Dr. Khanna’s Returning Youth Initiative
The returning youth initiative is a 501(c) (3) non-profit charity organization with the main focus of reducing recidivism whilst ensuring that these youths are on a path to pursue careers---not simply placed in jobs! We make sure that they are reintegrated back into society with self-respect and integrity.
How?
Through our Entrepreneurship and Career Development program we understand the talents of the young adults, provide them with right skills and invest on them to pursue their career by put them in an Entrepreneurship track. This track helps them to establish / reestablish their self-confidence, self-respect, and integrity, which enables them to prove the society that they are a respectful citizen of the community, not a burden nor a threat.
Through our Legal Clean-up and Support program, we access and study the legal case (for which the young adult was incarcerated) and start the expunge process using our legal counseling team. We understand that this process takes lot longer than we can even anticipate but it is very much needed for the young adult to regain all their legal rights in the life. This program also provides awareness of all their legal rights after they are released from incarceration.
Through our First Offense Diversion program, we work with the young adults and the justice system of that respective county or state to reduce or eliminate the jail time by providing community service and undergoing Entrepreneurship and Career Development training. This allows first-time offenders (mostly drugs and other minor non-violent offence) to reduce or eliminate the jail time without undermining the criminal justice system.
Through our Patronage program, we provide housing (home); life skills training; medical/psychological evaluation and treatment; assistance to do deal with trauma and PTSD. This greatly improves their lives.
This hand holding with “love and care” allows us to be involved in their lives for a period of minimum two years to ensure that their re-entry is successful. We understand that some cases could be longer than two years, so we will provide full support until they are self-sustained. Typically, participants can be on their own within six to eight months. However, our measure of success lies in the participants staying on a career path and away from jail during the first two-year period after release from incarceration.