ST. CHARLES – The Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles recently transitioned to the Phoenix Emerging Adult Career Education Center. Here, incarcerated youth can learn career skills and develop independence in preparation for release.
The program is for youth between the ages of 17 and 20 who are incarcerated in St. Charles Department of Juvenile Justice facilities. The PEACE Center is located at 3825 Campton Hills Road.
State Sen. Rachel Ventura (D-Joliet) has two young people work as interns through a program she started with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice and the former Illinois Youth Center. This program is his only DJJ internship with a state legislator.
The following information is from a recent news release written by one of the youth interning in Ventura as part of the PEACE Center program. To protect privacy, the names of participants and staff have been withheld.
The PEACE Center program allows young people to choose their own position and work schedule, work with staff, develop life skills and gain experience in their field of interest, according to the release. This program allows staff to work one-on-one. This has also been made possible by the recent decline in the number of youth incarcerated.
“We are happy to finally have a program like this,” one PEACE Center staff member said in the release. “I've been here for years and I never imagined we'd be able to do things of this nature in this space with so few people. It's good for the young people here.
“Those who participate in the program are able to improve themselves so that when they leave the PEACE Center they are able to do something in the future. They also use what they have learned to stay on track. This allows for a smoother transition back into the community.”
Options offered in this program include Simlog (a forklift simulator program), Youthbuild (a construction program), financial literacy classes, life skills, peace circles, virtual reality classes, Nova Driving School, Northwestern and Elgin college classes, and more. there is. More will be added to community colleges.
The statement said young people at the peace center may be allowed to leave the facility to visit workplaces or shadow university students, escorted by security guards.
According to the release, staff engage with youth and regularly ensure their needs are met, allowing youth in the program to feel independent and feel safe participating despite unfamiliarity. It is said that he is doing so.
“Setting your own schedule gives you a sense of control rather than being told what to do,” said one participant.
“One of the things I'm focusing on is getting certified as a personal trainer so when I finish the program I can have that as my background,” says one the intern said. “This program is offered exclusively at the PEACE Center through NIU. We know that you have to put in a lot of effort to learn more about your body and how all your muscles work and what they are capable of. I am.”
PEACE Center staff also commented on the benefits of the program to their facility.
“This feels like a different space to work in now. It's much calmer than it was a few months ago,” said one Peace Center staff member. “Young people are actually staying busy and doing more things to occupy their time.”
“I've been running a program here for several years and I think it's good to be able to focus on older people and give them the skills they need to survive and do well once they're released. I feel that way,” said another peace center staff member. . “That wasn’t very plentiful here, so it’s nice to be a part of the change.”
The PEACE Center is a space that houses youth in the juvenile system, giving them more opportunities than ever before, according to the release.