One man's vision has become Cheyenne's as well

Honoring Ronnald Jeffrey by renaming the Youth Alternatives facility in his honor reflects well on him -- and on the city. Few localities in Wyoming choose care over punishment for youth offenders. The Capital City does.

By Roger McDaniel

Cheyenne’s 150th anniversary was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the ways in which a variety of people made Cheyenne a special community. Ronn Jeffrey is one of them.

On Aug. 18, the Youth Alternatives facility at 1328 Talbot

Cheyenne's Ronnald Jeffrey.

Court was formally dedicated as the Ronnald J. Jeffrey Youth Complex. The Cheyenne City Council authorized the name change in January. It was appropriate recognition for someone who dedicated his life to the cause of serving the young people of Cheyenne.

In 1971, fresh out of college, a youthful Ronn Jeffrey had a vision. His vision became Cheyenne’s, and for the past 46 years the community has benefited from his innovative and insightful approaches to serving juveniles. Ronn would be the first to say he didn’t do it alone. The program has enjoyed the contributions of thousands of volunteers and an incomparable staff and the continuing support of Cheyenne’s city officials.

What will now be known as the “Ronnald J. Jeffrey Youth Complex” is itself the product of volunteers. In 1980, Marv Gertsch, a general contractor, and Randy Pouppirt, an architect, volunteered their services. Others pitched in, and what they created has housed Youth Alternatives since 1982.

In 1990, Youth Alternatives was honored by then-President George H.W. Bush. The program was named “A Point of Light” for its outstanding volunteer participation.

If you don’t think Youth Alternatives has made a difference, take a trip around Wyoming. You’ll see many communities struggling to deal with juvenile offenders. There are not many who have made the choice Cheyenne made to be innovative and supportive to these kids and their families. Across the state, most kids who get into trouble with the law find themselves in adult courts, treated like miniature adults. They plead guilty and start to create a criminal record that will haunt them for life, while their real-life needs for counseling and other services are ignored.

Because of Ronn’s vision, Cheyenne made a different choice. The difference is evident in the name change the program experienced in its early years. First opened in 1971, it was “the Office of Juvenile Probation.” By 1974, it became “Youth Alternatives” and was made a department within Cheyenne’s city government. Those changes were visionary and gave the program the support it needed to set a successful course.

Since then, Youth Alternatives has collaborated with Laramie County School District 1, the Wyoming Department of Family Services, Peak Wellness, Laramie County Community Partnership and others to serve children and families.

A kinship program assists caregivers seeking guardianship. A “Girls and Guys” group helps young people develop coping skills to deal with gender-specific issues. Youth Alternatives provides counseling and mentoring to keep young people in school and to help those who have been suspended or expelled. Together with Laramie County Community Partnership, Youth Alternatives offers after-school programs at Johnson and Carey junior high schools. Youth Alternatives provides parenting tips weekly on KGWN-TV.

One of the most successful innovations spurred by Youth Alternatives is the Municipal Court program serving juveniles. Ronn is not a lawyer and yet, in 2006, the mayor appointed him a judge in the Municipal Court. That happened only in Cheyenne, where officials had seen the successes of the Youth Alternatives programs. They were persuaded that when young people find themselves in court, it’s not necessarily a law-trained judge they need. What these youngsters need is someone who understands them, their stages of development and family dynamics.

When youngsters appear in Judge Jeffrey’s court, they are not processed as adults. Needs are assessed, and efforts are made to work with the family and community programs to help these kids succeed. As a result, most of these young people avoid a criminal record while receiving the services they need to successfully move on with their lives.

Congratulations to Jeffrey, but give credit also to the city of Cheyenne for seeing what can be accomplished by supporting a thoughtful and research-based approach to the needs of young people.

Rodger McDaniel is the pastor at Highlands Presbyterian Church in Cheyenne. He lives in Laramie.