Johnson County, Kansas will be one of the testing grounds for a pilot program aimed at helping reduce recidivism rates among juvenile offenders. Called "Success Through Achieving Re-entry" or STAR, the program will focus on high-risk youth who have served six-months or more in a juvenile detention facility.

"A community re-entry officer from the department will work with the juveniles – male offenders ages 12 to 22 – establishing a reintegration plan before they are released into the community... The program is a community effort. The reintegration plan will involve law enforcement, school resource officers, juvenile justice authorities, social workers and parents, guardians and other family members."

The county has set of goal of having 65 percent of juveniles complete the program successfully. Read more at TheOlatheNews.com.

Learn more about the difference between a Juvenile Delinquent and a Juvenile Offender and ways to help your child at AboutJuvenileDelinquents.com.

Labels: delinquents, offenders, recidivism