More Than A River Trip

A group of young people enthusiastically shout and wave as their powerful airboat sweeps across a scenic lagoon into the unspoiled beauty of Indian Creek, Belize. It would be impossible to tell by looking at their young smiling faces that they are not ordinary carefree teenagers enjoying an afternoon thrill. They are actually a boatload of young prison inmates on a short break from their life behind bars.

To instil a sense of optimism about their future and to encourage positive attitudes toward life, PF Belize is making a special effort to enrich the lives of young prisoners through unique events and outings. In addition to the river trip, PF Belize volunteers have taken the young men on field trips into the community, including visits to the International Airport, Old Belize museum, and the National Fire Service. These special excursions are also used as an incentive and reward for good behaviour.

Young offenders often have more in common than just a prison sentence. Statistics show that a high percentage have lived in public housing or foster care, or come from homes in which a parent or guardian abused alcohol or drugs, and that many of them have a parent who has also spent time in prison. The future for young men growing up in such circumstances is dim even before they face the reality of their own prison experience and the stigma of a prison record.

On the day of the river outing, the young men saw the beauty of the wetlands and marshes where guides pointed out native birds, plants, trees and marine life. One of the young inmates, speaking in his native English Creole, said the boat trip made him feel “like a person again.”

PF Belize is finding that the beauty and variety of nature can be a wonderful way to reveal God‘s glory and His gift of freedom to those desperately in need of both.