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Juvenile center offers rehabilitation instead of punishment

"The science behind it has indicated you have better results and better outcomes if you're not punitive in nature but you're looking to rehabilitate."

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV)- A typical day for juveniles at the Pulaski County Juvenile Detention Center starts like any other kid's, but their school day includes classes you probably won't see at your local public school.

“We're going to plant peppers, tomatoes, cantaloupes, cucumbers, strawberries and thornless blackberries,” Chief Deputy Pulaski County Attorney Chastity Scifres said.

You may picture punishments and isolation at a detention center but that is not the case at Pulaski’s.

“We've started a yoga and meditation program,” Scifres said.

Scifres said they're trying to reach their troubled teens through therapy programs; they offer yoga, gardening, therapy dogs, cooking and art.

She said she feels these classes get through to the kids better.

“The science behind it has indicated you have better results and better outcomes if you're not punitive in nature but you're looking to rehabilitate,” she said.

The detention center said before the program they averaged 55 kids per week but now with the programs they average 20-25.

Director of the center, Carma Gardner, said the children look forward to the opportunities.

“The kids are loving these new programs because before they would get bored and complain,” she said.

Gardner said a lot of her students are now on their best behavior.

“They’re behaving because they want to engage in the activities we have so they behave,” she said.

The Center also plans to start bringing in different artist and musical guests to entertain and talk with the youth this summer.

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