Info Alert

We are excited to introduce our new website! We hope you find it easier to navigate, engaging and useful. As with any conversion of a site this large, errors may occur. If you see something that needs updating, please email PublicInformation@djj.sc.gov.

NOTE: If you had a page on our old site bookmarked, please be sure to update accordingly, as most pages have changed.  

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Earn & Return is a youth accountability program designed to provide youth involved in the juvenile justice system with an opportunity to earn money through their own work to repair the harm they have caused to their crime victim(s) and the community through paying restitution.  

The Earn & Return program is accomplished in collaboration with members of the community who are interested in seeing youth recover from past mistakes, making victims whole. 

It’s Not Just About the Money

While earning money to pay restitution to victims is very important, the program has 3 other key goals: 

  • To hold offenders accountable for the harm they have caused to their victims, as well as their community, through service work and financial restitution.
  • To build relationships with positive adults in the community who will teach youth job work skills, so that they may become productive citizens.
  • To enhance community safety by helping youth realize the damage they have caused and turn their efforts to repairing the harm.

What Youth are Eligible? 

SCDJJ youth supervised on probation or parole, juveniles under contract and Juvenile Arbitration participants are eligible for Earn & Return. Each youth is carefully selected for participation in the program by local SCDJJ staff and Juvenile Arbitration Directors.

How it Works

In short, adjudicated youth work for minimum wage, and the money is used to pay restitution to their victim.

Youth perform work at local community service worksites, which provide appropriate training and supervision, and document the hours worked. 

Upon completion of the community service work and review of the timesheet by supervising staff, the documentation is forwarded to the Arbitration and Restitution Specialist who then forwards it to SCDJJ Fiscal Affairs. There the youth’s restitution account is credited based on the hours they worked at the current minimum wage rate. Youth do not receive any money directly for their work. 

A check for the money earned is issued on behalf of the youth participant to repay their crime victim and mailed directly to the victim, with a letter from SCDJJ acknowledging the donation. 

Juveniles who participate in the Earn & Return Program also must attend either a Victim Impact Class or Victim Empathy Class.