GRADY COUNTY, Ga. (WCTV) - Creating a better path for teens in Grady County is what the local sheriff’s office is hoping to accomplish with a new mentor program for juveniles.

The initiative, started by the Grady County Sheriff’s Office through the Department of Juvenile Justice, aims to teach teenagers about life skills and making positive choices. The program also hopes to bring in motivational speakers who have improved their lives and hold field trips.

Program Co-Lead Lt. Tommy Gainous said the program is a judgment-free zone, and he wants to bring out the best in each kid.

“It’s not that they’re bad kids, it’s that they made a bad choice at that time and seeing some kids knowing that their potential is better but they’re just following peer pressure just made a bad choice here and there,” he said. “Seeing the good in them that is there is awesome.”

Gainous said some of the kids were nervous and uncomfortable sharing in their first meeting.

“The first five minutes were very quiet, the parents were in there for a bit, me and Captain Edmond both noticed the reserve on them,” he said. “So we asked the parents to step out, and once the parents stepped out they opened up with us. We gave our life experiences, I’ve been through a lot, Captain Edmond has been through a lot.”

For some of the teens, the program is court-ordered due to violations, drug use, fleeing from law enforcement and bringing weapons to school.

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Participants plan to meet once a month, where one-on-one sessions and hands-on exercises will take place.

“Letting the kids know that we’ve been through what they’ve been through, it’s not the end of the road,” Gainous said. “It’s a lesson and it’s a stepping stone.”

Officials like Grady County Commissioner Sam Kines said they believe the program could bring positive change.

“I feel like some of our youth is struggling and this is a fantastic way to give them another avenue to show them that there is more to life than the negative side,” Kines said.

Joining doesn’t have to be court-ordered. For those interested in the mentor program for their child, reach out to GCSO.

The next meeting is scheduled for Oct.13 at 6 p.m. at the sheriff’s office.

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