In YouthBuild, young people with criminal records can chart a path to a productive future. YouthBuild programs have always welcomed young adults who have been convicted of crimes, as long as they show a sincere desire to work hard to achieve a positive lifestyle. More than 30 percent of YouthBuild students have been adjudicated; about 18 percent have been convicted of felonies. All reports to-date find that the recidivism rate for ex-offenders who complete the YouthBuild program is a stunningly low 15 percent – this compares to a national recidivism rate of 67 percent. YouthBuild students are highly motivated to overcome past mistakes, and in YouthBuild, they gain skills and a supportive community.
Because of YouthBuild’s proven effectiveness in working with adjudicated youth, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) selected YouthBuild USA to participate in a major national demonstration of YouthBuild programs’ efficacy in bringing down the recidivism rate of ex-offenders. DOL granted $6.1 million for each of two years to YouthBuild USA, to be re-granted to local YouthBuild programs. Each of the sub-grantees is admitting a specified number of students with criminal records into their programs, for a total of 325 youth per year. Some of the students are referred by the courts, some enter directly from jail, and others find their own way to YouthBuild after having been in prison. YouthBuild USA is providing training, technical assistance, and data management for all participating programs.
Simultaneous with this DOL-funded project, YouthBuild USA’s Criminal Justice State Advocacy Initiative is working to access state-level criminal justice funds for YouthBuild and other comprehensive youth programs that are positioned to serve as diversion alternatives or re-entry programs for youth offenders.
Department of Labor grantees, 2004-2005 (Total $4,960,000)
YouthBuild USA receives a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to support local YouthBuild programs in serving as effective re-entry programs for youth offenders, and to reduce the recidivism rate.
| YouthBuild program (Sponsoring organization) |
| YouthBuild Fresno (Fresno County Economic Opp. Comm. Local Conservation Corps) |
Fresno, CA |
$224,000
|
CCEO YouthBuild (Century Center for Economic Opportunity)
|
Gardena, CA |
$160,000
|
| LA CAUSA YouthBuild (The Valley Inc.) |
Los Angeles, CA |
$272,000
|
| MAAC Project YouthBuild (Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee) |
National City, CA |
$160,000
|
| North Richmond YouthBuild (Community Housing Development Corp. of No. Richmond) |
Richmond, CA |
$240,000
|
YouthBuild Honolulu (City & County of Honolulu’s Department of Community Services)
|
Honolulu, HI |
$96,000
|
| YouthBuild McLean County (YouthBuild McLean County) |
Bloomington, IL |
$128,000
|
| YouthBuild Rockford (Comprehensive Community Solutions Inc.) |
Rockford, IL |
$160,000
|
| YCC YouthBuild Waukegan (Youth Conservation Corps Inc.) |
Waukegan, IL |
$160,000
|
YouthBuild Brockton (Old Colony YMCA)
|
Brockton, MA |
$160,000
|
| YouthBuild Boston Inc. (YouthBuild Boston Inc.) |
Boston, MA |
$192,000
|
| YWCA YouthBuild Springfield (YWCA of Western Massachusetts) |
Springfield, MA |
$128,000
|
| Portland West YouthBuild (Portland West) |
Portland, ME |
$80,000
|
| Bi-Cap YouthBuild (Bi-County Community Action Programs Inc.) |
Bemidji, MN |
$128,000
|
| Operation Excel YouthBuild (Housing Authority of St. Louis County) |
St. Louis, MO |
$160,000
|
YouthBuild St. Louis (Youth Education & Health in Soulard)
|
St. Louis, MO |
$192,000
|
| YouthBuild Newark (Episcopal Community Development Inc.) |
Newark, NJ |
$160,000
|
| Isles YouthBuild (Isles Inc.) |
Trenton, NJ |
$160,000
|
| YouthBuild Albany (City of Albany Department of Youth & Recreation) |
Albany, NY |
$176,000
|
| Flushing YouthBuild (YMCA of Greater New York) |
Flushing, NY |
$160,000
|
| Youth Action YouthBuild (Youth Action Programs and Homes Inc.) |
New York, NY |
$160,000
|
| YouthBuild Columbus (Buckeye Community Hope Foundation) |
Columbus, OH |
$240,000
|
| CSC YouthBuild (Community Services Consortium) |
Lebanon, OR |
$96,000
|
| Portland YouthBuilders (Portland YouthBuilders) |
Portland, OR |
$240,000
|
| YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School (Philadelphia Youth for Change Charter Sch.) |
Philadelphia, PA |
$160,000
|
| YouthBuild Brownsville (Community Development Corporation of Brownsville) |
Brownsville, TX |
$112,000
|
| New Waverly YouthBuild (Walker Montgomery Community Development Corp.) |
New Waverly, TX |
$176,000
|
| Petersburg Urban Ministries Inc. (Petersburg Urban Ministries Inc.) |
Petersburg, VA |
$160,000
|
| Operation Fresh Start YouthBuild (Operation Fresh Start Inc.) |
Madison, WI |
$160,000
|
| SALS YouthBuild (Southern Appalachian Labor School) |
Kincaid, WV |
$160,000
|
|
