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It is a bit unnerving to get out of the car and leave everything in it except my student folder, driver’s license and keys. Walk to the gate, let them know I am there with unCUFFED and wait as they take down the info, hand me a visitor pass and then invite me to walk…

Billy had been on 4 S, the Youth Tier, for 23 months awaiting his trial and sentencing. During his exit interview, I asked him if there was anything else unCUFFED could do to for young men in the system. He said nothing, paused, and then said it would be helpful if the guys could hear…

After reading this article in the Baltimore Sun, 18-year-old man shot and killed by Baltimore police during pursuit, I was exasperated. The judge had provided leniency for this young man in court one day and he was killed the next after making the choice to return to the game. We never had the opportunity to…

An invitation: At unCUFFED we have been seeking God’s wisdom to stay on His path, not our own. We have prayed for opportunities to serve and He has been faithful to open doors at an increasing number of facilities. We have prayed for volunteers and they are being supplied. The last component is financial resources.…

As violence increases in Baltimore and Maryland we are called to minister to more and more young men who have committed heinous crimes. We say that we understand and practice the unconditional love of Jesus Christ but there are times when we are scared or even repulsed by the actions of the boys we serve.…

Last week, we received approval to start work in a new facility, the Baltimore City Correctional Center. We continue to work with juveniles being held in the City’s Pretrial Wyatt building but BCCC is a new facility for us. BCCC is a minimum security facility downtown that houses inmates sentenced to time in the Department…

There is a stark difference between prison and everyday society. Each facility we work in is different, often influenced by the socioeconomic makeup of the area and the severity of the crimes committed by the boys. The morale of the boys also varies from facility to facility. In one, roaches often grace the floors of…

I’ve been reading Judges 7 and thinking about Gideon. He was camped out near the Midian enclave with 32,000 men ready to attack but God had another idea. If Gideon won the battle with those overwhelming numbers God knew that Israel would be boastful saying “My own power has delivered me.” God stripped them down…

It’s easy to be discouraged working with our boys. Are they hearing, believing, understanding, or trusting us? We pray and prepare only to find guys on lock-up, having a bad day, or being disruptive by walking out of class or choosing this hour to pick a fight with their co-defendant. Recently, we challenged the boys…

When a 17 year old boy writes out his life story it should be filled with summer camp stories, high school antics, sports teams and their big games, falling in love, hard work in school, plans for the future, and a discovery of his faith in a Creator. Sadly, for the boys we work with…