At-Risk and Incarcerated Youth
According to Daniel Goldman, in his book, Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships (September, 2006): On any given day, the United States has more than two million people in prison—one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world. The costs have risen even more, from around $9 billion in the 1980s to more than $60 billion by 2005; prison costs are the fastest-growing expenses for states, behind health care. Two-thirds of those released from American prisons are arrested again within three years. Nationwide, the cumulative lifetime recidivism for prisoners age 25 and under—those newest to a criminal career—inevitably runs the highest of any age group.*
“Perhaps the greatest missed opportunity in the penal system has been the failure to treat younger prisoners who are still within the window where the social brain remains most plastic. The lessons they learn from day to day in the prison yard leave a profound and lasting imprint on their neural destiny, for better or worse. At present, it is for the worst. The tragedy is double: not only do we waste that opportunity to help reshape the neural circuitry that can help these young lives get back on track, but we plunge them into a school for criminality.” —Daniel Goldman
We believe that supporting and training adults who are working with at-risk and incarcerated youth is key to ending cycles of disrespect and creating a less violent world where we all may thrive. We provide the following trainings:
- Prevention programs: Schools, youth organizations and summer camps with a commitment to youth’s positive social development (often defined as soft skills).
- Intervention programs: Schools and organizations serving at-risk youth or those experiencing disrespect cycles such as bullying or school violence.
- Recovery programs: Youth institutions including the foster care system, shelters, jails, abuse recovery programs and drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers.
In 2012, our goal is to specifically reach 30,000 youth in institutions through advocate trainings.
“As the daughter, sister and wife of 4 men who spent time in youth institutions and/or federal prison—and as a youth offender myself—I have seen first-hand the devastation at-risk youth go through and cause in our communities. Instead, we need to wrap at-risk and incarcerated youth in a circle of respect that helps them recover, build healthy life skills and compassion, and become leaders in their own lives—and our world. When youth get out of jail, a group home or age out of the foster system, for example, we want them to have new tools and new definition of respect to help them thrive.” —Courtney Macavinta, Co-Founder of The Respect Institute
* Source: Goleman, Daniel (2006-09-26). Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. Bantam. Kindle Edition.
