We're Still Standing

What do second chances provide young people in our juvenile justice system?  During Second Chance Month, Administrator Liz Ryan of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, sat down with host Scott Larson, and guests Tristan, Nate and Kyle, to focus on their lived experience in the juvenile justice system, their vision for ever-better services and support, and the reality that many children at risk need first chances to help them stay out of the system altogether.   This document was prepared under Cooperative Agreement Number 15PJDP-23-GK-02210-SCAX from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

So many times, young people in the juvenile justice system begin living their labels. Labels like "born for trouble, slow learner, just like your father..." These labels have huge impact. In Ready4Life, Yvan discovered that the key to changing his situation was changing his mindset. BONUS: Hear one of Yvan's music tracks in the outro of this episode!

For youth who are leaving lock-up, the emphasis on all they things they must avoid in order to stay out of trouble can seem like a big list of "NO's". But when they have a vision for life, they have the opportunityt to say "YES" and move forward into a new future. In this episode, Kyle shares what it takes to pursue a vision in life.  Things like focus, commitment and trust.

Growing up, Christian didn't have many role models. He learned what he could from the streets he grew up on. When he participated in Ready4Life, he discovered that unresolved issues become repeat thought patterns. Today he's sharing what it means to make peace, let go, and forgive. Including a life-changing conversation with his mother.

Traumatic events in childhood left Alex wondering who he could trust. He started pushing people away to protect himself. It was a survival strategy that became a stronghold. Today he's challenging this stronghold and discovering new ways to navigate relationships.

Growing up, Kyle says he always had a goal in life, but never had a reason to follow it. Today he shares how Ready4Life helped him define his vision and discover the power of trust.

Joey was locked up at age 15, and remembers people saying things like "Joey Berry?! Good luck with that kid!" Not many people had faith in Joey at that time in his life -- but he'll never forget the few that did.

"Even if you start wrong, you can finish strong. When you look at my story, there's really no ingredients for success. That's what I want to let the world know, it doesn't matter…there is redemption.” Part 2 of an incredible conversation with Nickolas DeJarnette, successful businessman, job creator, speaker, husband, father…and an inspiration to anyone who hears his story. If you haven't listened to part 1 of Episode 5, you may want to go back and start at the beginning.

Nick says that from his earliest memory, life played out like a cautionary tale rather than the preamble to an eventual success story. His formative years were the stuff of nightmares that included bouncing from youth care and foster homes to shoot-outs, prostitution and murder. It wasn't long before Nick joined what he calls "the family business" and followed an example that had only one of two outcomes; prison or the mortuary. Until an encounter with God changed everything.

Re-entry was rough for Durell. As he says “A lot of people were skeptical of me because I was released to the same community that I was just terrorizing.” But thanks to some good mentors, Durell experienced community that wasn't criminal-related. Community that helped him live freely and purposefully.

Now in prison, Durell did not want to be where he was at. He could feel the weight of the hopelessness, depression and anger that surrounded him. He began to search for spiritual truth. In this episode, Durell shares what he discovered.

When his father went to jail, Durell became the man of the house - at age 10. Looking back, he recognizes that he was simply a hurt, angry child trying to assume adult responsibilities. Hear how that played out in his life.

Often we're told to keep family matters private -- what happens at home stays at home. But sometimes the secrets we keep are harming us. Andre grew up in a home with a "don't talk" rule. Hear his story and how he learned that being heard can be healing.

Life lessons learned in lock-up: While Jason was growing up, his mother struggled to support their family while his father battled an addiction. Life got even more challenging when his father was sent to jail. As the years went by, Jason's frustration and resentment led him into troubles of his own. Eventually he found himself locked up in the same jail as his father. Hear what happened next.

Life lessons learned in lock-up: Growing up in an abusive home, Olivia decided that to survive she would "hurt you before you could hurt me". She used her anger to protect herself as she was bounced in and out of lock-up. But that all changed when she discovered the true power of forgiveness. Today, she's sharing her remarkable journey with us.

When Daniel was 15 years old, he was looking for guidance in all the wrong places. His father had been sent to prison and it wasn't long before Daniel was arrested himself. His journey took him through both the juvenile justice system and adult prison. But today Daniel serves as a pastor and a mentor for at-risk youth, giving young people the guidance he once needed.

After his first drink of alcohol at age eight, Matty has gone many rounds in a death-defying battle with addiction. On his journey through recovery - and relapse - he got to experience a God who simply wouldn't give up on him.

What does the church have to offer incarcerated youth? In Episode 7, Marquis shares how he found a life-giving community in his local church.

Today's episode is about the power of relationship. Gayle and Felix were two very different people when they met. Gayle was a middle-aged white “church lady”, a wife, mother, volunteer Bible study leader. Felix was a Latino teenager in lock-up, questioning how to best move forward in life. The journey that Gayle and Felix share about becoming family is truly inspiring. Today, they're still very different but Gayle, her husband Frank and their children and Felix, his wife Christine and their children consider each other family.

Most girls who enter the juvenile justice system come with histories of deep personal trauma. This was certainly true for Lina when she was locked up at age 16. In Episode 5 of We're Still Standing, Lina shares the impact of trauma in her life along with the journey of hope and healing that empowers her to work with other traumatized girls in the system today.

If you've been listening to We're Still Standing, you've heard about what it's like to be locked up. But what's it like to leave lock-up? And who will be there to work through some of the challenges that come up? Brian, Jason, Joel and Trevor know what it takes. And they share their experience with Scott Larson, founder of Straight Ahead Ministries, on Episode 4 of We're Still Standing.

Most of us, when we think about gangs, think about something we've seen in the movies or maybe in the headlines. We don't think about children being recruited into gang activity. But that's what happened to Sokhan Prak when he was twelve years old. After getting locked up, jumped on the street, stabbed 20 times and shot, he's still standing. Today he's sharing his journey – one that he says requires courage, patience and love. Here's Sokhan, with Scott Larson, founder of Straight Ahead Ministries,

What's it like to be locked up as a kid? What has happened in your life to land you in lock-up? And more importantly how do you move forward? Carlos and Trevor share their experience with Scott Larson, Founder of Straight Ahead Ministries

Olivia, Edna, and Xanab are survivors. All of them have faced incredible challenges, and found themselves in the system at a young age. But today, they're still standing. And they're sharing their experience with Scott Larson, founder of Straight Ahead Ministries.