Evans, Douglas and Sheyla Delgado (April 2014). Most High Risk Youth Referred to Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. Remain Arrest Free and in their Communities During YAP Participation. New York, NY: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York.

Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP) has been committed to providing community-based alternatives to out-of-home care through direct service and advocacy. YAP serves a high-risk population of youths as evidenced by their legal involvement and history of out-of-home placements. Analyses of YAP’s internal databases indicate that the vast majority of YAP clients remain in their homes during their program enrollment and most clients are not arrested while in the YAP program. High-risk youth in general have a relatively high rate of recidivism, but YAP keeps clients engaged in pros-social activities, which reduces their likelihood of re-arrest. This is the first in a series of issue briefs describing YAP, exploring its client, and discussing topics associated with YAP’s mission of serving system-involved youth in their communities while reducing costly placements.

YAP facts are produced through a partnership between Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. and the Research & Evaluation Center at John Jay College.