The Nebraska Department of Corrections is trying a new approach when it comes to dealing with young offenders convicted of felonies or violent crimes.
Nebraska is one of a few states, if not the only state, using a rewards program to reduce behavioral issues.
For eleven months, the Nebraska Youth Correctional Facility in Omaha has used an incentive system instead of a punishment-based system to turn inmates around.
The number of incidents have dramatically declined since the program started in January.
Like most men his age, Alonte Ross, 20, enjoys playing video games.
Police arrested him three years ago for shooting someone in the chest during an armed robbery attempt in Lincoln.
Once considered a violent felon, Ross is now a role model for other young offenders trying to turn their lives around at the corrections facility that houses juveniles charged as adults.
"It's easy to get mixed up in trouble in prison,” Ross said. “So I just figured I'd show somebody a way to where they can better themselves. So when they go to the parole board, the parole board can be like, 'hey you can go home.'"
Ross credits his outlook and improved self-worth to the new, one-of-its kind, incentive program that encourages positive behavior.
"Putting somebody in a cell doesn't rehabilitate them,” said Warden Ryan Mahr. “Motivating them to change, giving them hope for their future, that's what will change people and help us transform them."
Inmates receive rewards and extra privileges for getting good grades in school, keeping their rooms clean, volunteering to help others and not getting in trouble.
Rewards range from getting food from outside the facility to earning an hour per week to play video games.
Austin Red says the program keeps him and other inmates on the straight and narrow.
"It helps inmates to stay more on track and not want to get in trouble,” Red said. “It gives us something to look forward to in a month and not just do whatever we want."
While Warden Mahr says some might see rewards as coddling criminals, he says the incentive program encourages young offenders to live healthy, normal lives and keeps communities safe.
"Having the community prepared to receive these gentlemen back into our society, getting involved with us, that's what keep people safe," Mahr said.
The program also allows inmates, who’ve proven they want to change, to become teaching assistants and mentors.
"It made me open my eyes because life is too short to be doing all of those things,” Jackson said. “I want to be a better person. I don't want to be known as a drug addict and alcoholic. I want to be known as a person who changes their life and do something good and positive so my little brothers and sisters can look up to me.”
It’s a mistake for society to not give offenders the chance to redeem themselves, Jackson said.
"There are a lot of smart people in prison,” Jackson said. “Even though we made mistakes, don't give up on us because when we get out we can show you that we can be better people than who we were when we were younger and we can do it as good as the next person who wasn't in prison."
The youth incentive program cut behavioral issues by more than a third since January.
It’s too early to measure if the new system is reducing recidivism, Mahr said.
