Establishes a mentor for youth program for middle school and high school students at high risk to engage in violent acts or drop out of school

Summary of provisions

§ 141 Mentor youth Program. 1. There is hereby established within the department a mentor for youth program. The focus and goal of such program shall be preventing violence and decreasing the dropout rate among male and female middle school and high school students. Such program shall emphasize proven core values to facilitate its goals. Such core values shall include, but not be limited to, integrity, account- ability, self-determination, the positive expression and management of anger, visionary goal setting and respect for others. Such program shall be administered in school districts throughout the state that the commissioner determines have a significant number of students at high risk to engage in violent acts or drop out of school. In the development and implementation of such program, the department shall, in consulta- tion with the office of children and family services and any other agen- cy of the state the department deems necessary, incorporate nontradi- tional and state-of-the-art teaching and mentoring methods that have proven effective in positively influencing such at-risk students. In addition, such program shall incorporate the use of sports, recreational activities and the fine arts to the extent that such disciplines are deemed necessary I achieving the goals of such program. 2. The commis- sion shall report to the governor and the legislature three years and five years after the effective date of this section setting forth the impact such mentor for youth program has had on such high risk students. 3. The commissioner shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

Existing law

No

Justification

This bill is part of a three (3) bill packet of legislation that will be going forward, referred to as the "Benny Lyde Packet" addressing the ever rising volume of youth violence in certain high risk areas; due to a failure to provide of accurate information to our high risk youth, mental health issues surrounding past traumas and a lack of psycholog- ical anchors and adequate mentoring during key periods in certain youths development. The packet will also address the lack of man-power to

investigate and see to fruition the capture of those guilty of commit- ting such crimes.

Benny Lyde, was an up and coming young man who had studied business and accounting and had aspirations of going into politics. Benny was shot and 3 months later died at the age of 21 in 2005.

The police determined that he had been shot in retaliation for something in which he was not involved, A friend had beaten someone up; that person's friend couldn't find him, so he found Benny instead. The police and his parents investigated and searched for his killer for 2 and'/ years. Benny's younger brother Prince, who was inseparable from him- spent many days watching his brother lying in the hospital, and began coming to the conclusion that doing the right thing "didn't pay off."

Communities need all the pieces to address this ongoing problem. They need counselors to assist when violence does strike home and they need manpower to assist in finding the culprits who commit these acts. They need their youth educated with the correct information, they need mentors for the children to talk to and assist them with the correct way to mediate disagreements and problems that may arise, this bill covers that piece We are in hopes that this bill along with the other two bills incorporated in this packet will begin that process.

Legislative history

New Bill

Fiscal implications

TBD - Federal funding may be available

Local fiscal implications

TBD

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately