Christian County program lowers youth repeat offenders through community and activity

HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Heather Campbell and Meagan Dunn with the Department of Juvenile Justice created the Christian County Community Connections Program over a year ago after noticing an increase in youth offenses. The program is currently serving 42 kids in the community ranging from 13 to 18 years old who have previously been charged with an offense.

Meagan said they got the idea for the program when she was speaking with a teenager who was facing serious charges. He told Dunn there was nothing for kids his age to do in the area. Meagan realized many of the youth in the area causing trouble may not have the money or transportation to do fun things like visit the Sportsplex, go to the skatepark, or visit the YMCA.

Each month, Heather and Meagan hold a field-trip event to provide the participants in the program with an opportunity to feel like a kid again. “The goal was to link up the kids with positive activities, people, and programs,” Dunn said. “If they have something pro-social to do, it can help keep them out of trouble.”

Along with trips, the program gives out awards, and trophies. They also host events like prom or graduation for those who have missed out on those experiences.

Program success

Last year, after completing a program evaluation, Heather and Meagan saw an overall decrease in the likelihood of participants receiving a second charge. Their data showed that one out of 18 kids in the program committed another offense. “We tracked if being in the program kept them from further charges,” Meagan explained. They also shared that being in the program allowed kids to open up more and speak about their needs.

“Our youth is really misunderstood, and they are at a pivotal point in their life where they are dealing with a lot of different issues,” Dunn said. “A lot of them don’t feel like they don’t have anyone to talk to. I want them to know the community cares about them.”

Future plans and how to help

In the future, Heather and Meagan hope to expand the program across different counties and focus on keeping youth out of the legal system totally.

Currently the program is in need of food donations and is always asking for community support. “Reach out to us,” Meagan said. “We have several events throughout the year where we want the kids to meet people who care about them.”

For more information or to donate to the program contact Campbell and Dunn at heatherm.campbell@ky.gov and meagan.dunn@ky.gov.