Gridiron Gang

Every now and again you watch a movie that challenges the status quo. Check out “Gridiron Gang”, based on a true story of juvenile probation officer Sean Porter, who takes a group of youth that society has given up on and gives them a second chance.

The movie starts with some sobering statistics 75% of youth who are released from jail end up back in jail, or killed in drive by shootings. After the “programme” which was basically playing football and being part of a team, the stats are turned around. Many including a so called Christian School wrote off these young men and said they didn’t deserve the chance to play.

Sounds a little like NZ? Ok without the drive by shootings, but similar rates of reoffending exist. We hear the same sort of things, those offending deserve to be in jail, “how dear they have under floor heating in jail, they don’t deserve it”, “lock ‘m up and throw away the key”, I am sure you’ve heard it all and more.

It’s amazing how we accept a Justice system that is not working. Surely our response should be to give hope, to believe in those who have got into trouble, and give them a second chance. If Justice is about restoration, then we need to be a part of it. Weather its working with those in jail, or just those who we connect with everyday at work and school, we need to give people, a second, third, forth, etc…. chance. What made a difference was someone who gave the youth time, and believed in them, and helped them to work towards a common purpose. It wasn’t the game that saved the youth; it was the purpose they found in it.

So get down to the video shop, and get it out, if it doesn’t speak to you, check your heart rate to make sure you are not dead.

Darren