MJTC: Changing Lives (part 4)

This is part four in a series on the Juvenile Treatment Center, located just outside Mansfield. Throughout this series we will take an in-depth look into the program, find out what life is like for the offenders, workers and the impact it has on the area.

In this installment we will share with you the story of two former clients of the MJTC. The facility changed the lives of a young lady, whom we will refer to as T and a young man, whom we will refer to as J.

–See part 1

–See part 2

-See part 3

T came to the MJTC at the tender age of 14. A self-described rebellious spirit, T, came from a broken, drug addicted home near Little Rock.

“When I first came in, everyone treated me so good. I was welcomed with open arms and they didn’t judge me.”

She acknowledged she challenged the system, but in retrospect has great appreciation for the safety and love she found at Mansfield.

T was released only to find her way back at nearly 16 years of age. “I acted out on purpose. I felt safe at Mansfield, and I felt love. I didn’t have that at home,” she confessed.

She found, as she described, a second family. T was at the facility when the juveniles were given the opportunity to be out performing community service.

“They gave us options to go to church on Wednesday night, and once a month a group called ‘Riders for Christ’ would come and we could ride horses, fish and just enjoy being outside the fence.”

The church services and the community service projects were things T and others worked hard to earn. Good behavior gained privileges, poor behavior excluded you. She recalled the feeling of regret of having to sit in her room while others received these privileges. “At the time I thought it was so unfair, but I learned if I wanted to do those things I had to earn it.”

T also enjoyed spending time with the MJTC’s bloodhounds. They were given opportunities to bathe and feed the dogs. “It was very therapeutic and rewarding,” she added.

Upon completion of the program, T had received her GED. Against all odds, T, at the age of 19, is engaged to be married, a mother to a 10 month old and is about to enroll in college. “My life is better because of my time at Mansfield,” T concluded.

J came to the MJTC at the age of 15. He had been transferred to Mansfield following a stay at the Alexander facility. At that time, Alexander was also ran by the state. “It was terrible,” he said. Those moments stuck with him, too. He recalled seeing a group of boys grab another by the throat and force him against the wall.

“I felt depressed and hopeless,” J added. He didn’t know when he would be up for release, as a judge labeled him “EJJ,” extended juvenile jurisdiction. “That meant I had no release date,” he explained. “I had no clue as to when I would get out.”

After he got to Mansfield, something changed. He felt welcomed, loved and cared for. “Looking back on my life, I miss the people and that place. I know it’s weird to say, but I had some really good times.”

J admitted it was the behavior rewards that helped him most. Things like getting out into the community, being a part of the town’s Christmas, mowing cemeteries and getting to go to church services. “I think it’s sad they can’t do that any more. I feel sorry for those kids there now because I know those things meant a lot to me while I was there. It not only helped us, but it helped the community.”

After completing his time at Mansfield, J never returned. He made life changes and is now living a successful life. He admits, however, that the MJTC “made me the man I am.”

T and J, and other former clients aren’t the only ones who’ve had their lives changed by the facility. Suzie Stovall, a member of the Greenwood First Baptist Church, has spent over a decade and a half sharing in the lives of the kids at the MJTC.

Every Tuesday night, Stovall makes her way to the facility to spend time with the girls, studying God’s Word. Stovall remembered when it seemed like she was spending more time with these kids than she was her own. “In the past they were able to come to the church for services, but they have cut that out now.”

She recalled her pastor asking what fruits she had seen from her work over the years, and she replied, “I planted the seeds while they were with me for a season.” It wasn’t long after that, Stovall said she began hearing testimonies from some of the girls she had spent time with. One in particular that had escaped the camp during her time there. Since that time, she’s gotten saved and is serving beside her husband, an ordained minister.

Her church has assisted her in this mission of love, and helped sponsor boxes she and others delivered each year at Christmas time to both the boys and the girls.

This past year may have been her last time doing that, however. “I have been praying that the Lord would send someone else to rise up and do this work. I know they will be moving the girls out, so things are really about to change anyway.”

Stovall has great admiration for the administration and staff at the facility, and recognizes their passion for the job they do. “They aren’t there for the money,” she added. “The people there, they really care.”