Jun 6, 2014 3 min read

The Washington County salary board voted unanimously Thursday to expand a program that aims to reduce juvenile delinquency and the costs of placement in juvenile facilities of boys and girls ages 10 to 18.

The program, established 15 years ago, is known as LEADER, which stands for Leadership Enhanced Attitude Development Educational Rehabilitation. Youth found to be delinquent are ordered by the court to participate in this after-school program operated by the court’s juvenile probation office.

“To me, it’s one of the best programs that the court, through probation services, does,” President Judge Debbie O’Dell Seneca told her colleagues on the county salary board. “We’ve helped a lot of children over the years.”

The program’s goal is to keep children and teens out of adult criminal court.

The new positions include two site-based lead monitors, both full-time salaried positions, at $14 an hour; a full-time site-based monitor to be paid $13 an hour; two full-time salaried job training program site monitors to be paid $30,900 a year; a LEADER program coordinator to be paid $45,000 a year; and a community-based manager to be paid $37,080 a year.

Two full-time positions – community services/restitution coordinator and job training coordinator – were abolished Thursday.

“If we expand this program, we can keep kids out of institutions and save the public $1 million to $2 million,” O’Dell Seneca said.

“We’ve learned over the years that kids get in trouble through the hours between 3 and 6,” the judge said, mentioning that the program tries to instill discipline in what she called a “mini-boot camp.”

Statistics show 78 percent of youth ordered into the LEADER program successfully complete it and graduate. The program accepts youth from all Washington County school districts. During the summer, participants spend the day in the program, and many are required to perform community service in seven-hour stints.

Intensive supervision, including 24-hour electronic monitoring, serve as an alternative to out-of-home placement, which can cost taxpayers between $200 and $500 a day.

During the school year, participating youth attend school during the day, and are then transported to the LEADER program for participation during the afternoon and evening hours, when they receive help with school work, along with drug and alcohol, mental health and anger-management counseling.

One component of the LEADER program since August 2011 is job training in carpentry, plumbing and electrical services, with the aim of obtaining and retaining employment. Since its expansion last July, more than 110 youth have participated in this program and found work.

In conjuction with the expansion of the program, the commissioners approved $13,630 to purchase computers, cameras and printers from CDW Technology Solutions and Information Technology Products of Vernon Hills, Ill., under the state’s Costars 3 contract that does not require bidding.