Rebuild lives

YOUNG offenders in Casey can rebuild their lives with the help of YMCA’s bridge project.
Endeavour Hills Leisure Centre director Nicky Brown, Berwick YMCA Centre director Di Dalloglio and Casey ARC frontlines services director Carly Sanders joined more than 5090 business, government and community leaders at the annual Bridge Project Breakfast last week to discuss the success of the community intervention scheme.
With support from volunteers, the YMCA developed the transition program, which assists young offenders, prepares them for work, and increases community safety.
The project is aimed to reduce the rate of young people re-offending, from 66 per cent to less than 25 per cent over the next three years.
To date, of the 120 young people assisted while in custody, 65 have been placed in employment and 15 have completed certified training. Less than four per cent in the bridge project have gone back into custody.
The annual breakfast was addressed by bridge project patron and Collingwood Football Club coach Mick Malthouse, who was joined by Tim Costello, Deputy Premier of Victoria, Rob Hulls, and three young members of the project.
Youth Services manager for YMCA Victoria Chris Camwell said the bridge project had many benefits.
“Research tells us that if you can keep a young person out of custody for the first 12 months after their release they are seven times less likely to ever return,” he said.
“Given that it costs $80,000 a year to incarcerate a young person, it’s a good community service, but also good fiscal policy.” Ms Brown said she hoped local businesses would embrace the project and give young offenders a second chance. “Some day it might be this project that will help someone you know, and right now we have the opportunity to be able to give the youth in our community the necessary life skills to succeed,” she said.