Curriculum Review of Orientation to Juvenile Justice Ministry with Teaching Guidelines
by Sarah Barton, FASTEN Editorial Staff, 2005
Orientation to Juvenile Justice Ministry with Teaching Guidelines is a manual developed by Straight Ahead Ministries, a faith-based organization with many years of experience in ministering to troubled teens. This manual, which includes a reproducible copy of the participants’ manual, equips ministry leaders to prepare Christians to become effective volunteers to youth involved with the juvenile justice system. The manual addresses two groups of volunteers – those who need to learn how to lead Bible study groups within juvenile facilities and those who need training in how to develop a positive mentoring relationship with youth who have recently been released from a juvenile detention center.
The manual provides six hours of training, which could be presented in one day-long session or two evening sessions. Session One, “an introduction to juvenile justice,” is designed to be attended by both groups of volunteers. It presents Straight Ahead’s mission to see Christ transform the lives of juvenile offenders, its vision to start a national movement to afford every juvenile offender the opportunity to hear the gospel, and its Christ-centered values. The training answers questions such as:
- What does it take to minister to juvenile offenders?
- What is the troubled teen’s worldview?
- How do I communicate Biblical truth effectively to troubled teens?
Also, the training emphasizes the responsibilities and limits of confidentiality and what level of physical contact is appropriate.
During Session Two, the Bible study leaders and mentoring volunteers are divided into separate training groups. Those preparing to be Bible discussion group leaders in juvenile facilities will learn about how to prepare for the group meeting in the juvenile facility and how to interact with its staff. In addition, the manual gives practical suggestions about how to conduct the study and follow-up with participants. Guidance is given to help volunteers handle controversial subjects that may arise during the discussion. A helpful list of “Do’s and Don’ts” will assist discussion leaders in developing positive relationships with the group participants and program staff.
Volunteer mentors who are preparing to minister to teens following their release from a juvenile facility will attend a separate training session designed to help volunteers understand what teens most need and respect in adults and to identify their own strengths and weaknesses. The manual describes the role of a mentor and provides “Do’s and Don’ts” for those in a mentoring relationship with a troubled teen. Mentors are given a structure to help them develop relationships with their mentees, including worksheets that will help them get to know the teen they are mentoring and a suggested plan for how to spend their time with their mentee. Other helpful components include:
- how to interact with the youth’s family
- how to recognize and report child abuse
- about how to assess whether a mentor has been successful.
The manual’s appendix provides all the worksheets the mentor will need and other handouts that may be used during the training sessions. As noted above, the reproducible participants’ manual is included with the training manual.
