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Canyon Lake Evening Reporting Center

When Comal County Juvenile Probation Chief Kris Johnson joined the department in March 2011, he brought with him a long-term vision to open an Evening Reporting Center (ERC) in the county.  ERCs, which require youth offenders to report to specified locations during evening hours for programming, skills building and community service, were first used in Chicago, where juvenile justice advocates needed after school programs to keep their higher risk kids from getting involved in the gang scene.  They also serve as an alternative to detention pending a youth’s hearings.  ERCs have become common detention alternatives in many communities throughout the United States and are based on research and best practices recognized by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Johnson believed implementing an ERC in Comal County would reduce juvenile crime by providing supervision during the hours crime is most likely to occur.  Additionally, it could significantly reduce the cost of detention and possibly residential placement.  While members of the juvenile board were immediately supportive, locating a place to host the program in New Braunfels proved difficult. Officials were unable to identify a location that was both affordable and conducive to this type of program.  Eventually, working with Comal County Commissioner Donna Eccleston, a location in Canyon Lake was identified that would serve youth in the Canyon Lake, Spring Branch and Bulverde areas of Comal County.  In October 2013, the Canyon Lake Evening Reporting Center (CLERC) was opened at the Canyon Lake United Methodist Church. The Methodist Church is available every weekday evening with the exception of Tuesday, when services are provided at the Community Recreation and Resource Center.

Youth referred to the CLERC report to the program at 4:30 p.m. each weekday after school and during the summer and remain until 8 p.m.  Each evening’s programming includes counseling, cognitive skills development, parenting classes, homework assistance, tutoring and community service opportunities.  It is designed to address not only the criminogenic needs of each youth but the individual, education and family needs, as well.  In addition to paid staff, volunteers play an important role in providing services to the youth.  Many of the volunteers are members of the church along with teachers from local high schools.

The CLERC is a 52-day program that stretches out over three-and-a-half months.  The first 40 days are devoted to core programming with the final 12 days of aftercare taking place over a six-week period of stepped-down contact.  The program’s capacity at any one time is 16 youth.

Britni Rodriguez, a juvenile supervision officer who has been with the program since its inception, described the changes she sees in the youth during their time in the program.

“The kids are not excited to be here at first,” Rodriguez said.  “However, after a week or two, they begin to realize that they are around people who care and truly want them to succeed.  We have had kids come back and visit after they complete the program.  One of the biggest things we do is focus on communication.”

The CLERC utilizes a pre- and post-program measurement called the Developmental Assets Profile.  This instrument measure each youth’s external and internal assets in areas such as support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive use of time, commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies and positive identify.  A 2014 review of the pre- and post-assessments by the nationally acclaimed Search Institute found dramatic increases in each of these areas.  In a letter to the Comal County Juvenile Probation Department, a Search Institute survey specialist noted: “In my experience (with hundreds of organizations), it’s rare to see positive increases of that size in that number of asset categories, so congratulations.”

Indeed, Comal County’s program has shown remarkable success in dealing with offenders at every level.  A total of 40 youth entered into the CLERC between October 2013 and October 2014.  Two youth reoffended while enrolled in the program and three have reoffended after completion of the CLERC program.  Only four youth have committed a new offense.

In addition to a lower recidivism rate, the CLERC has also resulted in considerable savings for the county.  The total cost of detention and placement is approximately $100 to $140 per youth per day.  However, Comal County has estimated that cost of providing CLERC program services in 2014 at just under $37 per youth per day.

Johnson and others involved with the program are seeking to open a second location in the county.  The success they are seeing with their youth, in addition to the cost savings to the county, certainly provide momentum for that to happen.

PHOTO: Youth begin their evening at the Canyon Lake Evening Reporting Center with group discussions about their days.

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