Students Targeted for Opportunities in Prevention (STOP)
The Students Targeted for Opportunities In Prevention Program, operated by the Fresno County Probation Department- Juvenile Services Division, expanded the number of sites providing juvenile prevention services and absorbed the costs of existing sites when the funding from California Board of Correction ended for the Youth Challenge Community Program. STOP is a school based prevention program whose mission is to provide prevention and early intervention services to 10-14 year old at-risk youth and their families. It is also designed to gauge the effectiveness of those interventions in reducing the number of school related problems, juvenile delinquency, substance and alcohol abuse, family dysfunction and gang involvement.
With funding from the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA), STOP operates on nine (9) different school sites throughout Fresno County:
RURAL SITES
McCabe Middle School, Mendota
Huron Middle School
Parlier Middle School
Foothill Middle School, Prather
SUBURBAN SITE
Alta Sierra Middle School, Clovis
URBAN SITES
Kings Canyon Middle School, Fresno
Tehipite Middle School, Fresno
Scandinavian Middle School, Fresno
Sequoia Middle School, Fresno
According to a 2005 JJCPA report, STOP is seeing results! Over the last year alone the grade point average of the youth served increased almost one half grade point to over a “C” average. Even more impressive is the dramatic 61% reduction of suspensions in school to a low of 15.2%. A significant reduction of 45% of reported child abuse cases also occurred. All the identified risk factors have been reduced and it is clear - youth that do better in school do better in their community and do not commit as many crimes, as the data shows in the Fresno County study.
The California Wellness Foundation identified STOP as one of the “Strategies That Work: Promising Programs From Local Communities” in 2004, Fight Crime Invest in Kids - California named STOP as a model project in their White Paper titled “What Works in California” in 2004. STOP received the highest rating in the state by Choices for Youth in their “California Youth Violence Prevention SCORECARD” in 2002. Fresno’s JJCPA program has been invited to present workshops throughout the state and at national conferences. Most noteworthy these workshops have been provided recently at the American Psychiatric Association International Conference, American Probation and Parole Association National Conference, California Administrative Office of the Courts 100th Anniversary Conference, and the California After School Consortium National Middle School Conference.
The focus of STOP truly is on prevention, youth formally on probation are not eligible. For more information about STOP or to contact County Probation staff regarding STOP, please see the attached brochures (available in English and Spanish). And as always, spread the word!
STOPbrochure1.pdf (916.89 kb)
EspanolBROCH.pdf (1.10 mb)
Currently rated 5.0 by 1 people
- Currently 5/5 Stars.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5