Youth rehabilitation programs have been a god-send for many communities. I covered Project Booyah, a police-driven initiative, when I was a journalist in Rockhampton, and attended the ceremony of a group of wayward youths who had shown remarkable progress up until their Booyah graduation date. These kids; in and out of court, lost and unabashed, and devoid of direction, had walked out with TAFE certificates, new skills, and more importantly – respect.
