After members from the local Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) noticed an increase in youth committing high level offenses, they started the Christian County Community Connections Program to create opportunities for teenagers to be involved in their community and decrease the number of repeat offenders.
Co-Directors of the program, Heather Campbell and Meagan Dunn appeared at Tuesday’s Hopkinsville Rotary Club meeting to share why they started the program and how it is serving at risk youth in the community.
Campbell says they got the idea for the program when she was speaking with a teenager who was facing serious charges. He told Campbell that there was not anything else for them to do in the area. As she thought about what he said, Campbell says she realized that for those who are younger and at risk they are not able to take advantage of community resources.
Campbell says by hosting events for youth who are at risk, she hopes they are linking them to positive people and activities in the community. Dunn also explains that youth who have been probated or committed to the DJJ, live in a local group home or attend the Christian County Day Treatment Center are eligible for the program.
When the program started, Dunn says one of the first things they did with the youth involved was a survey to see what they have done in the community and she found that they have not participated in much. Campbell further shares that because those in the program have a history of being in trouble, they ended up missing out on school events like field days or dances.
Dunn shares that they have hosted field days, scavenger hunts, tours of the local library, fishing trips and proms for those in the program. Dunn says some of the activities would not be possible without the help of community sponsors.
Since the inception of the program the pair shared that they have seen a drop in the number of youth repeat offenders. According to their data from 2023, Campbell says prior to the program 18 of the 56 kids who were eligible were repeat offenders. Following the program one of the 32 that participated committed another offense.
Looking toward the future, Campbell says she wants to see the program expand to other counties, and also focus on prevention to keep children from going through the legal system at all.
For more information about the Christian County Community Connections Program, Campbell and Dunn can be contacted at heatherm.campbell@ky.gov and meagan.dunn@ky.gov.