Committee Chair:
Shawn Cohn, Chief, Denver Juvenile Probation
The purpose of the Youth Prevention Committee is to: 1) Analyze data, policy and programs on youth crime prevention services, 2) Make recommendations that embrace effective crime prevention strategies and improve the juvenile justice system, and 3) Coordinate school and community interventions that build linkages between criminal justice systems and “community” resources. The Committee reviews current evidence-based prevention initiatives and makes recommendations to the Crime Prevention and Control Commission, and provides oversight of Commission funds for the implementation of such initiatives and/or the pursuit of funding on behalf of the Commission and other entities.
Current work around the Youth Crime Prevention Committee includes Safe City projects around youth crime prevention and intervention. The main initiatives are: Gang Reduction Initiative of Denver (GRID), Graffiti Task Force, and Promoting Academics and Character Education (PACE).
In 2008, a collaboration was established to form a Denver Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) planning committee. The JAC will be a co-location of system and community service providers who work around criminal justice-involved youth. In an effort to provide youth and families with information, resources, and intervention services, the JAC will screen all youth that come through the facility and assess the youth, for needs and risk to re-offend, and connect them with services to address those needs. For more information on the JAC committee work and progress, click here.