Midlands Young Life ONE

Incarcerated

WHO WE ARE

Leaving the 99 to chase after the ONE

Midlands Young Life One is a relational based mentoring program that works with local partnering agencies in an effort to love incarcerated youth holistically, with the love of Christ. We aim to provide physical needs, while introducing them to Jesus Christ, helping them grow in their faith, providing them with the sense of family, and leading them toward a self-sustaining adulthood. We currently partner with the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justices (DJJ) Chapilancy department to proclaim the Gospel with these youth through club and campaigners inside facilities.

WHERE WE ARE

Incarcerated Youth in South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina is the hub for the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). The Juvenile Detention Center (JDC), Midlands Evaluation Center (MEC), and Broad River Road Complex (BRRC) are all located on Broad River Road. These facilities house youth ages 11-19 from across South Carolina. We currently run Young Life One club at the Midlands Evaluation center and campaigners with the girls unit at the Juvenile Detention Center. Contact work is happening at all three facilities.

WHAT WE DO

Young Life Behind the Fences

In traditional Young Life, leaders are placed at a local high school or middle school as their mission field. At Young Life One Incarcerated, our mission field are juvenile facilities that house incarcerated youth. At these facilities, we do what every Young Life leader does. We build relationships with incarcerated teenagers with the hopes of introducing them to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. We run Young Life club and campaigners inside of the facilities for the kids that are housed there. Contact work can look like leaders bringing in different games like Uno and playing with the kids on their pod (where they live & spend more of their time). It can also look like helping run events such as a fall carnival for the kids.

YOUNG LIFE ONE

How it all began

Young Life One began in 2020 when a generous group of women granted Young Life a grant to make Young Life One the newest branch of ministry. Young Life One as a mission works with partnering agencies in an effort to love foster, incarcerated, homeless, and trafficked youth. Currently, there are 46 ministries across the US. Named after the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15), Young Life One believes that going to the margins of society to find the lost and forgotten ONE matters.

Does it ​ Matter?

Studies show

 

The impact of having ONE​ caring adult in a teen's life after experiencing trauma can aid in brain recovery.

3.5 Times

 

Incarcerated Youth who received no visitation had, on average, 3.5 times more​ behavioral issues each month as youth who received regular visitation.