Tampa, Florida -- It's not often you find a teenager who thanks an adult for being tough on them. But that's exactly what 17-year-old Kayshla Monroe has done.
Kayshla was busted for shoplifting. She thanks Kim Goddard for giving kids like her a second chance.
Goddard created the ReStart program to give juvenile offenders who have been arrested another chance to succeed.
Goddard says in many ways, it is the adults who have failed to give teens a chance. Kids are in ReStart for four weeks. Each time they meet, they go out for a meal.
It sounds like a reward for breaking the law, but it’s not. Goddard uses that time to teach the kids things like how to open doors for others, how to write Thank You notes and how to dress for job interviews.
Goddard says at the end of the four week program, the kids are proud of their achievements.
Goddard should also be proud. Six hundred juveniles have completed the ReStart program since 2002, and only eight of them have re-offended.
Kayshla says had she not met Goddard, her life would be in shambles. The teen says she feels now she has a bright future and has learned to greet people like she greets the world, with a smile and a handshake.
Ginger Gadsden, Tampa Bay's 10 News