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Sherry (not her real name) is 17, soft-spoken and frets about the problems of every teen: concern about her appearance, what her friends think of her, and uncertainty about the future.

When this once quiet girl became angry and frustrated over personal problems and started using drugs, she became involved in fights, quarreled with her parents, and ran away from home. Last year Sherry was arrested for assault and drug possession and entered the Montgomery County juvenile justice system.

Studies have long shown that young people who use alcohol or other drugs are more likely to end up in trouble with the law. And although an estimated 60 percent of the teens arrested in recent years have a drug or alcohol problem, many receive no treatment for the problem that helped put them there. Later, often because of this lack of help, many teens land right back where they started – in front of a judge.

To stop this cycle, we must address drug and alcohol abuse by young people in the juvenile justice system, improve teen accountability, and involve the community. A unique pilot project launched this year by the Montgomery County Juvenile Court, the Wright State University School of Medicine, and other committed community agencies and individuals is showing how to do this.

The program is funded as part of the Reclaiming Futures initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care in the United States, based in Princeton, N.J.

Montgomery County’s approach begins with the lessons it has learned serving 17-year-olds like Sherry. She was fortunate enough to be referred to the Montgomery County Juvenile Drug Court, placed on probation, and given drug education and support by family, court staff and others. Sherry learned how to change her behavior for the better, and perhaps most importantly, developed talents (she is a poet) that showed her best side.

The ideal services Sherry received reflect three conclusions that are fundamental to Montgomery County’s Reclaiming Futures project.
  ► Alcohol and other drug use play a significant role in the lives of most teenagers in the juvenile justice system. Research indicates that treating the substance abuse problem reduces crime and saves tax dollars. But to be effective, treatment must meet the development challenges of teens, promote responsibility, and involve families.
  ►Almost all teens who commit a crime return home. Getting tough by putting someone in a jail cell without rehabilitative services makes for a good sound bite, but it is not the best way to keep young people out of trouble after release. Requiring teens to be accountable for their mistakes and to give back to the community offer far more promise in reducing recidivism.
  ► Helping these teens is a community responsibility. We all must become involved by participating in volunteer programs, schools and jobs programs. We also should recognize the faith community’s efforts to reclaim youth, and we need to activate natural systems of support such as the arts.

For the past 20 months, Montgomery County has put these principles to work in planning its Reclaiming Futures project. This five-year effort will identify 550 teens with alcohol or drug problems arrested one or more times – young people at high risk of re-offending. All will receive evidence-based treatment for substance abuse and take part in community activities that promote accountability and draw on the young person’s strengths.

Natural helpers – people from all walks of life who the teens can turn to for support -- are the heart of the program. These mentors, who are united in their belief that Montgomery County cannot turn its back on its young people, will work with teens, parents, and probation officers to help the young person succeed.

Are teens caught in the cycle of drugs, alcohol and crime responsible for their own actions and for changing their behavior? Of course. But communities are also responsible for providing opportunities to make those changes. Montgomery County’s Reclaiming Futures is showing us how to make this happen and in doing so, is setting an example. And it is also changing lives for the better – one Sherry at a time.


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