Begun in 1998 and funded by the Gaston County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, the Juvenile Restitution Program supervises court ordered first time offenders, under the age of 17, while they “work” to pay their debt to their victims. This work occurs in various locations around the county like the YMCA on Franklin Boulevard and the Technical School in Belmont. Typical work activities are painting and cleaning and a caring adult at the site supervises each youth. Being held responsible for their actions convinces 99.5% of the youth to never re-offend.