Hearing a child discuss their experience with drugs, sex, gangs and hard times at home is not an easy job. But according to Ozzie Smith, someone needs to do it. A Blueprint Commission recently made recommendations to the Department of Juvenile Justice on ways to fix the state’s broken system. Many of the 52 recommendations pertain to targeting at-risk youth before they get into trouble.
The crucial time for intervention is usually when the child enters middle school. Smith, 34, a Siemens engineer and Family Services of Metro Orlando board chair, already knew this is a tender age because he has mentored children for many years. So far he has worked with about 10 kids, half of whom are from East Orlando.
"It is a lifelong commitment but we need more people to step up and be a role model in these kids’ lives,” he said. “There is a direct correlation between mentoring a youth and seeing that youth stay out of trouble. I cannot say that from a statistical standpoint, but it is definitely a strong preventative measure because it gives them something else to focus on besides illegal activity.” The commission agreed that mentoring is a positive measure, but commission member and local lawyer Bill Sublette argued that in order to make a difference an adult must take mentoring serious.
“The key to mentoring is sticking with a kid for five, six, seven years, and not many mentors even do it for one year. Often a mentor does more harm disappearing from that child’s life than they would have never mentoring at all,” he said. “What you have many times is a member of the upper-middle class thinking they can sit down with a poor kid and magically impart their values to that child, which is incredibly naive.
I think it is wonderful when you have a responsible adult from the community mentoring that child.” Family Services of Metro Orlando, a nonprofit organization that provides child services like foster care, adoption, protective supervision and emergency shelter, is currently seeking partnerships with other organizations to pair serious mentors with approximately 100 children who expressed interest. Smith started a mentoring program within the organization in 2006.
He is also reaching out to local companies and organizations, trying to educate them on the importance of mentoring. More than 95,000 children are arrested and processed in the juvenile justice system every year. Smith believes mentoring could curb that figure. “The hope is that if people see the value in mentoring, they might inspire their employees and even reward them for getting involved in the community,” he said.
“We need so many more serious mentors in this community who really want to help children find their dream and stick to that dream into adulthood.” After working with the commission, DJJ plans to work more closely with schools, faith-based organizations, business leaders and parents to garner partnerships and create more prevention programs. The hope is that, together, these groups can effectively target at-risk children and get them on the right track.
“We would encourage stronger partnerships between each of these entities, getting them more involved and working collaboratively toward the same goals,” said DJJ Project Manager Bonnie Rogers. “I think the greatest emphasis right now is getting communities more involved, both from a pragmatic and funding standpoint.” DJJ plans to execute the recommendations — which range from improving health and mental services within the system to keeping kids with lesser offenses out of the system — over the next three years, spending $4.2 million in state and federal funds.
“We recognize funding is tight this year so we are seeking grants, foundation support and funds from sister state agencies on issues that cross state lines,” Rogers said. The Orlando Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Office have several school-based programs that deal with youth, including DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and the Badge Program, a mentoring program. Sublette said many more preventative programs are needed locally, as well as increased community policing. “ It was interesting on the commiss ion.
Most areas in the state have a decreasing crime rate among their youth, while us and Jacksonville are still seeing those numbers rising,” he said. “So what you saw is people all over the state complaining that there are too many kids in the system and us saying there are not enough being locked up.” But Smith said all it can take is an adult willing to take time out of their schedule and listen to a child in need. “Mentoring gives the youth an outlet other than their parents.
Many of these kids just want to talk, but they are afraid of opening up to a disciplinarian like a parent for fear they will be in trouble,” he said. “It gets a little hairy once you build that trust and they consider you a friend. They will open up with drug use, sexual activity levels, stress or distress at home with family members, whether there is food in the house to eat.
It is therapeutic for them and an eye-opener of what kids are facing today.” Smith admits that being single without children allows him the free time that others do not share.
But he said a mentor does not have to spend as much time with a child as he does, but should keep in touch for many years, if not for life. “They become your extended family. I still have kids calling after they graduated from college. Once you get that relationship, they stay with you.
It takes up a lot of my time, but if you are doing something you love, it does not seem like work.”
