Restorative Justice Company Collaborates on D.A.R.E. to Make the Right Choices™ Curriculum
Corrective Education Company has announced an official and exclusive partnership with D.A.R.E., and the building of a curriculum aimed at juveniles, named D.A.R.E. to Make the Right Choices™, which utilizes Restorative Justice to dissuade youth from shoplifting.
Corrective Education Company (CEC) and D.A.R.E. co-developed this Restorative Education for Juveniles program. This early intervention, low risk offender program combines the CEC Restorative Education curriculum with D.A.R.E.’s internationally recognized approach to changing youth behavior and attitudes. The core objective is to teach students good decision-making skills to help lead safe and healthy lives. The #1 crime committed by juveniles is shoplifting, according to the Global Youth Justice Organization. For those youth who do make bad decisions, they are providing second chances before the offenders become part of the criminal justice system. Together the organizations are changing lives and changing communities.
D.A.R.E. to Make the Right Choices™ combines CEC’s Restorative Education for Juveniles with D.A.R.E.’s youth curriculum to teach juveniles how to live safe and healthy lives while providing second chances for brightened futures. The foundational curriculum consists of extensive research done with juveniles to identify the most effective means of influencing their behavior. Before collaborating with D.A.R.E., CEC teamed up with Brigham Young University (BYU) social science professors and renowned youth criminologist, Moises Prospero to generate the program content.
“CEC has sewn together ideas from social sciences with practical wisdom to develop and implement a program with the potential to not only reduce recidivism but improve lives. I think students who put time and effort into this program will enjoy it, learn from it, and see benefits from applying it,” stated Sam Hardy, a Psychology Professor at BYU.
Darrell Huntsman, CEO of Corrective Education Company stated, “Our partnership with D.A.R.E. is a monumental one for CEC. The core of our business is based on reducing recidivism and giving first-time offenders, particularly our youth, a second-chance at righting their wrongs, and we feel that being proactive with such a renowned organization provides a mutual benefit to our retail partners and to society.”
Frank Pegueros, the CEO of D.A.R.E., stated, “We are pleased to join Corrective Education Company in our efforts to change lives and communities by teaching youth good decision-making skills that will help them lead safe and healthy lives, free from violence, crime, substance abuse and other dangerous behaviors.”
CEC’s offerings are activated within the loss prevention departments of mass retailers, specialty retailers and grocers. Based upon the principles of Restorative Justice, this program provides the victim and the offender options for repairing the harm committed against the retailer. By stopping juveniles early in the process, CEC is able to prevent them from future criminal activity. D.A.R.E to Make the Right Choices™ helps Retailers deal with petty crime differently for the 1st time, and allows them to keep youth from entering the juveniles criminal justice system, and reduces the strain on the judicial system, and the financial impact related to dealing with petty crime.
Over 1 million participants have utilized Rational Emotive Behavioral Training (REBT), which results is less than 12% recidivism.
The D.A.R.E. program is taught in all 50 states, and 49 other countries. All curricula are science-based, age appropriate, and written by a national panel of curriculum and prevention experts. D.A.R.E. programs are implemented in over 70% of United States school districts and in 43 countries around the world.
D.A.R.E. has expanded beyond substance abuse to counter other high-risk behaviors, such as bullying, gangs, and Internet safety. There are more than 15,000 D.A.R.E. officers and deputies are in over 10,000 communities nationwide educating America’s youth and serving as the first line of defense in teaching students good decision-making skills to help them lead safe and responsible lives.
According to the US Department of Justice, over 700,000 people are released annually from state and Federal prison, while another 9 million cycle through local jails, and more than 40 percent of offenders return to state prison within three years of their release.
About Corrective Education Company
Corrective Education Company (CEC) works with individuals, retailers, government officials, security firms and parents to provide a successful, equitable and more efficient alternative to judicial prosecution. We are changing lives, making communities safer and restoring confidence between private and public sectors.
About D.A.R.E.
D.A.R.E. America was founded in 1983 by the Los Angeles Police Department, and today more than 15,000 D.A.R.E. officers and deputies are in over 10,000 communities nationwide are educating America’s youth and serving as the first line of defense in teaching students good decision-making skills to help them lead safe and responsible lives.