Last month, KBOO Community Radio featured seven Hope Partnership youth on their Prison Pipeline radio program. These youth are among the recent recipients of our Scholarships for Success program. Listen to them talk about the steps they are taking to change their lives using their awards.
“We know young parents can be great parents,” says Insights Teen Parent Services Director, Tiffany Tucker. Tiffany has been the Program Director since Insights joined Janus in 2008. We talked with Tiffany to find out more about Insights’ Programs.
Please join us on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 to view the documentary, "Perception: From Prison to Purpose" featuring former Hope Partnership youth, Noah Schultz. Noah, a graduate of the Hope Partnership program, served 7.5 years in the custody of the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA). According to Noah, the film shows that any kid is capable of committing a crime. "Usually a decision to commit a crime is a manifestation of a lot of hurt from one’s past. By sharing my own story, I tried to help viewers understand how these kids end up in correctional facilities. Given the right resources, they can change their trajectory."
Over a year ago, the idea of creating a new and unique residential and re-entry program for LGBTQ youth began to take root. With the help of our partners from the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) and the countless hours staff dedicated to purchasing and updating a residence, the Rivera House was born. Today, the Rivera House is fully staffed and houses up to nine residents who are transitioning from the custody of OYA to independence. The goal of the program is to prepare youth leaving incarceration to become law-abiding, successful members of the community while addressing the special needs of LGBTQ youth. We spoke to the Rivera House Program Director, Deven Edgerton to share his thoughts about the program on this one-year anniversary.