Juvenile Detention Center Ministry

Who We Are

Fresh Start Ministries provides a Youth Minister to the Linn County Juvenile Detention Center

The Youth Minister spends on average 20 hours a week with the youth at the Linn County Detention Center.

In 2019, the Linn County Juvenile Detention Center served 444 youth. The Youth Minister had contact with an estimated 68% (301) of the youth during his daily visits.

What brings a youth to the Juvenile Detention Center?

Both violent and non-violent crimes are what leads the youth to the Juvenile Detention Center.

According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention which use published FBI data, shows that the juvenile crime rate has been in decline ever since 2000, which had the highest crime rate recorded amongst teens.

In the State of Iowa, total juvenile arrests were 4229.7 arrests per 100,000 youth in 2014; whereas, the overall arrest rate for youth 10 -17 years of age, was 3084.5 arrests per 100,000 youth.

Several underlying problems contributing to youth arrests is believed to be family influences within broken homes, negatively affected by the lack of proper parenting, drug and alcohol abuse, economic weakness, and domestic violence are causes that lead to juvenile delinquency.

FRESH START and LCCC are committed to aiding juvenile justice agencies and community-based providers to support and strengthen juvenile justice reform.

Our presence and support to Juvenile Detention & Diversion Services (JDDS) add to the services provided to youth and families of Linn County and surrounding areas. We approach each youth and family member with integrity and respect, designing each activity that we incorporate in our youth groups with a pragmatic approach to self-improvement and community building.

At the time the law is broken, if the observed unlawful behavior of the youth is considered to be a threat to themselves and others in community, the youth is referred to the detention center by the juvenile court or law enforcement and will remained there until giving a more temporary placement or placed on tracking which provides in-home supervision.

Our overall goal is to provide a community base mentoring program for youth during detainment and once in Tracking Program. We will provided training, technical assistance, and other valuable support to ensure that the youth will adhere to the conditions of the court, while offering a road map to build self-esteem, a positive relationship with parents, teachers, counselors, and lasting acceptable friendships while avoiding peer pressure. It is our prayer that with the proper action steps the youth will less likely re-offend from the time of their release to the successful completion of the program.

For more information on how you can help, or if you would like to volunteer with youth mentoring program in any way please contact Carl Rush email: [email protected]

Describe what kind of activities, discussions you do with the youth?

We have taken a simplistic approach with the activates we’ve incorporated. We watch inspiring movies with open discussions. Asking what is their:

Perception
Hope
Remedy

Self Help Books

We read as a group self-help books w/worksheets. We share biblical stories (that reveals adversities, hope, and actions which results in favorable outcomes), there are several different activates that attributes to fundamental and foundational behaviors that target principles focusing on holistic accountability, “loving one’s neighbor as one’s self.”

What are the goals for your interactions with the youth?

The goal is for the youth to have an experienced and trusted adviser, someone to hold them accountable for their own choices and behavior.

WHAT KINDS OF SEEDS DO YOU HOPE TO PLANT IN THEM DURING YOUR INTERACTIONS?

Although seed planting is very important, I have identified that (according to scripture) “The fruit tree is yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself”. Meaning, that it’s already present and planted. Our job is to water the ground in expanding on character and confidence building, which produces sustainability of life skills.