A recent Freedom From Religion Foundation’s investigation into a faith-based program slated for an Ohio juvenile facility revealed that it was never formally approved. It will not take place now.

FFRF wrote to the Trumbull County Juvenile Detention Center last month after receiving reports that a program called “MyTribe,” led by a Christian singer, songwriter and motivational speaker, was being introduced for detained minors. The state/church watchdog warned that implementing a religious program in a government-run correctional setting would violate the First Amendment and risk coercing vulnerable youth into religious participation.

In response to FFRF’s letter, officials clarified that the MyTribe program had not actually been approved or implemented by the detention center. The program appears to have been driven entirely and without authority by Trumbull County Family Court Judge David Engler, who publicly touted the initiative as a faith-based effort to provide guidance to detained youth. Engler’s official judicial biography explicitly states that he “credits his Christian faith in God” for his position on the bench.

Engler told a local news outlet that he was “partnering with Pastor Jason David to lead the MyTribe program.” The program was called MyTribe “because it follows the story of the 12 tribes of Israel in the Bible.” It raised serious concerns about grandstanding and the misuse of public office to advance one judge’s religious agenda.

“I know the power that can be found in finding religion, finding spirituality, finding Jesus,” said Engler in justification of the program. “For some of these young men and women, they don’t have a father figure in their life. And to get the message that there’s a father figure God that loves you unconditionally — no matter what you’ve done.”

FFRF pointed out the drawbacks of this Christianity-centered approach.

“Youth detainees are almost certain to feel coercive pressure to participate in the MyTribe program even if they are nonreligious or members of minority faiths,” wrote FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence. “When young offenders see authority figures encouraging detainee participation in this faith-based program created in part by a county judge, they will no doubt feel that participation is not just encouraged, but expected.”

The proposed program would have consisted of weekly sessions led by a pastor focusing on “character” and “personal growth,” with participation described as voluntary. However, FFRF emphasized in its letter that even voluntary religious programming in correctional settings can be inherently coercive, particularly for minors under state authority.

“This was an unconstitutional scheme to convert detainees who were not only minors, but also literally a captive audience,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “We are delighted that reason and the Constitution have prevailed, and that the program will not happen.”

FFRF will continue to advocate for constitutionally sound, secular programs that serve all youth regardless of religious belief.

“The Constitution requires neutrality, not promotion of religion,” Gaylor adds. “Public officials should focus on evidence-based, inclusive approaches to rehabilitation, not religious indoctrination.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with over 41,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 1,100 members and two regional chapters in Ohio. FFRF’s purposes are to defend the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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