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CJCC hears youth‑justice and community‑support updates: diversion gains, Challenge Academy results and warming‑house work
Summary
Staff reported successes in diversion and truancy efforts (18 students achieving perfect attendance, ~38 diversion referrals since program start), plans for a detailed youth-justice presentation, a gang task force formation and ongoing local warming‑house and homelessness response work.
Sawyer County youth‑justice and diversion staff told the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council on Jan. 14 that local diversion efforts are showing early successes and that staff will prepare a fuller presentation on delinquency trends.
Staff reported about 18 students this school year who moved from prior nonattendance to perfect attendance after diversion supports; they said roughly 38 referrals to diversion have been made since the program began. Two youths completed the Challenge Academy, which staff described as a free program but one that requires youth to volunteer to attend; staff said Challenge Academy participants receive a high‑school diploma upon completion. County staff said delinquency rates are in the top 5–7% of the state for similar counties and plan to present deeper data gathered during a recent state 'deep dive.'
Members also discussed a new gang task force led by Darren Jensen with participation from Susie Taylor (LCO) and local law enforcement. Marsha Schizek from the Department of Justice was on site for a recovery‑court site visit tied to treatment court activities.
On community needs, members asked for an update on a local warming‑house initiative (Pastor Grace is on the committee) and for more clarity about Salvation Army efforts; staff said the emergency shelter often operates at capacity and noted four individuals were being housed temporarily at a local hotel after recent releases. Members emphasized housing availability as the largest barrier to providing services and said they would follow up on warming‑house progress and outreach coordination.
