“On any given year in the US there are over 740,000 teens referred to the juvenile justice system, some of whom will be confined to a corrections facility, others who will be diverted into a community-based alternative, and many who will be court sanctioned to probation”
The frustration and sadness that you may experience when seeing young people on the news involved in crime or violence is real. So is the exasperation you feel at wondering when it will change.
At YFC, we know what it’s like to feel discouraged when we see youth in our community going down a path that doesn’t lead to life in the full. We’ve had tough conversations with them, sat alongside them in the courtroom, and interceded in prayer on their behalf. It’s because of this we know there’s often more to their story than what can be seen at face value.
The good news is that we know a God who sees these young people. He loves them, knows their pain, and wants to introduce them to a better life in Him. As his co-laborers, we, the body of Christ get to participate in that.
Our Juvenile Justice Ministry is working to reach those youth in our city that are involved in the justice system. We meet with youth both in the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) and in the community in rehabilitative and preventative ways. We learn the youth’s stories, share our own, and point them to the hope found in God’s redemptive story.
This October, we hit our one-year anniversary of being back inside the JDC after some time away. Here’s what our team had to say about their time spent there and how you can get involved.
Q&A
Q: How are you currently engaging in Ministry with youth in the Juvenile detention center?
Alyssa: We offer Life Skills groups where youth can voluntarily opt-in to meet with our staff. In these sessions, we discuss important topics like dealing with emotions, goal setting, grief, and loss. We see about 30 young people weekly. They’re typically between the ages of 15 and 17, though the youngest we’ve seen is 12.
Adam: I have been so excited to be able to go into the JDC. It has been a 5-year journey for me to be able to get in there. When I originally came on staff in 2019, I was hired to be on the Juvenile Justice Ministry team. After serving with our City Life, Campus Life, K-Play, and Next Steps ministries; now everything has come full circle, and I finally get to do ministry inside the JDC.
Speaking of full circle; I have had the unfortunate pleasure of seeing kids that used to attend our City Life programming now living at the JDC. But it is also a beautiful picture of God’s love…. We cared about you when you were in middle school, and we still care about you even 5 years later when you are locked up. God feels the same way. He loves you the same even though you’ve made mistakes.
Q: What are the youth in your groups like?
Alyssa: They are attentive and really thoughtful. We have really deep thinkers in there and they’ve experienced a lot in life. For a lot of them, there’s a challenging home life of various kinds, and they’ve usually experienced significant loss of either a friend or a family member. There are also a lot of kids that while they’re in there realize there’s a problem with what they’ve done. Most kids have a desire to change and are eager for that.
Adam: One thing that I love is how intently they listen, and how engaged the youth in the JDC are with our programming. Usually, teenagers can be difficult to engage with all the distractions of phones, drama, and the fact that they already “know everything.” But it is different with these youth. They don’t have all the distractions, they look forward to coming to group, it’s a privilege for them and a highlight of their week. They also realize that they need a change and that the way they are living is not working. I love to see the look in their eyes when they walk in and see us. They just light up.
What do you wish people knew about the young people in the JDC?
“They’re just kids that want to be loved and heard.”
Alyssa: They’re super sweet kids and have beautiful hearts. We’ve had so few of them be disrespectful, they’re just grateful and super responsive to people who love them and have built trust with them. They’re just kids that want to be loved and heard. Recently, we walked in one day and joked with them saying, “Ooh we don’t have snacks today” [we have four volunteers providing homemade snacks and baked goods for the group which they love!]. The first thing out of their mouths wasn’t “Oh come on!.” It was, “That’s okay we’re just here to see you guys!”.
I’d also say, that they are listening. When you see recidivism rates it’s easy to think that they’re not paying attention, but like any teenager, they might just not be applying it yet. For them though the consequences of their actions are significant. I am confident that there are some who are really trying to digest what is being said.
J.R.: The youth in the JDC are like the youth who are in the schools, they’ve just been caught with an offense. A lot of times society looks at them like they’re different and that’s half the battle. They aren’t different, they are youth who have allowed pressure and pain to make a decision for them, which never ends well. I wish people would look at them as youth and not monsters. I wish they knew that bad hands in life can lead to bad decisions.
Beth: The kids are open, transparent, and honest. Many times they do recognize that the choices they made weren’t good for themselves but that they were choices they felt like they had to make in order to survive.
“...if many of us had grown up in the same situations, the same traumas, the same neighborhood that these kids come from, we may be in the exact same place. It’s only by God’s grace that we are who and where we are.”
When I look at anybody anymore I see the imago dei. They are image bearers. I may not understand why they made the choice that they made, but I know there’s a story behind it. It’s learning to have the heart of the Father. He is still faithful to them though they reject him. His love doesn’t end even because of the choices they made in a moment in their life. God’s unsurpassing love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy are what I cling to more than ever.
Adam: The youth at the JDC are people. And if many of us had grown up in the same situations, the same traumas, the same neighborhood that these kids come from, we may be in the exact same place. It’s only by God’s grace that we are who and where we are. When I look at those kids I don’t see troublemakers, gang bangers, and criminals. I see young men who have lost their way, and are desperate for love and acceptance. Young men that Jesus died to save. Kids he loves and cares about.
Q: Can you share a memorable moment?
Beth: We walked in a few weeks ago and immediately one of the staff said you need to pray for a particular youth. He was leaving that night for the county jail. Since he was getting ready to leave he couldn’t come to our lesson that night, but when the lesson was over they were able to get him so that we could pray for him. Afterward, one of the staff, who wouldn’t self-identify as a church-going person, asked us to pray for them too. We’re seeing God’s favor in building trust with students and the staff.
There was also one young man who just wanted to know what I had for dinner that night. He wanted me to describe it, even how I cooked it. I saw him struggle with being locked up and wanting to make a change but doing that while locked up was really difficult.
Q: How can the community get involved to support these youth?
J.R. : I want the community to show love to them regardless of what their background says. Love is the only thing to me that can heal and drive out darkness. If the community can strengthen them (the youth) while they are sitting down (JDC time), I believe they can stand up stronger as an adult.
Beth: We need lawyers to work for youth to provide individual help to those who can’t afford an attorney. We need counselors willing to provide services to youth for free. We need churches to get involved in juvenile justice and preventative programs. We need business owners willing to hire, invest in, and mentor underprivileged, underresourced youth.
You can also get involved by providing blessing bags to the JDC and by writing letters to youth so that they feel seen and cared for and not forgotten.
“ It’s a journey for all of us. Our stories aren’t done and neither are theirs.”
Q: Any final thoughts?
Adam: I just have such a heart for these young men. I could have been in the same situation when I was younger, and when I look at them I see myself. I know that if God could transform me, He can do it for them too.
Beth: I have to abide in Christ. I don’t have a lot of the answers to what these kids are going through. Working with them has taught me there’s not always a simple fix and that I don’t have an answer for everything and to trust God in that.
They make me better. Jesus brings me there, but those kids keep me there. God gives us the perseverance to be involved in their lives and have compassion for each and every one of them and where they are at with their journey. It’s a journey for all of us. Our stories aren’t done and neither are theirs.
