A program that aims to help at-risk youth stay out of detention will continue in Elkhart County. The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative helps fund programs ranging from “teen court” to bicycle giveaways. Court Administrator Ross Maxwell told the county council last week that the court system is also looking to offer scholarships to Five Star Life’s Summit camp in Union, Michigan.
“They have elk. They have cows. They have horses. They have archery, axe-throwing, a big lake up there. It’s a lot of things that kids don’t get to experience, maybe, in the city of Elkhart, at times,” Maxwell said.
The court system has also partnered with the Boys and Girls Club, Bashor Children’s Home and Lifeline Youth Ministries on programs, using JDAI funding. “With Lifeline, we have a couple of different programs there, but one where they come into the detention center and work with the kids and then when they get out, and they end up kind of following up and doing things in their program, whether it’s athletic things, extracurricular programming,” Maxwell told council members.
This year, Elkhart County is getting $80,000 in JDAI funding. Maxwell said that’s about $10,000 more than last year’s grant. Council members formally agreed to let the court system spend the grant money.
