By Marion Murphy —
A fresh haircut can turn your whole day around, adding an extra boost of confidence to carry with you throughout the day. When you look your personal best, you feel your best – representing exactly who you are. That feeling is no different for the youth at Mart State Juvenile Correctional Facility after visiting with barber Mitch Babers.
Babers has been a barber and instructor for eight years, with shops across the state. He became involved with TJJD earlier this year, following service with TDCJ and county-level partners. He volunteers his services for multiple correctional facilities around the state, working with Mart to open up a monthly barbershop for boys and girls. When it comes to the cuts themselves, Babers notes that there is no one popular look.
“Kids like to try new things,” he said, often experimenting with every visit. It “gives them a different feeling” each time they sit in his chair, as each youth is able to pick out any style or cut they want for the month.
For Babers, barbering is a time to build connections with the youth visiting his chair, sharing gratitude and perspectives for the past, present and future. Babers notes his favorite part of working with the youth is hearing their stories.
“They feel like they are learning from me, but I learn from them as well,” he said.
Staff at Mart have shared how excited the youth get when haircut day comes around.
“Our youth eagerly look forward to these days” said Mart Superintendent Antonio Houston, “knowing they’ll walk away with fresh haircuts that do more than just shape their appearance.”
Houston shared that a new haircut brings a sense of pride and often noticeable improvements in youth behavior.
“It’s amazing to see how something as simple as a haircut can uplift spirits, spark smiles, and help our youth feel their best,” providing them with a moment of empowerment, Houston said.
These haircuts motivate youth to continue their journeys of personal improvement.
“It all connects when they are in the barbershop” Babers said, serving as a therapeutic tool for youth to hone their behavioral skills.
Time with Babers also serves as positive reinforcement for continued growth, accountability and skillful behavior. As youth make personal and behavioral strides in TJJD’s care, they’re able to continue visiting with Babers and experimenting with different versions of their personal style.
“My job is to make you feel good and look good” says Babers, who shares with the youth that it is their job to work on self-improvement, practice their DBT skills and prepare to leave TJJD’s care.
The perspective Babers brings to the youth at Mart will serve them beyond feeling and looking good following haircut day. His success and passion for barbering provides direct insight into potential career paths following a youth’s time with TJJD. Babers wants to teach the youth that their background and reason for being in TJJD’s care does not define their future—“they can always grow.”
He highlighted the accessibility and usefulness of a career in barbering and cosmetology, as “no matter your background, you can become a barber and be successful.”
Barbering and cosmetology services are constantly in demand across the state and country, becoming a career path that broadens a youth’s potential. Babers believes in the importance of teaching youth barbering and other vocational skills to set them up for success following their time in TJJD.
Connie Simon, TJJD’s Director of Career and Technical Education, noted how critical vocational programming is to developing youth and preparing them for success outside of a correctional environment.
“CTE programs give youth the confidence and practical skillsets to help them take care of themselves beyond TJJD” Simon said.
Babers’ cuts and service will continue to spur confidence and motivation for the youth at Mart moving forward, becoming an important time to reflect on their own journeys and think about their futures.
“It is more than just cutting hair” Babers said, “barbering can take you anywhere.”
TJJD aims to continue growing career, technical and other vocational programming across each facility, improving the daily lives of each youth and setting them up for success following their stay with TJJD. To inquire about providing barbering and cosmetology programming for youth in TJJD’s facilities, please contact Emily Anderson or Connie Simon.