Howard Payne University, a 1,400 student-strong private university in Brownwood, Texas, is reaching out to female juvenile offenders in the nearby Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex.
Through the school’s Baptist Student Ministry, students can pair up with juveniles to provide an hour of mentoring each week. Most students choose to provide faith-based mentoring.
The chaplain at Ron Jackson notes that the mentoring is “invaluable.” Research shows (two comprehensive lists appear here and here) that such faith-based mentoring can sometimes make a monumental difference in a youth’s life.