Western Wayne Today

A Wayne County program has given young offenders the opportunity for a clean slate. 

The Right TRAC (Taking Responsibility and Accepting Consequences) program is designed for Wayne County youths who have committed low-level offenses like truancy and disturbance of the peace, WXYZ Detroit reported. The program allows young offenders to complete a 90-day course on decision making and responsibility with a counselor at Black Family Development in Detroit. 

At the end of a successfully completed program, the court has the option to dismiss the case. Approximately 70-80 percent of the children that enroll in the program complete it successfully, and Black Family Development CEO Alice Thompson says the main goal is to give the children hope and joy. 

Black Family Development CEO Alice Thompson | http://www.blackfamilydevelopment.org/

Dealing with wayward children is different from rehabilitating adult criminals because of their unrealized mental development, Wayne County Juvenile and Youth Services Director Dr. Shennetta Coleman said in an interview with WXYZ. 

"Because the mind is not fully developed, you have an opportunity to really help, mold, offer up other options and other positions," Coleman said. "Sometimes kids just need additional support, that's it."

The hope behind the Right TRAC program is that by removing children from the juvenile justice system and rehabilitating non-violent and low-level-offense behavior, these children will be on a better track to learn decision-making, responsibility and other life skills. But hope for the future is one of the main things these children need.

"We help them create broader visions for themselves in this world, see themselves as being successful, and you can do it, but it first comes from discipline," Thompson said. "It comes from education and right decisions."