Our Youth

So this past Saturday, I was part of the Bill Glass Prison Ministry team that went into several youth facilities in the DFW area.

There were four campuses that were visited in Dallas County. These ranged from non-fenced centers designed to help troubled youth get their lives straightened out, to facilities holding sentenced youth before they are sent to an actual prison. A youth convicted of a crime will not be sent to prison until he is at least seventeen. Until they reach that age, they are kept at one of the youth facilities.

So we were spent the day with kids from broken homes, many of whom had been involved in gangs. Sitting across from a kid with gang tattoos up and down his arms breaks something inside. Somehow, you go from looking at a kid like this as a punk, to seeing someone facing a life of consequences due to his choices.

They earn points through the day to gain privileges. If they don't have enough points, they don't even get to have a visitor. When they get to a certain level, their family can come visit with them on a Saturday afternoon. Another level lets them go home to visit on a Saturday. Eventually, they can work up to a 48-hour release to live at home during the weekend.

One kid earned that privilege, and went home at 6 PM on Friday, only to be dropped off early Saturday morning because his mother had to work all weekend. He played it tough, like he didn't care a lot, but you know it had to hurt him. But mom doesn't have a choice. Most of these kids come from single-parent homes...or worse.

They know they need to turn their lives around, but when one chooses to open up, and admit he needs help, he is often ridiculed or persecuted by the others. Show compassion, or weakness, and you are called "friendly." I never thought that was a bad thing until I heard one of them discuss it. He said he was trying to pray, and read his Bible, but the others picked on him a lot. At least he was trying.

Most of the kids have no hope for themselves. We can come in and talk to them for a day about how we care about them, and they can have a better life for themselves when they get out. But as you talk, you see their eyes, looking around the room in total apathy. They will tell you what they think you want to hear. In their voices, you hear no concern, no hope, and no desire for anything other than to get this over with.

Some decisions were made. In our unit, there were 14 who accepted the Gospel. Out of those, I only personally spoke with two. Only God truly knows, but they seemed to only be going through the motions because they thought they were supposed to. Out of the fourteen, I hope there were at least a couple who were sincere. If nothing else, they were given Bible studies, and will be followed up with by the Chaplain of the unit.

Without the hope, and a changed life, these kids will be more statistics in a database. They get out, only to come back. And the crimes may go from stealing or drugs to much worse as they grow. They will go back to the same homes, in the same neighborhoods, surrounded by the same kids. And they will likely slip back into the same life they had before.

My part was easy. Spend one Saturday, offering hope and an answer to those who need it most. Driving home, I wasn't able to feel I had "done my part". Leaving a campus of youth, most of whom have no hope for tomorrow.

The one day I spent left images and discussions that broke through, and showed me what "life" is really like for some.

God help them. And help us, as Your people, to not turn our backs on them. Never let us write them off as untouchable. Give us the courage to share the grace you have given to us. And help us to remember we are no more deserving of Your grace than they are.