Through the weekend retreats, attendees experience the love of Jesus Christ within a Spirit filled, supportive, community environment. The retreats are times of reflection, repentance and renewal. In 1997, a Retreat was offered for young, “high risk” male felony probationers in Bexar County Department of Supervision and Corrections’ Young Offender Program (YOP). YOP was a federally supported progr
am that included a faith-based component for the probationer’s rehabilitation plan with the overall objective to decrease recidivism. The MOTC grew from YOP and is now a state- recognized not-for-profit program open to persons on probation, parole, or in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD). Who attends MOTC retreats? MOTC retreats are held for youth, men, and women in the criminal justice system, primarily in Bexar County. Some retreats for the participants in the TJJD have been held at TJJD prisons as well. MOTC’s work with Bexar County judges has resulted in referrals from judges for probationers under their supervision; these persons are often offered the opportunity to attend a MOTC retreat as part of their community service. Recently, MOTC has grown to include separate retreats for persons who have been recently paroled from the Texas Department of Corrections to Bexar County. Attendees of MOTC retreats are encouraged to maintain mentoring relationships with retreat team members as they continue their faith journeys after the retreats. To encourage continued follow-up, reinforce the conversion experience, and increase life skills training, MOTC sponsors monthly reunions open to any past retreatants. MOTC retreat attendees are highly encouraged to continue working with MOTC through serving on a future MOTC retreat.
