Nine teenagers who faced fighting charges after a May teen takeover in Tampa graduated from a six-week accountability program called ‘Responsibility Matters’ created by Safe and Sound Hillsborough. The program aimed to teach the teenagers about the long-term consequences of their choices.

Program Details

The participants, eight boys and one girl, attended sessions multiple days each week, created vision boards, finished a community service project, and wrote open letters of apology to their parents, their community, and themselves. Executive Director Freddy Barton partnered with the State Attorney’s Office to offer the teenagers a second chance.

According to Barton, some of the teenagers had never been in trouble before, and this was their first-time offense. The program’s goal is to help them understand the consequences of their actions and make better choices in the future.

Next Steps

The graduates will likely present their program materials and apology letters to the state attorney by the end of next week. During that meeting, the state attorney will deliver certificates of completion and officially drop all pending charges against the nine teenagers.

Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.