Objective
In Australia, youth rehabilitation is challenging. Many young detainees are stuck with more serious offenders, or facing cultural or social pressures, and simply can’t see a future for themselves outside of incarceration. And so they self select out of traditional rehabilitation programmes.
Insight
While detainees were leaning away from rehabilitation messages, they were leaning into hip hop culture, which carried huge cache in juvenile detention centres.
Introducing ‘Futures’ - the first rehab radio station in Australian juvenile detention centres, which offers stealth rehab messgaging disguised as hip hop programming. accessible 24/7 through in-cell audio channels, classrooms, and in conjunction with counselling, Futures gives detainees the messages they need, wrapped in the culture they love.
Results
Based on detainees reluctance to engage with rehabilitative programs, we set an initial goal of trying to get them listening to Futures for an average of one hour a week. Following a six month pilot, reports are showing that detainees are listening to over 14 hours a week on average.
Detention centre staff have gauged it to be their most popular programme, and young Australians are already succeeding.
Upon discharge, one former detainee has been successfully employed by physical training company ConFit; another is pursuing university entrance for broadcast journalism; and a third has been accepted into Sony’s Stars programme for talented musicians.