YES: Youth Environmental Service Initiative.
by Kristen Kracke

Jointly operated by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
in the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of the Interior (DOI),
the Youth Environmental Service (YES) initiative is designed to increase the
capacity of States and communities to treat and rehabilitate delinquent youth
and to prevent at-risk youth from entering the juvenile justice system. 

History
In response to a growing need for innovative and effective programs for
at-risk and delinquent youth, Senator Bob Graham introduced legislation for
the development of a nationwide network of local programs to provide youth
with environmental work and education opportunities on Federal land. The bill
expressed the sense of the Senate that such programs should provide personal
development to youth, public security from seriously delinquent youth,
environmental land development, and a solution to such barriers as siting and
zoning restrictions commonly faced by programs serving at-risk and delinquent
youth. Senator Grahams bill, while not enacted, influenced the creation of a
landmark partnership agreement between DOJ and DOI. In February 1994 Attorney
General Janet Reno and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt signed a
memorandum of understanding committing the Departments to work in partnership
with States and localities to establish the YES initiative on Federal lands
across the Nation.

Program Characteristics
Under the YES program, partnerships are formed between Federal, State, local,
and private agencies to develop work programs on environmentally sensitive
lands. States and communities are given broad flexibility to design programs
tailored to their specific needs. YES sites may choose to provide onsite
residential programs, offsite residential programs, and day programs. Because
many Federal lands are in isolated areas, accessibility must be considered in
the programmatic development of a site. Additionally, some areas, such as
Washington, D.C., have Federal lands in urban settings that can provide
numerous program options. 

Target populations for YES programs range from at-risk youth who live in
underserved communities to serious and violent juvenile offenders in nonsecure
and secure confinement programs. Some sites have worked with local employment
programs to provide stipends to juveniles. Others have used work reimbursement
for juveniles to pay victim restitution, child support, and other obligations.
Six pilot sites have been established in Florida, Utah, and the District of
Columbia. These sites reflect the diversity and flexibility of the YES
initiative. In Florida, Big Cypress National Wilderness Institute targets
serious male offenders ages 15 to 17 who have been referred by the criminal
court. Currently, the Institute operates an offsite residential program, but
plans are underway to establish a residence on park land. 

Banyan Halfway House Work Release Program in West Palm Beach operates a 4- to
6-month nonsecure residential program for juvenile offenders. To meet
vocational training goals and fulfill restitution obligations, youth work on
the Loxahatchee Environmental Project, gaining landscape labor experience such
as exotic plant eradication, which is essential for maintaining the health of
the Loxahatchee ecosystem.

In Utah, the Genesis Youth Center of Salt Lake City operates a 72-bed
community-based work program that holds youth accountable for their actions
and enables them to make restitution to their victims. The program works with
males ages 14 to 18 serving 30- to 120-day sentences. Services are available
to juvenile probationers, youth who receive regular commitments to the
Division of Youth Corrections (DYC), and youth in transition from DYC secure
care. DOIs Bureau of Land Management (BLM) provides work projects for the
youth in the Wild Horse and Burro Center. 

In Cedar City, the Southwest Youth Center Work Release Program maintains a
10-bed detention facility serving as an alternative to secure detention that
provides youth with an opportunity to develop skills, make restitution, and
avoid the negative effects of confinement. The program serves males and
females ages 12 to 17 sentenced by the court to up to 30 days detention. Youth
are assigned work projects such as trail maintenance, reseeding burn areas,
and construction with five partner agenciesthe BLM, the U.S. Department of
Agricultures (USDA) Forest Service, Southern Utah University, Cedar City
Corporation, and Iron County. 

In the District of Columbia, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington
look to the YES initiative to provide inner-city children with a valuable set
of opportunities, including a chance to contribute something to their
community, develop a work ethic, and learn about nature and the environment.
The Clubs urban members have little experience with woodlands and wildlife.
Club members range in age from 8 to 14 and come from low-income families,
often residing in public housing. Youth work with the National Park Service at
Rock Creek Park, attend educational workshops, and assist with trail cleanup
and park maintenance. Youth also engage in recreational activities in the
park. The City Lights Park Program is a nonresidential program providing
part-time work experience to court-involved youth 16 and older referred by
their Youth Services Administration aftercare worker. The program works with
the National Park Service at the Brentwood maintenance facility, which
provides carpentry, metal craft, and painting experience.

Program Support
YES programs are locally funded. For States and communities that have
identified funds for a YES program, DOJ and DOI work to locate Federal lands
and facilities suitable for the program. While no direct Federal funding is
awarded to support program operations, the Federal partners facilitate,
support, and provide expertise in developing YES sites through training and
technical assistance and by providing such resources as lands, facilities, and
environmental work projects. In turn, these labor-intensive work projects
assist Federal land management agencies to reduce their maintenance backlog
and improve public parks and recreation areas. 

DOI and DOJ jointly facilitate and coordinate State and local partnership
agreements between youth-oriented programs and local Federal land managers.
DOI provides access to Federal lands, development of work and education
projects for youth, and other locally negotiated resources, such as
facilities, tools, and supervision. USDA works with DOI and DOJ to provide
assistance through the use of its Forest Service land. DOJ provides direct
technical assistance to sites as needed. Whenever YES sites request technical
assistance, DOJ works to meet these needs through existing Justice sources and
through brokering resources from other Departments across the Federal
Government. DOJ is also available to assist sites with communication,
information-sharing, and cross-program coordination.

Summary
YES provides a unique alternative for youth-serving organizations and States
to provide youth with necessary skills, services, and opportunities. DOJ and
DOI are seeking to expand the YES program across the country. Interested State
and local programs, organizations, and agencies are encouraged to consult with
DOJ and DOI in developing preliminary concepts for a YES partnership.

Resources
DOJ and DOI have prepared two major sources of information about the YES
initiative. YES in Action, an OJJDP Program Summary, describes the initiative,
the pilot sites, and the lessons learned. YES Technical Assistance Package
provides operational guidance on how to start a YES program. These resources
are available by calling the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse, toll free, at
800-638-8736, or e-mail askncjrs@aspensys.com. 

For further information, please contact:
Kristen Kracke                Bob Buechner
Office of Juvenile Justice          Office of National Service
and Delinquency Prevention         and Educational Partnerships 
U.S. Department of Justice         U.S. Department of the Interior
633 Indiana Avenue NW.             1849 C Street NW., Room 5204
Washington, DC 20531               Washington, DC 20240
Phone: 2023075914           Phone: 2022084753
FAX: 2025146382   FAX:                2022083620
krackek@ojp.usdoj.gov              robert_buechner@ios.doi.gov                
        
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