Central Wyoming College will be getting over a million dollars from the Department of Labor to launch an innovative program to help young adults who have been in the Juvenile Justice system.
The one-point-two million dollar grant will enable the college to set up the Second Wind Project that will help former juvenile offenders between the ages of 18 and 21 to develop life and work skills with the goal of keeping them out of the criminal justice system.
C-W-C Dean of Workforce and Community Education Lynne McAuliffe says this program will be especially important in Fremont County.
“Riverton has highest youth crime rate in the state of Wyoming. So, I think it’s particularly important for our community to provide some avenues for these kids that have been in trouble to now come out as young adults and be able to gain a college education and be supported through that entire experience into job placement. “
McAuliffe says it’s a six to eight month comprehensive program that will teach important life skills. She says it’s an exciting venture for the college.
“So this is an intervention to prevent students from ending up in that adult system that might be at higher risk to do so. So, if we get them in education and we get them working, there is a very low likelihood that they will end up in the adult system.”
McAuliffe says they hope to get the program up and running as soon as possible.
