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Programs
December 16, 2024

AIM (Advocate, Intervene, Mentor)

Program overview

  • Reducing recidivism among adolescents on probation: AIM (Advocate, Intervene, Mentor) is a criminal justice intervention that pairs young adults on probation with an advocate-mentor. Adolescents paired with AIM mentors are more likely to avoid felony rearrest in the 12 months after enrollment.

  • Working with probation officers: AIM serves adolescents between the ages 13 to 18, and is typically administered by a non-profit service provider. The program operates collaboratively with area probation officers, as both share the aim of ensuring that participants adhere to their probation requirements.

  • Co-creating individual plans: AIM advocate-mentors are “credible messengers,” meaning that they come from similar backgrounds and neighborhoods as their mentees. With the support of the participant's family and probation officer, advocate-mentors assist participants in setting personal goals and identifying steps to achieve them. These goals may be educational (attend school regularly), legal (complying with probation conditions), or health-related (seek treatment for substance use). Each participant meets with their mentor, family, and probation officer to develop a six- to nine-month plan for reaching those goals.

  • Connecting adolescents with full-time support: AIM advocate-mentors are available to their mentees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The mentor and mentee meet for up to 30 hours a week to build their relationship and track the mentee’s progress toward their goals. All mentors participate in an intensive online training about the fundamentals of mentoring and mandatory reporting before beginning mentorship.

  • Creating relevant programming: In addition to individual mentoring and check-in sessions, advocate-mentors organize group activities such as field trips or social outings. These can be age-specific or open to all youth in the program. These group activities are meant to connect mentees to community and to support the achievement of their individual goals.

A single study with a less rigorous design suggests that AIM is a promising strategy for reducing recidivism among young adults.

  • A 2018 program evaluation found that 90 percent of AIM participants avoided felony rearrest within 12 months of enrollment in the program.

  • Hire mentors for long-term relationships: An evaluation of an AIM program found that six to nine months was not enough time for adolescents to achieve the goals they set with their advocate-mentor. Therefore, many advocate-mentors ended up maintaining relationships with their mentees after the program formally ended. Nonprofits implementing AIM should consider expanding the length of the program, as well as identifying mentors who are willing and able to commit to longer-term relationships.

  • Tailor activities to different age groups: During its initial implementation, AIM staff found that a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to programming did not adequately serve the varied developmental needs of individuals between the ages of 13 and 18. When planning programming, program staff should consider the interests of their mentees rather than exclusively organizing one-size-fits-all programming. For example, older mentees may need support setting postsecondary plans, while younger mentees may need support navigating social dynamics at school.

  • Support consistent communication between AIM and probation officers: An AIM evaluation found that inconsistent coordination and communication between AIM mentors and probation officers led to a lack of clarity regarding roles and responsibilities. AIM providers should establish a communications plan with probation officers, which clarifies items like frequency of communication, information to include in regular reports, and emergency response protocols.

  • Prioritize family involvement: Families of AIM participants consistently expressed gratitude for their role in the AIM process. AIM providers should prioritize family involvement in goal-setting, check-ins, and assessment. Providers should also ensure family members are educated on their child’s goals, so they are able to look out for signs of progress and report them back to their child’s advocate-mentors.