Goodwill, court team up to rehabilitate juvenile offenders

~ Teens can try out different jobs through volunteer work programs.

ST. LOUIS -- Juvenile offenders released from detention here are now getting help with career planning, a program the family court judge says could be "the most important in the history of juvenile court."

This fall, the Juvenile Transition Program has helped more than 50 youths in the detention center to start mapping a career. It also offers skill training.

"We're giving these children a sense of worth and sense of value. And for some of these 15- and 16-year-olds, this may be the first time anyone in their family has held a job in three generations," St. Louis Family Court Judge Jimmie Edwards said.

The program grew out of a conversation between Edwards and Lewis Chartock, chief executive officer of MERS/Goodwill, a not-for-profit agency that provides career services to people who struggle for employment.

Edwards said delinquent youths would be less likely to commit crimes if they had better supervision, less idle time and more money. The two men figured that meant jobs.

Chartock enlisted the help of the Simon Foundation, which awarded a $110,000 grant to create the program.

Job training

Once a month, transition program managers will visit the detention center. They will play games, create art and share stories geared toward the future.

Children released from detention can come to MERS/Goodwill for job skills training. Some will be paired with other businesses or charities to get real-world experience. Others will learn how to fill out an application or dress for an interview, said Ester Williams, the agency's director of community programing.

"In the end they'll know what career they want, the education they'll need and the steps it will take to reach that goal," Williams said. "It gives them hope."

James Lane, 16, joined the program to get his high school equivalency certificate and to learn how to apply for jobs. He's working as a custodian at MERS/Goodwill to fulfill his community service requirement for court. But he's also doing it to launch a career.

Edwards said he understands not every youth in the program will go on to get a college degree. But many may learn skills that could lead to a career.

Teens can try out different jobs through volunteer work programs to test their choices for a good fit. They also can join adults in regular job skills classes for building maintenance, culinary arts, bookkeeping, data entry and office and computer services.

The program targets a population that can still be saved, Williams said.

"They deserve a second chance," Williams said. "If they are given the opportunity, they can still be productive members of society."