Prison Fellowship

Remember Those in Prison

  • DONATE
    • One-Time
    • Monthly
    • Angel Tree
    • Other Ways to Give
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Volunteer
    • Subscribe
    • Angel Tree Christmas
    • Pray With Us
    • Justice Action Center
    • Share on Social
  • STORIES
    • Stories
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • The Restoration Series [Videos]
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Why Help Prisoners?
    • What We Do
    • In-Prison
      • Prison Fellowship Academy
      • In-Prison Programs
      • Hope Events
      • Inside Journal
      • Women’s Ministry
      • Create: New Beginnings
    • Preparing Prisoners for Reentry
    • Angel Tree
      • Register your church or group for Angel Tree
      • Angel Tree Overall
      • Angel Tree Christmas
      • Angel Tree Camping
      • Angel Tree Sports Clinic
    • Justice Reform
      • Second Chance Month
      • Sign the Justice Declaration
      • Get a Copy of Outrageous Justice
    • Warden Exchange
  • RESOURCES
    • Subscribe to Our Email
    • Support for Friends and Family of Prisoners
      • Coping with Incarceration
      • Resources for Prisoners
      • Resources for Children of Prisoners
      • Supporting Successful Prisoner Reentry
    • Resources for Churches and Volunteers
      • In-Prison Ministry
      • Reentry Ministry
      • Family Ministry
      • Justice Reform
      • Mentoring Ministry
    • Resources for Angel Tree® Church Coordinators
    • Resources for Chaplains
    • Resources for D.O.C.
    • Justice Reform Resources
    • For Media Outlets
  • ABOUT US
    • Leadership
    • Chuck Colson
    • Our Beliefs
    • Financials
      • 2020 Annual Report
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • In The News

Cattle Farming Deters Youth From Crime

March 22, 2016 by Zoe Erler

One of the best ways to reduce the prison population is to keep people from arriving there in the first place.

Crime prevention programs come in all shapes and sizes, but perhaps one of the most effective are those that take at-risk youth and mentor them into positive life paths by teaching them a new skill. Omaha Home for Boys owns and runs a farm that gives troubled juveniles the opportunity to assume responsibility the good ole’ fashioned way.

Every weekday and Saturday, a select number of Omaha residents (youth who have come from the foster care system and those who have had run-ins with the law; basically those who are considered at-risk for lives of dead ends, unemployment, and incarceration) are expected to show up to clean the barn and care for cattle. Each young man is given a specific calf to care for, in the hopes that the calf will be ready to show at the county fair come summer. Youth dry, brush, and oil their calf’s hair, and then teach them how to walk around the ring.

The farm manager, Mike Pellas, has a simple recipe for success. No one is allowed to say “I can’t.” He expects the boys to work hard and promises that they will learn. Pellas has walked alongside with hundreds of young men over the past three decades. Many have gone through the program and ended up in prison anyway, but others have used it as a stepping stone to success, like those who have become college graduates, soldiers, husbands, and fathers. One former resident showed a champion steer and now returns every month to say ‘hi.’ He has a steady job. Another is now Pellas’ assistant.

“Some days, I’m out of gas, and a kid stops by to thank me,” Pellas says. “And just when you think you aren’t making a difference, you remember you are.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Cooper Farm, crime prevention, Mike Pellas, Omaha Home for Boys

SELECT A TOPIC

  • Advocacy & Reentry
  • Angel Tree
  • Angel Tree® Stories
  • Families of Prisoners
  • Feature Stories
  • From the CEO
  • In-Prison Stories
  • Inside Journal
  • Press Releases
  • Prison & Prisoners
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Prison Fellowship International
  • Prison Fellowship News & Updates
  • Reentry
  • Second Chance Stories
  • Stories
  • Uncategorized
  • Warden Exchange

MOST POPULAR

Response to the January 6 Events at the U.S. Capitol

January 11, 2021

The Power of a Partnership

January 6, 2021

‘I Have Hope for the Future’: One Woman’s Letter from a Nebraska Prison

January 5, 2021

LATEST VIDEOS

WATCH ALL VIDEOS

RESOURCES & INFORMATION

  • For Families & Friends of Prisoners
  • For Churches & Angel Tree Volunteers
  • For Media Outlets
  • For Wardens & Prison Officials

PF®

NEW ON OUR BLOG

  • Update on Prison Fellowship and COVID-19
  • Turning Bad Things to Good: Answering the Question “Is God Still in Control?”
  • A ‘Career Criminal’ Get’s a Harsh Wake-Up Call
  • Statement Regarding the Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccine

FIND US ONLINE

FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN

RECEIVE UPDATES

Sign up to receive news, stories, and information based on your needs and interests.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

PFM®

  • CONTACT US
  • EMPLOYMENT
  • PRIVACY
  • FINANCIALS
© 2021 PRISON FELLOWSHIP®

Angel Tree®, Angel Tree Camping®, and Warden Exchange® are programs of Prison Fellowship®.