Juveniles at risk repay victims and community through hard work

Youth Employment Program offers vocational training and skills.

Reno, Nevada. Aug. 20, 2015. The Washoe County Juvenile Services Department’s Youth Employment Program has been a huge success this summer. The program’s participants owed victim restitution and/ or court fines and paid back by helping the community. At-risk youth built fences, irrigation systems, painted and pitched in to help Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Space staff with maintenance at nine local parks.

The Youth Employment Program also offers vocational training, skills and experience to troubled juveniles between the ages of 14 and 18.

Numbers to Know:

• 43 employed youth
• 2,837 man hours at nine Washoe County parks
• $25,000 paid in wages to juveniles, part of which went to court fines and victim restitution.

“These numbers just go to show the Youth Employment Program continues to provide a great service, not only to the juveniles who participate, but also to the Washoe County Parks Department and our community’s residents who enjoy the outdoor recreational areas,” said the Director of the Washoe County Juvenile Services Department, Frank Cervantes.

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