The Prime Time for Juvenile Crime in Idaho

The more than 5,000 law enforcement leaders around the nation who are members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, have long known that the hours immediately after school lets out, when parents are likely not available to supervise, are the prime-time for juvenile crime. Over the past 20 years, law enforcement leaders across the country have relied on high-quality afterschool programs to provide supportive, stable, and enriching environments with caring adults that keep children and youth out of trouble and safe, while supporting their academic success, and social and emotional development.

The Prime Time for Juvenile Crime in Idaho

In Idaho, juvenile crime peaks from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with 24 percent of school-day incidences recorded at that time. About 23 percent of all juvenile crime on school days falls during the hours following the last school bell from 2 to 6 p.m.

The crime peaks not occurring from 2 to 6 p.m. are largely due to much of law enforcement in those states recording youth criminal activity as having all occurred at only one hour during the day, often noon or midnight. This would artificially inflate the crime rate for that time period.

Program Highlight: Our Girls, Power County

Our Girls is a 12-week afterschool probation program created by Power County to redirect girls involved with the Juvenile Justice system away from risky behaviors through gender-responsive interventions. Girls referred to the program, whether through the court, Juvenile probation, law enforcement, the community, or individual families, engage in a targeted curriculum that uplifts and empowers girls to become confident and capable young women.

Our Girls is run as an intimate afterschool program with classroom sizes averaging fifteen girls (ages 12-18), held in the Juvenile Probation Department building. Program lessons are intentionally designed to address issues that girls commonly struggle with, including substance abuse and misuse, eating disorders, sexual health, and domestic violence. The wide range of creative and intellectually stimulating activities that Our Girls offers serve as an outlet to explore and work through problems that have contributed to past negative behaviors. Open and guided discussions help girls reframe negative self-talk and body image, identify positive female role models, and ultimately build healthy relationships with peers, adults, and the community. Power County Chief Probation Officer and Our Girls Program Director Connie Woodworth notes that improving the self-esteem and self-efficacy of girls is part of what keeps them from becoming repeat offenders. She reflects that when the program first started roughly 20 years ago, there were over 100 girls on probation that were referred to the program. Because of the reduction in juvenile crime across rural Power County, that number has been gone down to about 3 girls referred each program cycle, allowing Our Girls to open enrollment to girls outside of the juvenile justice system who are interested in participating.