I
have been thinking about what to do with young offenders. Not some guy
over 30 who should know better, off to prison for him. I mean people
unformed between 13-29 years old. Kids who just are lost if they don't
get help. Sending them to prison or even youth detention does nothing
for them. They come out as lost as ever.
So, let's imagine a 17 year
old gang banger is arrested by the cops on the
streets of Chicago. Send him home to his parents? NO. They already
demonstrated they are incompetent to raise him right. Send him to
school? NO. He is done learning for now. Send him to prison or the
youth equivalent. NO that's warehousing and street training until he's
released in a few years, is back on the streets and dead in 4 years.
That's a much higher percentage than you can imagine.
I can look out my
back door and on a good day see the youth prison from there. It's a
holding pen. We need an alternative. A job? NO. They are incompetent
and unskilled to do anything at all. IF they had a job they couldn't
keep it. We need to teach these kids how to work. Menial at first, then
more skilled and then more skilled. Teach them the joy of labor.
Teach them how to. Give them good skill sets. Doing this along with an
intensive discipleship program to get them grounded in God would set
them on a right path. Then a reorientation of the ends of the life they
have lived.
Once they have reached a certain age move them away from
friends and family. Get them connected and employed by sponsors
somewhere far from home. IF they are able to conduct themselves for 5
years... then they can go back. I doubt many will. We don't do this
very well. I have worked in prison ministry long enough to know there is
a chance if you get them young. Once a man or woman has been in 3 times
there is a very low chance of recovery. My experience has been 100%
failure which is why i no longer will invest myself in those folks.
Others with big hearts can... Not me. Get them away from the evil
influences they have had, particularly friends and family and help them
learn to think for themselves. Let's give the kids a chance.
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