Juvenile Reentry Mentoring Program

Omaha – The Juvenile Justice Institute in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice began the Juvenile Reentry Mentoring program in 2012. The program is offered as a course at both the UNL and UNO campuses where undergraduate students are matched with juveniles in the juvenile justice system. Aside from promoting positive outcomes for juveniles, the course is a unique professional development experience for students.

Responses from students about their participation in the course reflect the unique skills and knowledge developed from the experiential learning course that are beneficial for future career aspirations. Students indicated the program was more in depth than originally anticipated, but this has led to their ability to learn and focus on developing skills (such as, time management, patience, and effective communication) beneficial to the match relationship and career aspirations. Improved insight into the juvenile justice system and providing direction on a career have been two prominent points made by the students. Some students have indicated that prior to the course they were unsure about working within the field of probation or working with youth. However, the course provided them insight that helped them make this decision or direction as to another career choice applicable to their degree.

The following are some insights from student’s regarding their experience in the program:

“I have taken many classes that deal with all sorts of different criminal justice issues, but this class I get the opportunity to actually put what I have learned into real life.…I will use the skills I have learned in this class into the future.” – UNL Student