Without thinking about it very much, most people assume these incarcerated young people deserve to be locked up. After all, they have been found guilty of a wide range of offenses and, as a consequence, are serving out their sentences.  Thankfully, we serve the great redeemer of broken lives! Where would any of us be if it were not for the grace and mercy extended to us by our loving, heavenly Father?

As one young man put it, “People need to understand that I‘m not going to be in here forever. Soon, I will be released and I could end up in your neighborhood or your schools with your kids. Will you care about what kind of person I am then?”

Consider The Scope Of The Problem In Texas Alone1
There are an average of 5,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 19 confined in the Texas Youth Commission  (TYC) system at any given time:

  1. •90% are boys

  2. •There are 2,6842 new commitments each year

  3. •94% are between 14 & 17 years old

  4. •Average term of incarceration is 20 months

  5. •79% parents never married or were divorced or separated

  6. •49% were in juvenile court on two or more felony-level offenses before being committed to TYC

  7. •Institutional cost per day, including educational expenses = $162.88/student

  8. •2,316 kids released back into society each year (est.)

  9. •Rearrest rates within 1 year of release = 57%

  10. •Re-incarceration rates within 1 year of release = 25%

  11. •Re-incarceration rates within 3 years of release = 49%

Fruit Bearing Tree Ministries–with the help of all our dedicated volunteers and supporters–is making a difference in the lives of these young people through community-based prevention programs and the only state approved faith-based residential intervention programs.

Studies indicate that, “...many juveniles who commit crimes (even serious crimes) never enter the juvenile justice system..”3 That means that the need for prevention programs to reach these kids before their offenses land them in jail is even greater than our residential interventions.

Our work with the TYC is a long-term investment in a pilot program to chart a new future filled with hope and promise for these young people. We are in the process of document ing the impact of Faith-Based programs as a proof-of-concept so we can take the program nation-wide.

Click here for links to more statistical information related to incarcerated and at-risk youth.

 

1. Data from TYC Website sources

2. 11 year average 1996 to 2006

3. Juvenile Offenders and Victims:2006 National Report, pg 63

A Little History

Fruit Bearing Tree Ministries (FBTM) provides prevention, intervention, discipleship, mentoring and aftercare services to incarcerated and at-risk youth AND their families. Established in 2002, We work closely with juvenile correctional facilities, schools and social service agencies to provide hands-on faith-based and referral services.


David Johns, Executive Director, brings two decades of service to his position. He served as director of prison ministry for Reaching America's Youth, has worked as a substance abuse counselor with Tarrant  County MHMR, and spent three years employed at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX. His expertise is establishing and facilitating substance abuse support groups throughout North Texas.


Anne Johns, Director of Faith-based Education, holds a B.A. from SMU and M.A. from UT Austin. A published author (Java Time!, Evergreen, 2004) and full-time educator, she is the developer of the CONQUERORS character development program used in the state's first faith-based dormitory for juvenile offenders.


Fruit Bearing Tree Ministries is a registered 501-c3, governed by a Board of Directors who meet regularly to oversee ministry initiatives. Annually, dedicated FBTM volunteers log in over a thousand hours of ministry to incarcerated and at-risk youth.

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