FROM: Amy Cornell, Public Information Officer   CONTACT PERSON: Amy Cornell, Public Information Officer (408) 792-2997   For release on September 8, 2008   DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE TO HOLD NEWS CONFERENCE FOR INTRODUCTION OF UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE PARENT PROJECT PROGRAM IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY   The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office will be holding a news conference at Hayes Mansion, outdoors at the Ballroom Terrace, in San Jose on Tuesday, September 9^th, at 11:30am. The news conference will feature various speakers including District Attorney Dolores Carr, Palo Alto Chief of Police Lynne Johnson, Angel Rios from the City of San Jose, and a parent who has successfully completed the program. Representatives from various law enforcement agencies countywide, including many local Chiefs of Police, will also be in attendance, as well as representatives from some local school districts.   Because we have seen a rise in the level of violent and destructive behavior among youth in Santa Clara County, Parent Project is a much-needed program. Parent Project is a nationally acclaimed curriculum that is designed to help parents of strong-willed or out of control children. The District Attorney’s Office is sponsoring the training of facilitators who will offer parents prevention and intervention tools to combat the most destructive behaviors we see in today’s youth, including truancy, gang involvement, alcohol and drug use, poor academic performance, and violence. This is a unique collaborative effort between the District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement agencies countywide, school districts countywide, the Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force, and community based organizations, to provide parents with a step-by-step approach to dealing with their teen’s behaviors.   Classes for parents, in both English and Spanish, are scheduled to begin in Santa Clara County in September.  Media packets with complete information about the program will be available at the news conference.   ###