For Marion Family Court Judge Robert Fragale, the cycle of incarcerated youth becoming incarcerated adults was growing too quickly.
Through his years as a judge, he saw young teens sent away to juvenile detention only to wind up back in a courtroom years later being convicted as an adult. He said it was a vicious cycle; as more young adults were sent to juvenile detention, they d make more friends with other troubled kids which led to more crime and more arrests.
Fragale wanted to see a change in this. He, along with former Family Court Judge Deborah Alspach and current Family Court Judge Larry Heiser, devised a plan to help kids out and create a path out of a life of crime. Through collaborations with the Family Court, local donors and local schools, the Marion Family Resource Center was born and opened this year.