Ryzer has partnered with the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office to offer a six month pre-trial diversion program. This program educates participants on positive behavioral, emotional, and social skill-building to strengthen their capacity in the community and prevent future return to criminal court. It aims to address risk factors that make adolescents more susceptible to developing violent behavior such as social or cognitive problems, association with peers who are violent, beliefs that support the use of violence, and academic failure or poor commitment to school.

The goal of the Ryzer intervention program is to enhance individuals’ awareness of the consequences of their attitude, decisions, and emotional state, promote improvement of behaviors to help prevent them from entering the juvenile justice system, and avoid further problems. The program also aims to make youth feel more positive, cheerful, and optimistic about their current situation and future outlook.

The first 12 weeks of the program consists of one-hour sessions with modules. The second 12 weeks consist of a follow-up and limited module work as needed.

Curriculum modules provide participants an opportunity to engage with family, community and delve into research and presentations. Curriculum modules include:

Program participants are provided mentors during the program to assist in their success.