Photo by Nathan Dumlao

The foremost responsibility of any society is to ensure the well-being of its children. If we are going to be faithful as the people of God, then we must care for the Children of God, regardless of where they are or what they have done. The crimes they have committed may be irreparable and unredeemable; however, redemption for the person who committed those crimes must always be our priority.

If we are honest, we must recognize that in many ways, our faith communities have failed in their responsibility to provide sanctuary for our children. We have not addressed the layers and years of woundedness and hurt that carry on across generations in the lives of many of our young. When these wounds go unattended they frequently lead to rage, hatred and desires for vengeance. We see this cycle play out time and time again and this often translates into victims becoming offenders. However, if justice is about righting wrongs, we can begin to right some of these issues today.

To learn more about the issues surrounding our juvenile justice system and get ideas for ways we can become more involved, visit www.fairsentencingforyouth.org.