Guide and Grow Program

The Guide and Grow Program is a transformative initiative developed by the Malone Foundation to support and mentor youth aged 16 to 24 who are navigating the challenges of the criminal justice system or who are emerging from high-risk environments. This vital program is designed to intervene at a critical juncture in young lives, providing the tools and guidance necessary to forge a positive path forward. By focusing on this vulnerable age group, the Guide and Grow Program aims to break the cycle of recidivism and disadvantage, offering a structured blend of educational workshops, one-on-one mentorship, career guidance, and legal education.

Our goal is to empower these young individuals with the skills and knowledge they need to achieve personal and professional success, thus reducing their likelihood of future incarceration. We are committed to creating a supportive community around each participant, helping them to not only meet their immediate needs but also to build a foundation for a stable, fulfilling future. Through the Guide and Grow Program, we strive to transform potential into progress, guiding our youth toward a trajectory that leads away from the criminal justice system and toward productive, engaged citizenship.

Refer a Youth

Our Why: Bridging the Gap for Justice-Impacted Youth

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All racial and ethnic groups in Wisconsin experienced a reduction in detention rates between 2007 and 2015, with Hispanic and white youth seeing the greatest decreases (29%), while black youth had a more modest decrease of 23%.

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Among youth released from corrections in Wisconsin in 2011, 36% returned within the first year, 45% within the second year, and 63% within the third year. Nationally, almost half of incarcerated youth return to corrections within three years.

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Wisconsin's overall detention rate has decreased by 51% over the past twenty years. In 2015, 762 youth aged 18 and younger were detained, which was a 7% decrease from 2013 and nearly a 30% decrease from 2010.

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In 2015, there were 44,157 youth arrests for those aged 10 to 16, which represented a 40% decrease from 2011. However, this rate was still higher than the national average, which was 43 per 1,000 in Wisconsin compared to 14 per 1,000 nationally in 2014.

Get to Know Us

The Guide and Grow Program at the Malone Foundation was established as a direct response to the stark realities faced by young people within the criminal justice system, especially in Wisconsin. Our motivation is rooted deeply in the unsettling statistics surrounding racial disparities in youth detention rates. In Wisconsin, black youth are detained 19 times more often than their white counterparts. This is not just a number; it represents a systemic issue that affects real lives and futures. In 2015, while only 9% of white youth arrested were detained, a staggering 21% of black youth faced detention. Moreover, the detention rate for black youth in Wisconsin is 50% higher than the national average, standing at 148 per 100,000 youth.These figures underscore a critical need for targeted intervention and support systems that can address and mitigate these disparities.

The Guide and Grow Program aims to dismantle these barriers through comprehensive mentorship, education, and support services tailored for youth aged 16-24 who are impacted by the criminal justice system or high-risk environments. Our mission is to empower these young individuals with the tools they need to navigate their challenges, transform their circumstances, and ultimately, alter their life trajectories away from detention and towards positive, productive futures. By investing in the potential of these youth, we are not just changing individual lives; we are striving to bring about systemic change that can break cycles of detention and disparity within our community.