JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The first meeting of Jacksonville’s “Jax Journey Forward Initiative’ was held in City Hall on Thursday, with leaders looking to develop a plan to tackle youth crime in the city. It’s a heightened concern after officials say youth crime and youth violent crime have seen a recent rise in Jacksonville.
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“But if we can grab that child, that young man right there and get him the resources, get him love, and get him community support, then we can fix that track,” Jacksonville City Councilman Rory Diamond said at the meeting.
Possible solutions discussed include improving youth outcomes by focusing on literacy rates, which studies show is a key factor in later life outcomes.
“Supporting, by the time in high school, the programs that actually help them learn how to read and give them valuable skills, so they can be successful,” outlined Jax Journey Forward Board Chair W.C. Gentry.
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Officials also outlined the importance of focusing less on arrests and more on providing crime diversion resources instead.
“We’ve learned that if a child is arrested and incarcerated, and put in the criminal system, that the chances of them continuing crime was great,” Gentry explained.
Diamond also called for investing in a new community intake facility for youth offenders who have been arrested.
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