Our MISSION
To break the destructive cycle of juvenile crime
through Christ-centered intervention.
Our VISION
To see youth flourish, free from a life of crime.
11,000
youth enter the Memphis and Shelby County Juvenile Court every year
56%
of these youth have been charged with multiple offenses
75%
of those multiple-time offenders are at high risk to continue into the adult system without adequate intervention
1
JIFF is the primary faith-based youth intervention program serving youth with three or more offenses
THE PEANUT BUTTER OF JIFF
All youth referred to JIFF have some type of contact with the juvenile justice system
after being arrested and are subsequently referred to the appropriate JIFF program.
JUVENILE DETENTION ALTERNATIVE
Through our collaboration with Shelby County & Memphis Juvenile Court we operate an Evening Reporting Center, a national best practices community based model.
INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT
JIFF facilitates two programs with longer interventions, one for lower risk youth and one for higher risk youth, all referred by juvenile court.
MENTORING
Youth who successfully graduate from any of our programs have the opportunity to be matched with a volunteer mentor from the community for one year.
SUCCESS STORIES
"When I left at 13 I just was in the streets just stealin', shootin', got in a gang ... and I just started losing everybody - one by one. I ain't gonna lie, it was a lot of hurt. I had to go through a lot of pain, a lot of struggle ... When I got to JIFF, I promise my life got way, way, way better. Coach D, he pushed for me, like when I was at my lowest point, when I was ready to give up, didn't care about nothing no more, he always told me I can't give up. You got too much going, You can't give up ... Now I want to help others, just like everybody helping me." - Albert