One of our first venues when my wife and I started to do our juggling and illusion Gospel presentation was the chapel service at the Maine Youth Center.  Roughly twice a year I have returned there, sometimes with Sue and often solo, since 1987.  The facility is now named Long Creek, it is in a new facility, the chaplain has changed at least four times that I remember, and the first group of juvenile offenders we performed for are now pushing 50. But services are still at 9:00 Saturday mornings, and they keep asking me back. So once again this morning I rose early and headed into South Portland for a service there.

I am very pleased with how this mornings service went. I performed a  lot of routines I don't often do there but felt today was the time to dust them off and use them.  About 20 teens came out, which is smaller than usual. Apparently the population is down to under 50 total, so,this was still a good percentage.  I asked chaplain Doug if the numbers being down was a good thing. He wasn't really sure, and he reiterated something I hear over and over from chaplains throughout the state.  It seems the overlap between criminal behavior, mental illness and addiction is such that, placing people-Youth or adults-in the right program is challenging. For at least a generation and a half, rehab programs, jails and mental hospitals have all had ridiculously high recidivism rates. Hopefully, sending fewer Youth to jail and trying to get them services in psych programs or rehab homes will help, but the verdict is still out.

Anyway, I had a great time with the kids and staff who were there. The best part is, when I wrapped up the service with a routine about the woman who burst into Simon the Pharisee's party to wash Jesus feet with her tears, you could hear a pin drop. Perhaps something that has been missing from the treatment of "problem" Youth is a message of grace and mercy for sins past, and hope and strength to do better in the future. Thankfully that is a key message in scripture, and it  always will be.