OHIO — Youth Advocate Programs helps thousands of kids across the country, including those in Hamilton County. 

What You Need To Know

  • Kids 10-21, who get in trouble with the law, get an opportunity to work with mentors and advocates 
  • Those individuals, along with others in the community address kids’ social, emotional well-being, academics and careers 
  • YAP also makes sure that kids are returned to stable, safe environments, while assisting them in building communication with their families 
  • At the end of the six-month program, the goal is for kids to be drug free, employed or employable  

The six-month program gives kids a chance to get off of probation, have ankle monitors removed and start fresh with a focus on completing school and pursuing a career.

“One of our missions is to keep the kids from placement, from incarceration, from being placed in foster care or another institutionalized place. So we use their families. We use informal support. It’s more effective. They're more trusting to people that they know from their areas," Nathaniel Lett, Jr. said.

While making it a team effort, they also make sure that the child has input in their direction forward. 

Looking at the program overall, Lett said, “80% of our kids do not re-offend. Even if they get in trouble while they’re in the program we’ll keep working with them."

Vernon Rawls is one of the program advocates who works with kids.

“We’ve had students come through our program that graduate. In my opinion, without the intervention of YAP, they would not have graduated high school. We have students that go onto secondary education because of the intervention with school," said Rawls.

For him, it’s one of the most rewarding things he gets to do because he gets to see youth come full circle.

“Youth have a change of heart, a change of mindset. They become open minded and willing to do things different. Their goals change. Their actions change," Rawls said.

Niyjohn, 16, is one of those students finding his way and making change.

For confidentiality reasons, Youth Advocate Programs does not publicly share last names of systems-involved youth. This practice also keeps future employers and others from using their justice involvement against them into their adulthood.

Niyjohn said before, he just ignored his mom when she would tell him what time to be home.

Hanging with the wrong crowd, Niyjohn ended up with several charges between the ages of 12-14. One of those was a felony firearms charge.

After hearing a judge tell him he was facing four years in juvenile detention, he said “I gotta make a change.”

“It was like now we’re focused, now we gotta get onboard," Niyjohn.

As part of the deal with prosecutors, YAP was offered, along with a number of resources, including therapy. Excited to be enrolled back in school, he’s also looking forward to pursuing HVAC or construction to make a better life for himself. Grateful for Rawls’ help and guidance, Niyjohn’s perspective now is different.

“It feels to make a change sometimes," he said.

At the end of the day, Lett, Jr. encourages communities to “don’t give up on these kids."

"Sometimes you make a mistake as a youth. Sometimes you don’t have the right advice as a youth and you get yourself caught up," Lett, Jr. said. "But we’re gonna be there for them and eventually I believe the light may flash on or turn on and they say okay, I’m tired of this…I see a light at the end of the tunnel.”  

To learn more about the program, click here.