BEDFORD — Lawrence County Probation is seeking $14,181 in grant funding aimed at intervening early with local youth, helping families and law enforcement resolve issues before criminal charges are filed.
Chief Probation Officer Nedra Brock-Fleetwood presented the grant applications to the Lawrence County Commissioners on Tuesday morning, outlining three specific initiatives designed to address juvenile delinquency, attendance issues, and runaway cases across the county.
A primary target of the funding is student attendance. Missed school days represent one of the probation department’s most frequent juvenile offenses. To combat the issue, the first initiative utilizes Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) funding to launch a prevention program in North Lawrence Community Schools, which will train an additional 30 individuals to work directly with students and families.
A second grant component will support a pairing program that facilitates local counseling services to work through underlying family and behavioral issues.
The third initiative focuses on the growing challenge of youth runaways. A $1,381 grant will fund the development of a 10-question screening tool for law enforcement officers, giving them an immediate assessment tool to identify root causes and connect runaway youth with appropriate support services.
Together, the three grant-funded programs reflect a broader effort by county officials to focus on early intervention, early screening, and community-based support to keep local youth out of the formal court system.
