The Department of Juvenile Justice and the South Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union recently signed an unprecedented memorandum of agreement March 16 at the WMU annual meeting.
Making the agreement offcial are Evelyn Blount, executive director of South Carolina WMU, and Judge Bill Byars, who heads up the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice.The agreement marks a turn in the relationship between DJJ and WMU, who have maintained a partnership in which churches can assist individuals at DJJ through mentoring and in the often-difficult transition after juveniles leave the facility.
According to the signed document, the new agreement provides an outlet for WMU members to “design and implement prevention, rehabilitation and reentry programs and services for at-risk youth through volunteerism.”
The partnership also includes the development of a network of volunteers around the state who can volunteer at various DJJ facilities. Juvenile justice will also assist WMU in the recruiting, screening and training of volunteers. These volunteers will then be matched with youth within the DJJ system. In addition, WMU will work with DJJ in securing other community partners to develop prevention programs and facilitate the reentry of youth back to their communities.
“We are happy WMU has partnered to help my children, our children,” Judge Bill Byars, director of the juvenile justice department, told annual meeting attendees.
In addition to the facets of the agreement, Judge Byars told participants that their assistance is needed in small ways such as driving family members who may not own a car to the facility to visit their child.
“Churches can simply bring their family to come and see them,” he said.
“They are just like your children, but they may not have had the same advantages your children had,” Byars said. “These are some of the least of God’s children, but you will find that they are some of the best and brightest.”
The agreement is a culmination of more than 15 years of partnership work between the two groups. Through the years, associates from WMU have been assigned to work with DJJ and have facilitated building the mentoring program. Irene Murphy, an associate with WMU, is currently working with young women at the facility. Murphy prayed for new relationships to begin as a result of this new level of partnership: “Signatures on a piece of paper are meaningless unless we allow You to write their names on our hearts.”
Evelyn Blount, South Carolina WMU director, says this agreement is rare and is the perfect opportunity for all people across the state to get involved in a much-needed ministry.
“This is a challenge to all South Carolina Baptists. The doors have been opened to truly take this opportunity to impact our youth for Christ,” said Blount.
Blount stresses that the opportunity to work with a state agency is the result of years of hard work, and all churches should take the opportunity given.
Judge Byars agrees. “If you will get behind this, we will open our gates to you. We will open our hearts to you.”
According to the agency’s website, DJJ is the state agency responsible for providing rehabilitation and custodial care for the state’s juveniles who are on probation, incarcerated, or on parole for a criminal or status offense. The mission of the agency is to protect the public and reclaim juveniles through prevention, community programs, education and rehabilitative services in the least restrictive environment.