"the visit to the correctional institution gave me a new purpose." – interview with a volunteer

Adrienn joined as a volunteer interpreter börtönmissziós tevékenységünkhöz, azonban mikor jelentkezett még nem tudta pontosan, hogy mire is számítson, habár már hosszú évek óta foglalkoztatta ez a terület.  Azt sem sejtette, hogy ez a látogatás egy életre szóló változást hoz majd a számára. Most az Ő szemszögéből ismerhetitek meg milyen a rácsok közötti missziónk.

Először jártál a Debreceni Javítóintézetben. Milyen érzések kavarognak most benned?

Honestly, this visit was a profound feeling for me. When I took on the volunteer task, I did not just apply for a simple interpretation, I wanted to add something to the development of the young people living in the institute.

I think that working in a correctional facility is terribly important in society.

Unfortunately, I often find that people condemn juveniles in prison. They are written off as not being able to change. As an experienced teacher, I have encountered more complicated situations many times. I know from experience that dealing with young people always requires more energy, which many teachers and helpers get tired of, even though adolescence is a challenging period in itself, even with a stable family background. Every child should be given the chance to see more good examples and want to follow the good, the good example should be authoritative for them, since they are so valuable and have so much potential.

How do you see boys being receptive to different occupations?

It can be seen from them that they grew up in an environment lacking in stimuli. That is why I think it is very important that they are in a motivating environment, as this is how you can achieve positive results with them. During the sessions, as I observed, the desire to change was noticeable in almost all the boys.

Perhaps the only thing I sensed in a young person was that he could not change his attitude yet. There is a lot going on in their heads and there are a lot of schemes that come from bad nerves.

What do you think about our Prison Mission project itself?

I would like to point out how filling the gap is what the Dorkász colleagues do within the prison walls. The weekly Bible lessons, joint singing, and discussions give faith and strength to the young people in custody.

Számos szervezet van, akik elkezdték már ezt az utat, azonban főleg itt Debrecenben, egy idő után félbehagyták. Az intézetben élő fiatalok esetében pont az lenne a cél, hogy a motivációjuk szinten legyen tartva. I consider this long-lasting persistence on the part of Dorkász to be exemplary.

At the same time, I would also like to draw attention to the work of the people working in the correctional institution, because they do their work with an overwhelming expertise and at the same time dedication. Most of the boys trust the staff of the institute. There was a case where a former inmate wrote a letter of thanks to the head of the institution. He learned to read and write, managed to graduate, got married, and then took a job abroad. Several boys feel that they can really trust their educators in life.

You set yourself a new goal during the visit. Could you tell us about these plans?

During the whole weekend of art therapy, I became more and more aware that I wanted to continue to participate in this service. The visit to the correctional institution gave me a new purpose. Since then, I had the opportunity to take part in a session with young people again, and the importance of this work only strengthened in me.

I feel that this path will be the direction I will continue to follow. It was confirmed in me that I would also like to support you as a professional in the future a prison mission activity and the the work of a correctional institution.

Nem véletlen történt az életemben, hogy képezni kezdtem magam. Hiszek abban, hogy ők is tudnak jó emberek lenni, annak ellenére, hogy bűncselekményt követtek el. Mindenkinek vannak rossz döntései és igen, sokan közülük súlyos dolgokat követtek el. Az motivál engem, hogy azok a fiatalok, akik megbánják a cselekedetüket, rájöjjenek, hogy nekik is van remény a jobbá válásra.

Don't let a bad decision in your youth ruin your whole life! Support our prison mission project and give these boys a second chance!

As a volunteer and many others into our project you can also join, thanks to which you can be enriched with life-long experiences similar to Adrienn!