TYLER, Texas — The Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center, also known as TJCPC, helps children in the state of Texas to stay out of the criminal justice system.
In efforts to reduce juvenile delinquency and crime, the center works alongside Prairie View A&M University by conducting research and evaluating data to better understand the influence communities can have on a young person.
On Wednesday, staff from TJCPC held a presentation at the Tyler Metropolitan Chamber and Conference about conducting research and projects in Tyler. Various leaders from different organizations were in attendance, including City Council Member Shirley McKellar.
Terrence Allen, a research scientist for TJCPC says there are many things that they account for when conducting research.
“We're looking at kids who come from certain backgrounds, certain communities, who are experiencing some certain things in school,” he said. "What we're looking at communities that might have a high level of crime, we're looking at communities that might have the highest level of dropout. So we're looking at communities that would be considered at risk because of the activity that occurred in those communities."
Allen and TJCPC hope to create a Tyler Advisory Council so members help with research by informing what problems are faced in East Texas. They hope to use the data to create programs to help the youth stay out of trouble.
"At the end of this process will collect the data will analyze the data will determine what works and what doesn't work. And we will then go to the state legislature and tell them we believe that they should support what we're doing,” Allen said.
For more information about TJCPC visit Prairie View A&M University.