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What is SHORTSTOP?
The Long Beach Bar
Foundation's Shortstop program is a high impact juvenile diversion
program for at-risk and delinquent youth, and their families.
The program educates participants regarding their legal responsibilities
and the consequences of crime in order to guide them toward stopping
short of future criminal behavior and to becoming productive
citizens.
Juveniles and their parents
or legal guardians attend two intensive, highly interactive 3-hour
sessions in the realistic setting of a Long Beach courtroom.
Classes are taught by attorney-volunteers who are trained in
the Shortstop program model and by paid program staff. At least
one program staff member is bi-lingual in Spanish and English,
and program materials are available in both languages in order
to meet the needs of Spanish-speaking families. Prior to the
beginning of session one, youth are given a pre-test to determine
a baseline of knowledge regarding the juvenile justice system.
Session I
During session one, the focus is on the circumstances that brought
the young person to the program. Young people are told that they
will be treated as though they are incarcerated for the evening.
Juveniles and their family hear from Atlantic Recovery Service
Volunteers, inmates from the California Youth Authority or former
parolees who share the realities of incarceration and how they,
too, began with petty crimes just like the Shortstop participants.
Due to budget cuts the California Youth Authority Wards have
not been able to attend the holding cell discussions but youth
involved in the Atlantic Recovery Services' Programs are trained
to attend these intense sessions where they get a chance to give
back to the community. They urge the youth to listen to their
parents and learn from the program. Back in the courtroom, the
instructors in front of the group ask juveniles about the specifics
that brought them into the program. Juveniles are asked to explain
their actions and describe how their actions affected their victim(s),
and may affect their own futures, as well as alternatives to
the behaviors that brought them to Shortstop. Through interactions
between the instructors and the parents, juveniles learn how
their actions have affected their parents and other family members,
too.
At the end of session one, the participants are given homework
that must be completed when they return in two weeks for session
two. The assignments focus on improving communication in the
home, victim awareness and empathy, analysis of how they spend
their time and goal setting. Participants are also required to
interview a member of the community from a list of volunteer
mentors. The purpose of the interview is to broaden the youths'
perspective regarding possibilities for their futures. A juvenile's
"rights and responsibilities" manual is also provided
for the juveniles to read. Homework assignments are included
for both juveniles and parents, and are designed to assist the
family in working together to solve the problems at hand.
Session II
During session two, instructors meet with the juveniles and their
parents to discuss the homework assignments. The young people
are praised for their efforts and encouraged to discuss their
goals for the future. Juveniles are then given a post-test on
the information they read regarding their rights and responsibilities.
The pre-test and post-test are compared to determine the youths'
increase in knowledge. They also write a letter to themselves
about what they have learned which will be mailed to them as
part of the follow-up six months after their completion of the
program. While the juveniles take their test, their parents meet
with one of the instructors to share their questions and concerns.
They are also provided with information about their rights and
responsibilities as parents, as well as with a handbook that
includes parenting information, legal information and community
resources. Near the end of session two, parents and juveniles
are reunited for a graduation ceremony that highlights the positives
in their family relationships and in the juveniles themselves.
Juveniles and parents are asked to evaluate the program at the
end of session two. Follow-up is conducted by telephone and in
writing with the family six months later to determine any lasting
effects of their participation in the program such as no further
contact with the juvenile justice system, improvement in school
attendance, better grades, improvement in relationships with
parents, etc.
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What will you learn?
- You will learn about your
legal rights and responsibilities and consequences to your actions
by getting a taste of what it is like to be in custody.
- You will learn parenting skills
and laws relevant to parents of minors.
- You will learn the importance
of making decisions, and the consequences of those decisions
- You will learn how to change
your behavior from harmful behavior that is getting you into
trouble to positive behavior that change your life and start
you on the path to positive change.
What if I need or my child
needs counseling?
Contact one of our collaborators
Atlantic Recovery Services
562-436-3533, www.atlanticrecovery.com
NCADD/Positive Choices 562-436-3533
Long Beach Child & Adolescent Program 562-599-9271
Helpline Youth Counseling 562-599-2244
How do I sign up?
Call the SHORTSTOP Office at 562-981-7525 and ask to be enrolled
in the SHORTSTOP Program. Our friendly staff will tell you about
our next available program and register you over the phone.
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SHORTSTOP PROGRAM
2008 SCHEDULE |
SESSION 1
DATES |
SESSION 2
DATES |
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JANUARY |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 - 2nd & 4th Tuesday |
01/08/08
01/15/08 |
01/22/08
01/29/08 |
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FEBRUARY |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 c 1st & 4th Tuesday |
02/05/08
Courts Closed |
02/19/08
Courts Closed |
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MARCH |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 - 2nd & 4th Tuesday |
03/04/08
03/11/08 |
03/18/08
03/25/08 |
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APRIL |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 - 2nd & 4th Tuesday |
04/01/08
04/08/08 |
04/15/08
04/22/08 |
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MAY |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 - 2nd & 4th Tuesday |
05/06/08
05/13/08 |
06/20/08
06/27/08 |
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JUNE |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 - 2nd & 4th Tuesday |
06/03/08
06/10/08 |
06/17/08
06/24/08 |
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JULY |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 - 2nd & 4th Tuesday |
07/01/08
07/08/08 |
07/19/08
07/26/08 |
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AUGUST |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 - 2nd & 4th Tuesday |
08/05/08
08/12/08 |
08/15/08
08/22/08 |
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SEPTEMBER |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 - 2nd & 4th Tuesday |
09/02/08
09/09/08 |
09/16/08
09/23/08 |
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OCTOBER |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 - 2nd & 4th Tuesday |
10/07/08
10/14/08 |
10/21/08
10/28/08 |
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NOVEMBER |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday
Program 2 - 2nd & 4th Tuesday |
11/04/08
Courts Closed |
11/18/08
Courts Closed |
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DECEMBER |
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Program 1 - 1st & 3rd Tuesday |
12/02/08 |
12/16/08 |
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NOTE: Programs are held in Departments 6 & 8 of
the Long Beach Courthouse. |
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Thank
you to the following Foundations & Corporations for their
contributions of support to the Long Beach Bar Foundation |
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E.M. Bauer
Foundation
The Lowitz Foundation
The Norris Foundation
Rotary Foundation of Long Beach |
The Los Angeles
County Bar Foundation
Staples Stores
The J.B. and Emily Van Nuys Charities |
The Foundation
of the State Bar of California |
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Who can attend?
The following criteria
are used to accept a juvenile into the program:
- THE JUVENILE IS BETWEEN THE
AGES OF 10-17
- HAS NOT SPENT TIME IN A HOLDING
CELL JUVENILE HALL, CAMP, A JUVENILE DETENTION FACILITY OR THE
CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY
- DOES NOT HAVE MULTIPLE OFFENSES
IN THE JUVENILE COURT SYSTEM
- AND AGREES TO ATTEND THE PROGRAM
WITH A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN.
Fees
The cost for the program
is $100.00 for both sessions. If the juvenile and their family
are not able to pay the full amount of the program cost, we can
work with them on a payment plan. A juvenile need not be from
Long Beach to participate in the program. Once the juvenile comes
through the SHORTSTOP Program, they will be given a certificate
of completion, a letter of completion, and an ID Card.
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