Whitney rarely attended school. Her teachers called her apathetic. Her truancy and a charge of destruction of public property landed her in the juvenile justice system.

Typical juvenile justice systems might put someone like Whitney on probation.
Wisconsin officials have added another dimension to rehabilitation: find a mentor that meets the needs of each youth.

“It's like night and day with many of these kids, and it was for Whitney, too,” says Julie Herb, a social worker who refers children to the Outagamie County Mentoring Program. “The majority of our juveniles stop acting out once they are paired with a mentor, and end up getting off of supervision. I think that's because mentors provide a certain kind of calmness in their lives. This program helps these kids to open up.”

A New Kind of Mentoring

While mentoring is certainly nothing new for youths across America, the Outagamie program stands out because it deals exclusively with juveniles that are at high-risk to re-offend. 

“Every state has a Big Brothers and Big Sisters program, but our population is a little bit more difficult to match with mentors,” explains Herb. “All of these kids have had contact with the juvenile justice system. It takes a little more to build a relationship and make a difference with them.”

Currently, the program works with 35 juveniles between the ages of 10 and 17. Young offenders are referred to Outagamie by social workers from the Wisconsin Department of Youth and Family Services who believe they could use a positive adult influence in their lives.

“Research has always shown that a positive role model in the life of these juveniles can prevent further recidivism and out of home placements,” says Tammy McHugh, Program Coordinator for Outagamie Mentoring. “Some of these kids don't have anyone to express concerns about doing their homework or going to school. This program really makes our kids feel like someone cares about them and is involved in their lives.”

Once a juvenile is referred, he or she must volunteer to enter the program. According to McHugh, the youths' voluntary participation makes the program that much more effective.

“They have to want to be involved,” says McHugh. “They have to want it somewhere inside of them; otherwise it's not going to help them.”

Unique Mentors for Unique Juveniles

Mentoring a youth in the justice system requires more than a commitment. At Outagamie, mentors go through a rigorous screening and training process, as do the juveniles.

“We have the mentors and the youths fill out packets of information based on their interest, their talents, and their skills,” explains McHugh. “We look at demographics like location; we don't want our mentors driving an hour to see a youth. We also address mentor preferences. If our mentors think they can really help someone with alcohol issues, we pair them with a youth who is struggling with that.”

Mentors must provide references and undergo background checks. Meanwhile, the training sessions prepare mentors for developing long-term relationships with their juvenile matches. They also attend 10 hours of classes that cover topics ranging from substance abuse to family issues.

“Our training sessions typically try to prepare the mentors for the types of juveniles they will be dealing with,” says McHugh. “We tell them about the stages of their relationships with the juveniles. Since our youths tend to be a little different, they need to be ready to develop their relationships in a new way. Some juveniles might act out, and we want to prepare mentors for that.”

The relationship between mentor and juvenile goes beyond the emotional bond. According to Outagamie County, 72 percent of the juveniles involved in the mentoring program are taken off of supervision with no new offenses.

“Our numbers are recorded by social workers,” says McHugh. “These numbers show that mentors introduce juveniles to new and positive things. We see our youths becoming proud of themselves and more responsible for their own behavior.”

Additionally, 54 percent of the youths improved their grades; school attendance improved by 50 percent.

“For the majority of our kids, it works out really well,” says Herb. “Overall it's been a really positive experience for the kids I have referred and I continue to see remarkable changes in their attitudes.”

For More Information About Volunteering with Outagamie County: http://www.volunteermatch.org/orgs/org23659.html