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HOW BTL REACHES JUVENILES
 

On any given day, nearly 60,000 youth under age 18 are incarcerated in juvenile jails and prisons in our country. Yet research shows that evidence-based programs are far more effective than incarceration in redirecting the lives and futures of young offenders, and Bridges To Life agrees.  BTL's juvenile program has graduated over 900 youth from 8 juvenile facilities since 2009! 

This month we celebrate a significant milestone in our juvenile program: our 20th BTL project at Harris County Leadership Academy, a youth detention center in Katy, Texas. These are responses from our juvenile graduates when asked what they learned from the program :
  • I learned I can change myself before it's too late.
  • That I'm not really a bad person and everyone deserves a second chance.
  • You can start doing better when you forgive and others forgive you.
  • I learned that I have to make better decisions.
  • Ever since I came to Bridges To Life, I have felt a positive change in me.
  • We got to talk about different problems in life that we can overcome.
  • How to do good choices, not hang out with negative friends, and how not to come back to jail.
  • It helped me understand that there's more in life than just violence.
  • I don't want to repeat the same thing I did to get in here. Now I can go back home and change my life.
By reaching troubled youth now, BTL is changing the future.

John

SPONSOR A TABLE AND SUPPORT BTL!

We hope you will join us at one of these upcoming events celebrating BTL's work, volunteers, and record-breaking
50,000 graduates!

Friday, November 15th,  11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Westin Oaks Houston at the Galleria
$1,000 per table

Saturday, November 9th,  6:30-8:30 p.m.
Sheraton Arlington Hotel
$700 per table
(Corporate Sponsorships also available)

Friday, October 25th,  6:00-8:00 p.m.
Trinity Fellowship Church
Tables start at $500
DEAR BRIDGES TO LIFE...

     I am writing BTL to thank you and tell you how much I enjoy my newfound identity.
     I was at the Jester III Unit and was a really angry person. Didn't really know how to voice my opinion or address my problems well. It was always everyone else's fault. My drug addiction really overwhelmed my moral compass. I didn't care who I hurt or the consequences of my actions. Words like Responsibility, Accountability, Restitution, were grammar that my way of living did not include or want.
     I have found a certain peace in my soul, one that was not there when I began your class. Your volunteers helped me heal a void in my heart, mind, and soul. I am whole again and have a responsible outlook, I hold myself accountable, and allow others to hold me accountable as well. Restitution is one of my proudest achievements.
     God bless you and BTL.
--A 2019 BTL Graduate
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