COTB: Juvenile Justice Awareness Month- Real Talk

In this powerful episode of Church on the Block, Pastor Phil, Amy Williams (“The Hope Dealer”), and DJ Ruckus open up the mic to two young men, Tiz and Gerald, whose voices rarely get heard. As part of Juvenile Justice Awareness Month, Amy brings listeners face-to-face with the realities of life behind bars for young men of color and the deep lessons they’ve learned about faith, trust, and redemption.

Faith Inside the Walls

From the start, Tiz and Gerald make one thing clear being locked up has forced them to depend on faith in a way they never imagined. When the world strips away your freedom, your comfort, and even your toothbrush, faith becomes your anchor. Gerald explains that inside juvenile detention, “all you can depend on is your faith.” When everything else is gone, you’re left face-to-face with God.

But that faith is hard to carry back into freedom. Once released, the world offers distractions fast money, fame, and the illusion of control. Tiz admits, “When I got out, I forgot about God.” Yet both young men recognize that God’s hand never left them. “He knew I was going to mess up,” Gerald reflects. “He knew I was going to need Him in the long run.” It’s an honest portrayal of what it means to wrestle with faith when your environment keeps testing your endurance.

Family, Loyalty, and the Weight of Realness

When asked what they wish they had known before incarceration, both young men point back to family. Gerald shares that he didn’t understand how hard his mother worked until he saw life from a cell. “I took that for granted,” he says. Tiz adds that his time inside revealed who was truly there for him—and who wasn’t. “It’s family members I still ain’t talked to,” he admits. “I haven’t got one call, one letter, none of that.”

They speak candidly about “realness”—a word often misused on the streets. To them, being real isn’t about violence or money; it’s about standing on business, giving back to your community, and taking care of your own. “You can’t call yourself real if you’re selling somebody’s auntie a drug,” Tiz says. Realness, they agree, is responsibility.

Consistency Builds Trust

Amy challenges the young men to talk about what it takes to build trust with adults who volunteer in the detention center. Their answers reveal a longing for authenticity: “Be consistent,” Tiz says firmly. “Don’t have an on-and-off relationship with us. Either you’re in our lives or you’re not.”

That truth hits hard, not just for volunteers but for anyone trying to mentor or minister to the next generation. They don’t want charity. They want consistency, honesty, and purpose. “Don’t come up here because it’s your job,” Tiz insists. “Come because you got a purpose. Help us elevate.” Their words are a reminder that real transformation happens through relationship, not routine.

Hope, Justice, and the Call for Change

When asked what they would change about the justice system, both teens speak with conviction: stop defining kids by their worst mistake. “Don’t allow one mistake to be everything for them,” Tiz pleads. “These are still kids. Judges waste potential when they put them away for 40 years.”

They describe what happens when someone comes home after years away little money, no support, no direction. “At least rehabilitate us for the world,” Gerald says. “Give us a chance to live.” Behind their words is a yearning not for pity, but for opportunity.

Still, despite the pain, both young men hold onto hope. Tiz dreams of becoming a chef, while Gerald just wants to succeed, to “beat the picture they paint of young Black men.” Both understand that their story isn’t over—it’s being rewritten through faith, growth, and the courage to hope again.

A Final Word

Amy closes with Psalm 39:7 “So, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You.” It’s a fitting end to a raw, real conversation about broken systems, restored faith, and the power of resilience. Church on the Block continues to remind us that these aren’t statistics they’re sons, brothers, and future leaders. Their stories challenge us to listen deeper, love harder, and believe that redemption isn’t just possible—it’s promised.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Intro: Pastor Phil, Amy Williams & DJ Ruckus kick off Church on the Block
01:00 – Juvenile Justice Awareness Month and introducing Tiz & Gerald
03:00 – Lessons learned behind bars and the importance of faith
05:30 – Why faith is easy to find inside but hard to hold onto outside
07:30 – Remembering God in the struggle and growing through hardship
10:00 – Reflections on family, love, and realizing who’s really there
12:00 – What it means to be “real” and redefining manhood in the streets
16:00 – The power of consistency: building trust through authenticity
20:00 – “Don’t fake it”: what incarcerated youth wish volunteers knew
23:00 – Breaking the cycle: taking accountability and inspiring the next generation
33:00 – How the justice system wastes young potential
37:00 – Life after release: re-entry, survival, and invisible punishments
44:00 – Dreaming again: hope, goals, and building a better future
48:00 – Amy closes with Psalm 39:7 — putting our hope in God

Related Radio Show: CHURCH ON THE BLOCK