ISK & Partners Use Grant to Successfully Divert Youth from Criminal Justice Involvement
Participating Organizations:
Integrated Services of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, KYDnet, Wraparound Services, Gryphon Place, Department of Health and Human Services, Child Protective Services, Kalamazoo Juvenile Court, ASK Family Services, Communities in Schools, Family & Children’s Services, Kalamazoo Public Schools
With funding from a Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act Title II Grant from February 2022 through January 2024, ISK, the Kalamazoo Dept. of Public Safety and several other community partners showed how an intervention of community-based and coordinated services can impact high-risk youth and decrease police contacts and arrests of juveniles in the community.
Although the grant has ended, ISK continues to seek opportunities to continue this important work in cooperation with our community partners. View the full report HERE.
The grant was awarded to ISK by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice. ISK collaborated with multiple community organizations to establish a Collaborative Review Team (see Participating Organizations, above).
Team members coordinated to share effective resources and supports within the community to meet the social and mental health needs of youth in the intervention. This approach allowed them to provide unique treatment plans and services to each high-risk youth based on their identified needs.
The CRT approach implemented by ISK and its partners revealed significant positive outcomes in reducing justice system contacts and enhancing engagement in support services among all youth, including when looking at Black/African American youth. Analysis showed a high level of involvement in services, with wrap-around services being the most utilized. Family involvement also played a role in program success, emphasizing the importance of familial support in youth engagement. Evaluation of the intervention showed a 20% decrease in police contacts from the baseline period to the intervention period and a 74% decrease in juvenile arrests within the intervention period, demonstrating its impact on diverting youth from the criminal justice system.
