Key takeaways

• Kids do better when they have a caring adult at home or school
• Programs with mentors cost far less than locking kids up
• School programs at Bartram High cut fights and gun violence by 80 percent
• Community support in West and Southwest Philly lowers repeat arrests
• Sharing data across city agencies can spot at risk youth early

Introduction

Young people who face tough times need support, not punishment. Instead of spending big money to lock youth up, we can invest in mentors. Mentors build trust, teach skills and guide teens away from violence. In Philadelphia, innovative programs show how positive adult relationships can keep kids safe. These programs also save taxpayers money and give youth hope.

The High Cost of Juvenile Incarceration

Each year, Pennsylvania spends about two hundred thousand dollars to lock up one youth. By contrast, evidence based family therapy costs a fraction of that. Yet many teens go to juvenile jails even when they need help, not walls. Locking teens up often hurts their education and mental health. It raises the odds they will go back to trouble or face violence. Waiting months in a city center for a bed also feels unfair. This delay does not count toward their sentence. It only makes things worse. We need to break this costly cycle.

School Based Case Management at Bartram High

In 2023, Bartram High School launched a youth violence initiative. Police leaders, researchers and school staff created it to reach students at risk. Students who fight or show gang signs get referred. Then they meet caring adults in the building. These adults check in every week. They teach conflict skills or step in when a fight starts. They even buy a meal or lead fun workshops. Each student’s progress is tracked by a team of staff and community workers.

As a result, firearm assaults by students fell by eighty percent. Non gun fights dropped by thirty one percent. Gang related group fights fell by ninety two percent. Even staff safety improved. Student on staff assaults went down by sixty seven percent. Police calls dropped by sixty two percent. All this happened on a yearly budget of about one hundred twenty thousand dollars. It serves thirty five teens with two case managers and a program manager.

Community Based Support in West and Southwest Philly

In late 2020, YEAH Philly started its Violent Crime Initiative. It serves youth ages fifteen to twenty four who face gun related charges. The program offers court help, cash stipends and long term case management. Nearly two hundred young people joined since launch. Today, twenty two youth stay active.

Funding is flexible. Case managers meet each person where they are. They buy tools for school or work. They secure housing and pay for job training. For example, a teen may get full dental tech tuition and attend writing workshops. Then Project HOME finds them a room at Kate’s Place. This wide support keeps them out of court and off the streets.

Data shows that among those with two or more arrests, only sixty percent reoffended. That is a drop from the usual eighty percent rearrest rate. Though the numbers come from different years, they still point to success.

The Power of Caring Adults

Strong relationships with adults make a real difference. Research shows that one caring mentor can change a teenager’s path. Teens feel seen and supported. They learn new skills and gain hope. Push factors like fear of violence push them away from gangs. Yet pull factors such as trust and opportunity bring them into safer lives. My own studies found that these bonds help teens leave street gangs for good. Positive mentors guide youth into jobs, school and healthy friendships.

Data Sharing for Early Intervention

To help youth early, cities need shared data. Schools, housing, health and justice agencies each hold clues to risk. When agencies link records, they can flag warning signs. Chronic absence, fights or gun carrying can trigger a support offer. Voluntary programs work better than court orders. Philadelphia already has a system called IDEA. It links records across city agencies. It tracks patterns and supports safe policies. Yet this system now kicks in too late for many teens. It could act sooner.

What Cities Can Do Next

First, cities can shift funds from incarceration to prevention. They can scale up school case management and community supports. Next, they can expand data sharing to spot risks before a crisis. They can train staff in schools and community centers to use the data. They can set up multidisciplinary teams to meet youth and families when warning signs appear. Finally, cities can invest in flexible funding to meet youth needs quickly.

Conclusion

Teens need trust, not bars. Effective programs in Philadelphia show that caring adults guide youth away from violence. These efforts cost far less than locking teens up. They also build stronger, safer neighborhoods. By scaling up mentoring programs and using shared data, cities can reduce youth violence and save money. It is time to invest in relationships that last, not cells that confine.