Wildlife Projects Help Juvenile Offenders Build a New Future

Juvenile offenders at the State Department of Juvenile Corrections in Nampa are building a fresh startÑa new life for themselves and some new homes for a pair of needy birds. The birds, one saw-whet owl and one American kestrel live at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's Nature Center in Boise. They are used to educate children about wildlife. Juveniles in the State Department of Juvenile Correction's "Fast-Track" program are finishing some much-needed new houses for the birds. The juveniles are building the boxes as part of a service-oriented program which pays back the community for the crimes they committed and at the same time teaches the juveniles valuable job skills. "When we first started with the community service aspect of the program almost five years ago, we had a very difficult time getting projects," said Dave Hottell, Community Service Coordinator with the State Department of Juvenile Corrections. "There were just a lot of people out there that were not comfortable with having a dozen juvenile offenders working on their projects. One of the first agencies that was really willing to give us a chance was the Fish and Game Department." Since then, Idaho Fish and Game and the State Department of Juvenile Corrections have worked together on many projects including building disabled access routes around Tripod Reservoir, building sun shelters for elk and bison at the Wildlife Health Laboratory in Caldwell and planting sagebrush seedlings to enhance habitat. Representatives from the State Department of Juvenile Corrections will deliver the new bird boxes to the Nature Center sometime this month. For more information, contact Dave Hottell, State Department of Juvenile Corrections, 465-8420 or Dave Cannamela, Idaho Fish & Game, 334-2225.