Fed up with gang violence, Westchester County is turning to a program already used in state prisons to get to the root of the problem and help kids find peaceful ways to end conflicts.

Westchester County Executive Andy Spano is expanding Power of Peace, a program already in place at New Rochelle High School, that focuses on how young people deal with conflict and avoid violence as an alternative. It is a program first developed in a state prison to train teenagers on how to settle disputes in non-violent ways. Spano hopes the course will keep kids from turning to gangs for support.

White Plains High School and two community centers in Yonkers and Port Chester will kick off the program in about two weeks. Westchester District Attorney Janet DeFiore has identified about 1,500 gang members in the county. DeFiore hopes the program can reduce that number and make young people better citizens by avoiding violence and gangs.