DUNLAP, Tenn. – Michelle Keahey was a mother at her wits’ end.
Her teenage son was angry, defiant, in trouble at school and facing the wrath of a Marion County Juvenile Court judge. All her at-home discipline had failed, and she had tried alternative school and in-home counseling.
Nothing worked until a judge ordered her son to take part in a yearlong program led by the Tennessee National Guard Counter Drug Task Force and eight juvenile court systems.
“After the first week, I noticed a difference,” Ms. Keahey said. “Now he’s like a different person.”
On Wednesday, her 14-year-old son, Brandon Roberts, finished the first part of the Children’s Attitude Motivation Program, an intensive eight-week boot camp. The program culminated with a physical-ability competition at Sequatchie County High School.
At the event, some teens said they initially were not happy about being assigned to a court-ordered punishment that involves running and push-ups in 100-degree heat during two months of their summer break.
But in the end, they acknowledged that they had learned something.
“I heard about how hard it was,” said Justice Evans, a 14-year-old Dunlap girl. “It’s a good experience to go through. It can really teach you how to act.”
More than 200 teens from Bledsoe, Grundy, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Roane and Sequatchie counties took part in the competition. Rhea County also participates, but did not send a team to Dunlap.
“This is really the third year for the program, but this is the first time we are going to follow the kids for a whole year, holding the kids and the parents accountable,” said Capt. Linda Kieser, the Tennessee Army National Guard officer in charge of the program.
If the teens stay off drugs, in school and out of trouble with police, their records may be expunged by the courts, Capt. Kieser said. There are no violent offenders in the program.
“We are going to stay with these kids for the next school year, and if need be, we’ll stay with them for the next three school years,” Capt. Kieser said.
Two National Guard soldiers rotate through the initial eight-week program, then follow up with the teens throughout the school year. The soldiers steer them away from drugs and conduct regular tests to make sure the kids stay clean. They also guide the youngsters to better life choices, Capt. Kieser said, all with a gruff, in-your-face drill sergeant style.
The teens also are eligible for a credit-recovery program that allows them to catch up if they have fallen behind in school.
The program is funded by the National Guard, which provides the soldier manpower and clothing for the kids, and by local donors who pay for lunches and other food items during the eight-week program, said Kim Dean, the Sequatchie County Juvenile Court officer who coordinates the court side of the program.
Continue reading by following these links to related stories:
Article: Alleged Coolidge Park shooter was out on bond for bringing knife to school