Pubdate: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 Source: San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune (CA) Section: Front Page Tel: (805) 781-7905 Contact: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/stories/1098/juvenile26.htm Copyright: 1998 San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune Author: Danna Dykstra, Telegram-Tribune A NEW OPTION IN JUVENILE JUSTICE SLO COUNTY Deputy coroner Frank Moreland prepared a group of kids for a slide show. "You may know some of these people," the coroner began. "I'm not doing this to gross you out or hurt your feelings. I want you to know these are real cases I've handled; they are not made up." Before the images of death were flashed on a screen, Moreland told his young audience: "The message is you are not invincible; you make the choice to drink and drive -- it can happen to you. You make the choice to join a gang -- it can happen to you. You make a choice to use drugs," the coroner said. "It can happen to you." Welcome to the Juvenile Impact Program -- the county's latest effort to reach minors on the verge of entering the criminal justice system. The program is an intense, two-month course designed to change behaviors and impose consequences on first-time, non-violent juvenile offenders as young as 11. Patterned after a Los Angeles Police Department program targeting gangs, San Luis Obispo County's 100-hour model is unlike any other local intervention program. "It's more hard-hitting," said Probation Chief John Lum. "Unlike therapeutic, counseling types of interventions, this is more of a 'wake-up call' in terms of choices these kids make and their consequences." The program includes up to three classes a week taught by community and law enforcement volunteers, whose presentations focus on choices and consequences for everything from drug use to promiscuity to joining a gang. The two-hour evening classes, held at the Veterans Memorial Building in San Luis Obispo, allow time for homework, tutoring and lessons in resume writing. Another component is designed to instill discipline, teamwork and respect for authority. For seven consecutive Saturdays, participants are led through an hour of military-type workouts, followed by five hours of community service work. Sheriff's Deputy Ray Johnson and Probation Officer J.T. Camp developed the local program and oversee the same group of minors throughout the two months. "We have kids you wouldn't think would get into trouble," said Johnson. "We have 'A' students. We have a couple of girls -- one who was paid $2 to push a girl down some stairs. We want to drive it home early, before they even think about doing the wrong thing again, that there are immediate consequences for these decisions." Juveniles are dropped off Saturdays at Santa Rosa Park dressed in "uniforms" of gray sweatclothes and white tennis shoes. They are searched for contraband and those caught with illegal substances are cut from the program. Those who make it through are rewarded with a graduation ceremony attended by their parents. Good behavior gets them a reduction in work hours, to teach them there are positive consequences for making good choices. "This has been real effective," said a father whose child is in the program for behavior problems. The father declined to be named to protect his child's privacy. "It's been a shock to a lot of the kids and to the parents, but in a positive, straightforward way," he said. "It's not the politically correct type of program. "With all the child rights in this society, children have forgotten that with rights, you have responsibilities. What these kids are learning is that if you don't take responsibility for your actions, sooner or later, you'll lose those rights." Minors can be referred by parents, probation, law enforcement, schools or a judge in lieu of prosecution, expulsion or court-ordered fines. About 40 juveniles were referred for the first class, although the program is designed to accommodate about half that number. Juveniles who commit felony offenses or require counseling or treatment for chemical dependencies are screened out. Because parent involvement is considered key to the child's success, those whose parents or guardians refuse to participate are also disqualified. Parenting classes are mandatory. "Parents have to be a vital part of the solution," said Probation Officer Camp. "If the kids get home and mom and dad are running amok, then the skills they learned here have gone to waste." Retired Sheriff Ed Williams, Probation Chief Lum and District Attorney Gere Shea collaborated to bring to the county a version of the Los Angeles program that is now run through the Governor's Office. More than 2,000 minors have gone through the Los Angeles program since its 1991 inception. A survey by the Los Angeles Police Department's behavioral sciences section reportedly found 70 percent of the youths who completed the program demonstrated a positive behavior change. Frank DiPaola, the Los Angeles police officer who founded the program, is now Gov. Pete Wilson's Juvenile Justice liaison. DiPaola's job is to help counties like San Luis Obispo start their own programs. "It's not a 'nice, nice, feel good' program, which is why it works," said DiPaola. "They only respect what they love or fear, and to some degree, there is fear. They don't love us right off." DiPaola likened the program to a boot camp designed to "get rid of the ego" and replace it with self-worth and respect for others. He said the officers who run the program become mentors to the minors. "We have to -- we should be in the business of helping kids and not be involved in crime suppression; those days are gone," said DiPaola. "Because we have done such a lousy job recruiting kids for the good, we are giving our kids over to the gangs, who are out there recruiting every day." DiPaola was a guest speaker the first night of the local program. He said he's vacationed in San Luis Obispo County and has noticed a marked increase in graffiti and other evidence of gang activity, which he said is comparable in sophistication to where Los Angeles was a decade ago. "Once we make kids see the stupidity and futility of their evil ways, they respond to this program," he said. "They see it as us reaching out a hand. All they have to do is grab it." The program's first night is intended to be the most grueling. Each juvenile offender is required to stand before the group and explain what he or she did to be arrested, ticketed or referred to the program -- which the two officers say is the first step in taking responsibility for the offense. Parents are also involved in the discussion. The climate is intentionally confrontational to put the parents and child on notice that bad behavior will not be tolerated. Carlos Kristales, a parolee from the California Youth Authority, talks tough to the kids. One local woman who attended the first session said she walked out, appalled by what she observed. "The parolee was nose-to-nose with these kids and the parents -- he was in their face, screaming and yelling obscenities," said Kathleen Richen, who coordinates the Friends Outside volunteer program at the county Juvenile Services Center. "I have a lot of confidence in (the two officers who head the program), and I saw them walking around the room and putting their hand on the shoulders of the kids or parents who were being yelled at," Richen said. "If they were to change anything about the program, I would like to see a softer and gentler first session. The kids in juvenile hall aren't treated like that -- why should first offenders be treated like that?" Kristales, who lives in Los Angeles and assists the program's founder, said he talks frank to kids about his prison experiences because he cares about them and doesn't want them to choose the path he did. "I tell them to always remember one thing: The easiest thing you can do is go to prison -- the hardest thing you can do is get out," said Kristales. "Once you get in there, there are a lot of mind games and rules, and people who aren't used to being disciplined are going to have a hard time inside. There's a lot of suicide watches. Kids just aren't meant to be locked up." A 17-year-old boy in the local program said it's tougher than juvenile hall. "I won't say I like it," he said. "I hated it the first couple of hours. But I'm getting something out of it. You can't give these guys any backtalk," he said, referring to the deputy and probation officer in charge. "They don't let you get away with anything, and you have to respect that." An 11-year-old boy in the program said he worried he wasn't strong enough to keep up with the rest of the group during Saturday workouts, which include running, pushups and calisthenics. "But I am," he said, beaming with pride. "For me, it was a choice of this program or going to court, and I didn't want to be on probation. I would just like to say one thing: Anybody who wants to do anything bad has to think twice, because this is really hard. You can't play with your friends on Saturdays, you have to wash cop cars, clean highways and paint out graffiti. But it makes me think. I won't be getting behind the wheel of a car drunk, and I don't want to do drugs," the boy said during a break from the coroner's presentation. Deputy Johnson described the kids in the program as "more borderline" than serious offenders. "They all could turn out well, but if we don't step in, they could go the other way," he said. "It's all about choices and consequences. If you choose well, you'll do well. If you don't, that may be what determines whether you end up locked up, hurt, or dead." (c) 1998 San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune - ---