male Rites of Passage - The goal of this program is to build self-esteem and promote personal development skills. Participants are involved in a series of monthly/weekly educational workshops, ancestral lessons, and self-discipline.

Teenage Pregnancy Prevention/Male Responsibility - The goal of this program is to prevent teenage pregnancy and the problems associated with it, i.e., repeat pregnancies, child abuse, substance abuse, school dropouts, and STDs.

Trips
The DBYCP will identify four youth (two males and two females) and two chaperons (one male and one female) to attend two National Conferences.

1. National Conference on Preventing Crime-In-The-Black Community sponsored by the Florida Attorney General.
2. National Urban League or National Crime Prevention Council Conference.

Contact Information

Derrick Brooks Charities Youth Program
3402 North 22nd St, Suite 222
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: 813.241.1415
Fax: 813.242.2528

To Black-on-Black Crime Prevention Program