So I made it back to the prison finally yesterday after a week away from my guys. The first thing the men in cell two did was pull the skin on their face real tight and tell me that I have lost too much weight. It may have been because I shaved clean, something I don’t do with regularity out here, so I’ll just tell myself it was that. On a good note, many of the minors are being released this week and two have already left the cell this past week. Minor #8, or “Hank”, was one of the boys released.
When we first showed up to the cell, Hank was one of the newest boys. He was sent to the jail sometime within the last two months, and it was obvious he was one of the new kids. He was very shy and reserved and mostly kept to himself when we tried to speak with him. One of the hardest things to do was to just get him to say “Hello” or “See you tomorrow”. Needless to say, classes and getting his story out of him were quite the tasks. He was thankful we were there, and would let us know that, but it didn’t make the conversations any easier.
On our first day out there, we interviewed all the minors to try and understand their story and why they were there. Most of the boys were open with their stories and while they had shame, they would still answer any of our questions. However, when we interviewed Hank, we had a good amount of difficulty. It wasn’t until I noticed the homemade tattoo on his wrist and recognized the call letters of one of the local gangs, that I began to put the pieces together. Many of the boys claimed to be members of certain gangs, but none of them displayed their loyalty as open as Hank. It was obvious he was one of the “foot soldiers” or “front line boys” now that I paid attention.
Officially, his crime was theft, but, like the other boys, there were several crimes he had committed. The good news is that as our classes progressed, so did he. After a little over a week, he began to initiate greetings with me instead of hiding in the back as usual. He even made eye contact and his smile got bigger and bigger with each passing day. Hank has not had much formal education, but he is a naturally smart boy. He understands a lot of what we teach him despite the fact he has never heard it before. My hope is that he can somehow continue his studies.
Yesterday was a bittersweet day because I was able to reconnect with a lot of people, but finding out Hank is back out again is a tough pill to swallow. Luckily, he’s from this city, so my hope is to be able to find him in the upcoming week. Even though he is technically free from jail, he still has a record. If he continues to commit these crimes and follow this crowd, he will never shake his past. For two weeks, he got a steady education for the first time in his life, but now he’s back to his past essentially. The hope and prayer is always that he will remember his teachings and walk in the identity we taught him about. I’m typically the optimist, but that doesn’t slow my search any.
I think it’s a blessing these boys are beginning to be released, but I still can’t help but feel a little worried. We’ve had two boys released this past week, with two more hearings coming up tomorrow. Part of me prays these boys are released, but the other part begs not now. I’m just praying now that God’s will would be done and He would guide me in how to take care of these boys. I pray for them daily, and I don’t want them to return to their pasts. I’m praying for Hank today because I know he’s searching, and I have no idea who will find him…
