Tony McLendon
Program Manager Young Offender Program
The value in working at a place like Community Partners in Action (CPA) Action is first of all in my position I'm able to provide services to young people. Not only to young people, but people that are involved in the criminal justice system.
Connecticut is one of the states that people who are involved in the criminal justice system are seen in adult court even when they are called youthful offenders. In many times they are not aware of what is going on or really understand the proceedings and they don't have the maturity level to make sure that they understand the proceedings and make the right decisions. On the other side, people are looking at them-the judges, prosecutors-are the same one that are looking at 30 and 40 year old defendants and forget sometimes that these are just kids and that no matter what they are accused of or guilty of you can't treat them the same way you treat somebody that is older or more mature. We are able to sensitize the system somewhat to that fact.
The reason I do what I do is because I love people in general and love kids in particular. When I was kid I a read a book "A catcher in the rye." Even though that image of the man sitting at the end of the rye field protecting the children from falling over the cliff, that even though is not really what the author had in mind, my image of that is what I want to do. These kids are playing enjoying their lives and there is a cliff there, a lot of dangers that if they make the wrong decisions they could fall over that cliff. My job is to sit there and let them play and when they get near the cliff I'm there to let them know they are too near and need to move this way or that way.
It's the most rewarding job I've ever had because, number one you get to feel you are there for a young person. They are not just names and pictures, you are actually making a difference. There are so many times that I've said, if I wasn't there today what would have happened with this kid. If I wasn?t there at court, would this kid had understood the plea he/she was given. If I wasn't there at this kid?s house when the incident took place, would I have been able to explain to the police when they came that what this kid did was really natural and that the kid did not do what he/she is being accused of. I'm able to intervene in a natural and positive way. Trying to take whatever knowledge or skill I have and put it in that situation and maybe have a happier outcome than it would've have if I had not been there and intervened in that fashion.
I've been doing this for many years and in this position for 10 years and I can not count the times that a former client has come to me years later when they were 15 and 16 and now they are 21 and 22 years old and they are in college or married and have kids or they may still out there living the life they were living before, but they feel that they are heading in the right direction. The fact the they remember we did so and so and half of the time I don't remember what it was, because they were so many things, but the fact that they remember is the biggest reward of all.