Out of the Pack Youth Mentoring helps teenagers and young adults break negative cycles through honest mentorship, accountability, lived experience, and a path toward a better future.
Years survived inside maximum-security prison
Times stabbed, and survived
Ages served through mentoring
Local in person and nationwide virtual support
John E. Ware / Founder / Larned, Kansas
01 / The Story Behind the Mission
My name is John E. Ware. I spent 31 years and 2 months inside prison walls. I survived a harsh environment and was stabbed seven times. I know what the street life, gang involvement, violence, and the penal system look like from the inside out.
Today, I am completely turned around, and I am dedicated to making sure the next generation does not have to learn these lessons the hardest way possible.
My tattoos and my past are not things I hide. They are reminders of where I have been, what I survived, and how far I have come. I speak to young people honestly because they deserve the truth, not a lecture, not a textbook, not a polished story. The truth.
My goal is to help young people break out of the pack and build a legitimate, honorable life.
By the grace of God, I am here today to help someone else choose a different path.
Credibility
This isn't a program built from a textbook. It's built from three decades of lived experience, now used to reach young people before it's too late.
Faith. Purpose. Accountability. A different direction.
02 / Why We Do This
Out of the Pack exists to reach young people before negative patterns become permanent ones. Through honest conversation, accountability, mentorship, and lived experience, John helps youth understand where destructive choices can lead, and what they can choose instead.
The goal is not simply to say what not to do, it's to help them see a different future and give them practical steps toward it.
03 / How We Help
01Personalized mentoring for teenagers and young adults dealing with behavioral issues, negative peer pressure, court involvement, or destructive patterns. Available in person in Kansas or virtually nationwide. Focused on accountability, goal-setting, decision-making, and breaking negative cycles.
02Powerful presentations for juvenile detention centers, alternative schools, youth organizations, and community centers. John shares his firsthand experience to give an unfiltered reality check about the consequences of street life, gang involvement, violence, and incarceration, alongside practical steps toward transformation.
03For parents and guardians struggling to communicate with or support an at-risk young person. Sessions offer insight into youth street culture, warning signs, negative peer influence, and strategies for rebuilding trust and accountability at home.
04 / The Path Forward
Understand what is really happening.
Talk honestly about choices, consequences, and patterns.
Create goals, accountability, and a realistic path forward.
Develop the confidence and tools to make better decisions.
05 / From Survival to Purpose
For more than three decades, John experienced the prison system from the inside. His story is not presented as something to glorify, it's a warning, a lesson, and a reason to intervene earlier.
06 / Start Where You Are
In-person or virtual youth mentoring.
Support sessions for parents and guardians.
Rates vary by location, organization size, and event duration.
07 / Questions
Teenagers and young adults ages 12 to 25, including court-involved youth.
Yes.
Yes, nationwide via Zoom or phone.
Yes, through family consultation sessions.
Yes.
In and around Larned, Kansas.
Use the contact form or reach out directly by phone or email.
Custom quotes based on location, size, and duration.
08 / Contact
Whether you're a parent looking for support, a young person looking for direction, or an organization looking to bring John in to speak, start the conversation.
