Winnebago County is now into the third round of the funding of the Alternative Programming initiated to help reduce pressure on the county jail,  provide incentive for individuals to change behaviors and to provide services to at risk as well as juvenile offenders. Patriots’ Gateway Center was recently chosen to receive continued funding based upon the services that they were able to provide to juveniles with a verifiable history of arrest during the 2nd round of Alternative Programming. 

Winnebago County received 50 grant applications for the 3rd round of funding. The selection process was a very difficult one. When  the program at Patriots’  was discussed with Juvenile Probation, comments such as “our kids enjoy going there” and  “the parents want their children involved at Patriots’,” were common. 

The Juvenile Probation Department provides a valuable service to the community and overall public safety. They understand that community programming  is an essential element to working with young people that are being supervised by the Court.  Probation Officers have to be confident that responsible adults  are supervising their clients and that they are receiving appropriate case management services while engaging in positive activities. Patriots’ Gateway Center  has demonstrated their commitment  and ability to work with the referrals that are made by the Juvenile Probation Department.  The collaborative effort between Patriots’  and the Juvenile Probation Department has been established over many years.