James Goodman has always taken his mothers’ advice, and for nearly two decades he’s been sharing those words of wisdom at the Warren County Youth Detention Center.

Goodman, now superintendent of the center, began working there since at its inception in 1997.

“I know it had to be God sent me,” he said.

At the detention center, Goodman’s tasked with watching over the daily activities of juvenile detainees. That means monitoring kids during classroom instruction, recreation and court appearances but it also involves lending an ear to and being a mentor for troubled teens.

It’s a well-rounded, team-driven approach that many people in the community don’t understand, he said. Most folks figure the youth detention center is just jail for kids, but for Goodman it’s about building character.

“It’s about more than locking them up. It’s about helping them. We help kids and try to build them up to be strong young men and young women,” Goodman said.

When giving advice to detainees, Goodman always stresses self-discipline, punctuality and self-confidence — traits he learned from his mother, Gloria Goodman. Because he learned these lessons early in life, he never found himself in major trouble as a teen, he said.

“I was afraid to hurt her and let her down,” Goodman said.

Goodman’s work for the past 18 years has been a major asset to the detention center, said administrator Kathy Holden.

“He helps in every aspect of this job,” Holden said. “I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Goodman said that early in his career had the opportunity to leave the detention center and become the sheriff’s office. He seriously considered it, but his mother told him he was needed more at the detention center.

“I think I did a good thing by taking my mama’s advice,” he said. “I love what I do.”

Most of the day, Goodman monitors the classroom where students catch up on schoolwork they would have otherwise missed because of their detainment. When he first started at the detention center, classes weren’t offered.

Goodman has also seen a marked increase in the number of serious crimes committed by juveniles in his 18 years at the center. Still, he approaches his job with optimism.

“The task has grown. They take more chances than when I started in ’97. But there’s not a problem that can’t be fixed,” he said.

The biggest problem Goodman said he sees is parents who “treat their kids like a friend” and don’t instill discipline.

“Let them know that you are the parent and they are the child,” Goodman said.

Sometimes former detainees will come up to Goodman in public and thank him or stop by the detention center just to talk.

“I know that when you come back and want to speak with me, I have dome a good job, and that makes my day,” Goodman said. “I can truly say, this youth detention center has saved a lot of lives.”