Full Circle Refuge, Inc. Full Circle Refuge, Inc. is an affiliate of Straight Ahead Ministries. Profile of Full Circle Refuge Ministries Full Circle Refuge – Juvenile Justice Ministry Overview
Full Circle Refuge, Inc. has been serving communities of the Central Savannah River Area, Aiken County and throughout the state of Georgia for ten years. The mission of Full Circle Refuge is to reduce and prevent delinquency, reduce violence and reduce/prevent gang involvement among at-risk youth. Full Circle Refuge was founded and incorporated in 1999 by Devon Harris and received a 501(c)(3) tax classification in 2002. It began in various facilities of the Youth Development Campuses (YDC) permitted by Department of Juvenile Justice officials, who were initially skeptical yet desperate for anything that could make a difference in the ‘revolving-door’ juvenile justice system. Since that time, Full Circle Refuge has grown steadily and continues to demonstrate to many youth that the system and the community have not given up on them. During the past ten years Full Circle Refuge has successfully and continually developed and operated a variety of programs to address the needs of at-risk youth. The launching of mentoring programs, developmental programs addressing cognitive behaviors of at-risk youth, facilitation of gang interventions, and training seminars in schools and throughout the community are only a few of the ways Full Circle Refuge serve at-risk youth. Full Circle Refuge has also worked directly with the Juvenile Justice Court system in Richmond County in order to be available for adjudication of at-risk youth for gang intervention or mentoring involvement and support. Included in the staff and volunteers of Full Circle Refuge are a variety of skilled individuals with various appropriate talents and accomplishments. Devon Harris, executive director is a certified Gang Intervention Specialist and renews his certification every year in Chicago, Illinois at the National Gang Crime Research Center in addition to training with the OJJDP National Youth Gang Symposium. Among several accomplishments, Mr. Harris was awarded the Community Champion Award by Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver in 2008, and also awarded the Outstanding Volunteer Award by Prison Fellowship. Other staff members also have Gang Intervention Specialist certification, counseling degrees and criminal justice backgrounds as well as ordained ministers to name a few credentials. Each of these individuals are committed to reducing and preventing delinquency, reducing violence and gang involvement among at-risk youth; the goals and mission of Full Circle Refuge. | Full Circle Refuge is well known and respected throughout the community for their commitment in ministering to at-risk youth through the launching of mentoring programs, developmental programs addressing cognitive behaviors of at-risk youth, facilitation of gang interventions, and training seminars. The solid reputation which Full Circle Refuge has earned over the past ten years has motivated community members, leaders and other organizations to cooperate and collaborate efforts with Full Circle Refuge in their mission. To name a few local supporters of Full Circle Refuge: Judge Willie Saunders, Juvenile Court of Richmond County, Benjamin Small, Jr. of Augusta Youth Development Campus, Helen Blocker-Adams, President of The HBA Group, Intl., Sandra E. Wimberly, Georgia Department of Human Resources, and Clint Bryant, ASU Athletic Director. Collaborating partners include: County Boards of Education in CSRA (presentations of the Gang Awareness & Prevention Education programs), Department of Juvenile Justice facilities in Georgia and South Carolina (teach and mentor), Department of Juvenile Justice in Aiken County, South Carolina (at-risk youth adjudicated to FCR’s One Degree at a Time program), Christ Central Ministry (provision of facility and transportation) and other local churches and organizations (presentation of Gang Awareness & Prevention Education programs, interventions). The unity and support of these community groups and leaders is evidence of the continuing need and desire for the services of Full Circle Refuge. The mission of Full Circle Refuge is to reduce and prevent delinquency, reduce violence and reduce/prevent gang involvement among at-risk youth; this is a critical service to our community. The confirmed increase in gang activity and truancy among at-risk youth will also include an emergence of increasing violence and delinquency. An increase in all of these factors among at-risk youth eventually leads to incarceration for many, and a pattern of recidivism for the majority of those incarcerated. Full Circle Refuge successfully works to reduce these incidents and incarcerations which not only protects the lives of at-risk youth but also protects the livelihood and future of our community both physically and financially. In order to effectively address gang-related crime, delinquency, and youth violence, the cooperative efforts of the entire community are required. |
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