FLY Expands Innovative Legal Eagle Program to North Santa Clara County.

Pilot Serves 20 Students and Delivers Legal Education While Maintaining Program Relationship Continuity

MILPITAS, Calif. -- Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), an award-winning program that works to reduce juvenile crime and incarceration through legal education, mentoring, and leadership training, announced today that it has expanded its services for teens on probation through an innovative pilot program in north Santa Clara County. The new Legal Eagle program is the first of its kind to combine legal education with one full year of one-on-one case management services, community service, and group activities. The program will initially serve 20 youth, enabling them to maintain a continuous relationship with program staff.

"Preserving relational continuity with program staff for one year is a new approach for these kinds of programs," said Aila Malik, acting executive director for FLY. "The Legal Eagle program builds a case manager into the program from the beginning of the 12-week legal education class. Unlike other programs that change program staff between classes and ongoing case management, the Legal Eagle program will enable teens to form critical relationships that last the entire length of the program, while providing valuable life and leadership skills. We hope to build on this model and expand the approach to other locations."

The Legal Eagle program classes are being held at Mountain View High School once a week for 12 weeks. Teens between the ages of 11 and 18 learn positive life skills, such as empathy, problem-solving, and anger management, through role-plays, skits, and interactive lessons. Lessons are based on legal topics that teach students about the law and consequences of crime. FLY has hired two new staff to deliver the curriculum and case manage the youth. Hillary Steinmetz will serve as the north county case manager, while Latisha Chisholm will serve as the law special programs coordinator.

"In its other programs, FLY has achieved a high level of success, and kids' lives demonstrate the difference," said Santa Clara County Supervisor Liz Kniss. FLY's North Santa Clara pilot offers a new approach that promises to help teens steer away from criminal activity. "I'm very hopeful that FLY's Mountain View High school project will prove successful and create a model for intervention programs across the county."

FLY's expansion into northern Santa Clara County is made possible by a $100,000 grant from a major donor, as well as in-kind space donation from Mountain View High School.

FLY operates law programs for juvenile offenders on probation, high-risk youth in local alternative high schools, and as prevention courses in middle schools. The organization also offers a Leadership Training Program for youth who attend the law course and need additional help to develop their positive leadership skills and graduate from high school. This year-long program includes a three-day wilderness retreat that focuses on leadership, community activism, and monthly meetings where youth design and provide community service. Youth receive a case manager who helps them set and achieve education, vocation, and health goals. Approximately 85 percent of youth do not re-offend during this yearlong program, and over 90 percent of the high school seniors graduate or earn their GEDs.

FLY programs cost-effectively prevent crime. Incarcerating one youth for one year in California's prison system currently costs $71,000 and has a 25-percent success rate. FLY's yearlong Leadership Program costs approximately $7,000 per youth and has kept 85 percent of participating youth from going back on probation for a new crime during the program. FLY has received a national grant award for best practices, a national grant award for innovation, the City of San Jose Human Rights Award, and each of the past five years has been ranked as one of the top violence prevention programs in the City of San Jose by outside evaluators.

About FLY

Founded in 1998, FLY provides at-risk and disadvantaged youth with vital information regarding the decisions they make in their lives. The organization offers mentoring, leadership skills development, and legal education to reduce juvenile crime and incarceration. FLY has helped thousands of youth learn important life skills and avoid becoming inmates of the criminal justice system. For more information, please visit www.flyprogram.org.