The INSIDER - Fall 2022

The Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center (TJCPC) at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) announced the launch of a new Texas Child and Family Study site in Tyler, Texas. The site, which opened on July 26, 2022, is the first site of the study; the next will be Dallas. “After several delays due to the COVID - 19 pandemic, we are thrilled that our Tyler site is up and running,” said Camille Gibson, Interim Dean of PVAMU’s College of Juvenile Justice and Executive Director of TJCPC. “Our regional sites for the Texas Child and Family initiative allow us to partner with Texas College and surrounding communities to help empower youth and families to work together to reduce juvenile delinquency in Texas.” On several occasions, Program Director and Dr. Terrance Allen has visited the Texas College campus to build relationships with the Division of Business and Social Sciences to provide opportunities for students majoring in the areas of Criminal Justice and Social Work. Opportunities available to participate with the program were featured on September 7 during the College’s Weekly Academic Symposium. The Texas Child and Family Study is a multilevel pilot project of the TJCPC. The project brings together community members across the state to assist children and families involved in or at risk of being involved in the juvenile justice system. The project combines research, practice, and community activism to create a path to success for youth in underserved and vulnerable communities. “This project was developed to increase protective factors and reduce risk factors for youth vulnerable to the juvenile justice system,” said Susan Frazier - Kouassi, director of the TJCPC. “We are excited to be able to bring the project to the Tyler community, and we look forward to adding more locations in the near future.” Dr. Jan Duncan, Vice President for Academic Affairs, was appointed as a member of the TJCPC Board of Directors. Regional direction for this effort is being led by PVAMU's Associate Director Dr. Grady Paris and Dr. Terrance Allen, who also serves as a research scientist at PVAMU. PARTNERING WITH PRAIRIE VIEW TO PROVIDE INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Dr. Terrance Allen , TJCPC Program Director (right), speaks with faculty members of Texas College's Division of Business and Social Science (left) Dr. Hamad Ali, Division Chair, Ms. Sunny Sheppard, Ms. Stacy Vernier, and Mr. Airron Nichols.

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