WAPT highlights Vicksburg U-Turn program

Program organizers on Facebook thanked 16 WAPT News after the station highlighted the U-Turn Program aimed at diverting youths from crime in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Vicksburg police say 80 to 85 percent of the city’s crime is tied to juveniles.

In the Facebook post, organizers said the new program offers young people a second chance before it’s too late. The post thanked the station for bringing attention to the effort and included a prompt directing readers to the full story.

Vicksburg is a city on the Mississippi River and, like many communities, faces challenges related to juvenile involvement in crime. Youth intervention programs such as U-Turn generally focus on prevention, mentoring, education and connecting families with community resources to reduce delinquency and improve long-term outcomes.

Local officials and residents say efforts that address the root causes of juvenile crime can affect overall public safety and reduce the long-term social and economic costs associated with youth offending. We will provide more information as it becomes available.