MY Confession To Rev. John
I was in my first year of graduate school. There was a requirement that we do a 9-month counseling practicum. I was assigned to an affiliated church camp for young male repeat offenders ages eighteen to twenty who had committed nonviolent criminal offenses. The courts selected this particular group of offenders because they presented problems for the criminal justice system. They were past the age where they would be under the auspices of the juvenile justice system and were in the adult probation system. But all were facing probation revocation, which meant jail or prison time. So this was a second and last chance alternative. In addition to learning respect for the law and social responsibility, the young men had real-world opportunities to learn skilled trades, earn a GED, study for college entrance exams and …