Troubled Teen Programs Require High GPA

You want to stop troubled teenagers before they go very far down the road towards juvenile delinquency. Be it drug convictions, drunken driving, vandalism, assault or theft -the final destination is the same for all who break the law; to become a number and a slot in “the system.” It could be a court ordered stay in boarding schools for troubled teens, a 90 day stint in a state facility, or, some type of boot camp - once you are in the system, it is very hard to extricate yourself. The best option is to never get behind bars the first time. One program offered juvenile first offenders in South Carolina certainly seems to have all the right ingredients to prevent just that. If the teen can tough it out.

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“More than 800 juvenile offenders have participated since the state program began in 1996, McMaster said. Only half of those have graduated due to the program’s strict requirements, which include maintaining a C average in school, attending weekly church services, performing community service and avoiding unexcused school absences or excessive detentions, he said. Youth can be recommended to the program in one of three ways, said Christine Grefe, 14th Judicial Circuit prosecuting attorney: an alternative to trial, a probationary condition or a community referral. The program primarily will be offered as an alternative to a trial that may lead to jail time…Once a youth successfully completes the program, the charges that led them into the system will be erased, Grefe said…Convictions predating the youth’s entry into the mentor program remain on their record.” (unknown source) By Ann Walker