South Carolina Republican Party Silver Elephant Dinner
5/30/2008
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
South Carolina Republican Party State Convention
5/31/2008
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
Truancy program called success
Monday, June 2, 2008
Ray Chandler
Anderson Independent Mail
ANDERSON — The close of the 2007-2008 school year has seen a nearly 75 percent decrease in truancy thanks largely to the Juvenile Deferred Prosecution Program (JDPP), the Tenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office announced Monday.
Designed as a truancy program to keep kids in school, JDPP works with at-risk families through techniques such as counseling and drug testing. As of the end of this school year, more than 500 families have been served by the program. Before being involved in the program, participants averaged 20 school absences per year. After JDPP participation, students only averaged 4.5 absences per year.
“We are incredibly pleased with the results of this program,” Solicitor Chrissy Adams said. “In 2006 we launched JDPP to keep kids in school and off the path that would lead them to a future in our courtroom. We are helping to strengthen families, strengthen our schools and make our community a safer place to live.”
The JDPP program in the Tenth Circuit was the first of its kind in South Carolina. It is now being looked to as a model for other communities in the state and across the nation.
