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July 24, 2007

JDPP JAMMERZ
THE FUTURE

By: ms.cyntje
From Our Jul - Aug 2007 Issue

The JDPP Jammerz took this past carnival by storm with their popular hit “The Bunny Train”.  The winning combination of light hearted lyrics, catchy dance moves, eight energetic students, as well as a huge K through 12 following and you can see why the JDPP Jammerz secured this year’s Road March title. 

Quad Man, Snorkel, Rain Man, lil’ Magic, Avocado, lil’ Shay, Kevy and Big Daddy Shawn are the lively bunch behind the name JDPP.  The spokesman for the group, “Big Daddy Shawn”, considers the real life friends one big family that sticks together.  When asked about their reaction to the news of Road March victory, he confidently answered “we weren’t shock by it at all we didn’t have any competition”.  In terms of the future, “Daddy Shawn” assures us that the Jammerz will be around for a while and if they win next year it will be because they had fun.   

Apart from making enjoyable music, the members are full time students at both the Charlotte Amalie High School and the Eudora Kean High School .   Though not all were exactly sure about what their future academic plans were, some hope to pursue business, sports, music and the army after high school. 

In addition to performing for teen jams and touring, the JDPP doubles as a Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Program for troubled kids.  CORE met up with the coordinator/ band manager/ founder, Officer Steven Payne, to figure out the substance behind the name JDPP.

CORE:  Some believe that the JDPP program was suppose to be a marching band for teens.  Explain how it morphed in to a teen calypso band?

Officer Payne:  I use to be the music teacher for Cancryn School and we had a marching band of 200 students.  It worked well as a tool to motivate students to excel so when I joined the Police Department, I just started a marching band for all of the middle and high schools on St. Thomas and St. John .  The Jammerz came about after the kids involved in the program started to complain about not having somewhere for kids to socialize with other kids. 

CORE:  What exactly is the mission of the prevention program?  What goals and measures have been set in place to determine its success or effectiveness?

Officer Payne:  The mission of JDPP is to eliminate juvenile delinquency at home, at school and in our community.  Each child brings in a copy of their progress reports and their report cards since they must maintain at least a 75% overall GPA.  Also we are affiliated with the Beacon School Program on St. Thomas and St. John therefore all of the kids, with their help, can receive tutorials to assist them with their studies.  We also provide counseling though the Department of Human Services (provided by Mrs. Juliana Willims MSW) for kids who are experiencing difficulties with their personal or family lives. 

CORE:  Compared to other Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Programs your methods seem to be a bit unorthodox, how do you respond to critics who question the program?

Officer Payne:  JDPP is supposed to be an unorthodox program.  We target students who are not in the mainstream.  You won’t find the most well behaved children in JDPP initially.  However, after a period of working with the young people, in assisting them with turning their lives around, you break a negative cycle that would have otherwise perpetuated itself for several generations. 

The mission of JDPP is to eliminate juvenile delinquency at home, at school and in our community.
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