MENU TITLE: Youth Employment: Technical Assistance Manual . Series: OJJDP Published: Draft 2/91 103 pages 203,928 bytes YOUTH EMPLOYMENT Technical Assistance Manual Irving Spergel, Kenneth Ehrensaft, Alba Alexander, and Robert L. Laseter National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention Program School of Social Service Administration University of Chicago Distributed By: Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20850 1-800-638-8736 National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention Project Staff Irving A. Spergel, D.S.W., Principal Investigator Ron Chance, M.A, Project Director Candice M. Kane, Ph.D., J.D., Senior Research Associate Thomas A. Regulus, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate Robert Laseter, M.S.W., Senior Research Associate Sara Fagan, Project Secretary Cynthia Johnson, Project Secretary Felicia Weinstein, Project Secretary Irving A. Spergel, Editor, Ron Chance, Co-Editor Technical Assistance Manuals School of Social Service Administration University of Chicago 969 E. 60th Street Chicago, IL 60637 (312) 702-5879 ------------------------------ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The development of this employment manual would not have been possible without the participation of experienced administrators and practitioners in the field. Their willingness to take time away from their busy schedules to provide insight and assistance is most appreciated. The author would like to thank the following people for their significant contributions to the development of this manual: Ron Tonn, Safer Foundation, Chicago, IL Richard Gudell, Chicago Commons Association's Business and Training Programs, Chicago, IL Frank Perez, Better Days for Youth, Chicago, IL Todd Schaefer, U.S. Department of Labor David Lah, U.S. Department of Labor The author would also like to thank: Robert Hennessey, San Jose Conservation Corps, San Jose, CA Cliff Williams, CORPP, Philadelphia, PA Ivy Kearson, Jr., Neighborhood/Jobs Program, Miami, FL Kaleb Whitby, Private Industrial Council of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA Nancy Johnson, Recreation, Parks, and Community Services, City of San Jose, CA Joseph Barela, Arapahoe County Training and Education, Aurora, CO Pam Batchelor, Mayor's Office of Employment and Training, Denver, CO Deborah Grover, Denver Youth Employment Service, Denver, CO Responsibility for the final version of the manual remains with the author. ------------------------------ TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Program Mission and Background Purpose of the Manuals Problem Statement Discussion of Terms and Issues (See also Appendix B Glossary) Approach to the Problem Summary CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTIONþOPPORTUNITY PROVISION STRATEGY What This Manual Will Do Problem Statement: Why An Opportunity Provision Strategy (Employment Program) for Gang Youth? Rationale and Perspective for Opportunity Provision Strategy School-to-Work Transition Overview of Community-Based Program Design Process Summary CHAPTER 3: ASSESSMENT Purpose and Characteristics of Assessment Establishing a Working Group Gathering Information: Sources of Data Agency Assessment Summary CHAPTER 4: DEFINING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES CHAPTER 5: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAM STRUCTURE Expansion of Existing Programs (Emerging Context) New Program Planning Summary CHAPTER 6: PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: DEVELOPING THE ORGANIZATIONAL BASE Staff Selection and Training Development of a Referral Base Development of Job Bank Liaison with Criminal Justice, Schools, Other Agencies, and Actors Summary CHAPTER 7: PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: SERVICE DELIVERY Screening and Intake Assessment Remedial Testing and Tutoring Work Acclimation Behavior and Crisis Management Job Placement and Followup Social Support Summary CHAPTER 8: EVALUATION Summary APPENDIX A: LIST OF PROGRAM REPORTS APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY AND DISCUSSION OF TERMS APPENDIX C: A FEW SELECTED EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS TARGETING GANG YOUTH APPENDIX D: JOB DEVELOPMENT BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDIX E: JOB DEVELOPMENT FLOW CHART APPENDIX F: SOURCES OF FUNDING GANG LITERATURE BIBLIOGRAPHY ------------------------------ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY How to assess a gang problem and successfully implement an opportunity provision strategy is the purpose of this manual. Chapters will go into specific detail regarding how to implement an employment program for gang youth and review steps in developing and planning an employment program targeting gang youth. It is impossible to address the problem of gangs without reference to the declining labor force participation and earnings of young men. At the same time, it is possible that strategies that lower dropout rates, lower arrest rates, reduce institutional racism, strengthen family structure, and provide economic opportunity for young men will, also, reduce gangs and gang violence. Legitimate jobs are an alternative to street crime and hustling. To provide economic opportunities for gang youth, certain strategies and programs must be adopted to meet the unique needs of gang and gang-prone youths. The intent of programs should be to develop entry-level jobs for gang youth that provide adult status, adequate income, and good interpersonal relations and to redirect gang youth to employment and away from street crime and violence. In addition to expanding community-based job development and training programs, other approaches that establish school-to-work transition services need consideration. These approaches include: (1) School-based vocational, preemployment training, internship, and apprenticeship programs--High school gang and high-risk students must spend part of their time in programs designed to enhance employability following graduation; (2) Youth- operated enterprises--Youths act as entrepreneurs and develop and manage small businesses; (3) Job Corps--The Job Corps, a residential program where youths receive remedial education, vocational, and technical training, and work maturity skills, needs expansion to include far more gang member and gang-prone youth than it presently accepts; and (4) State and local youth corps--State or local governments establish a youth conservation corps that includes elements similar to Job Corps. Youths work in numerous public service projects designed to provide some training. Effective opportunity provision and social intervention require community support, planning, knowledge, and commitment. Effective program design will require a logical process of assessment, planning, goal definition, implementation, and evaluation. The agency must make a careful, objective assessment of agency resources, characteristics of a community gang problem, and local labor market conditions. The assessment will serve as a basis for defining goals and objectives and for making decisions regarding the feasibility of program expansion or the need to develop an employment program. It is extremely important to determine if the local gang problem is emergent or chronic. A community needs to determine the history of the gang problem in terms not only of violence and serious criminal behavior, but how intractable the problem has been; i.e., what seems to work or not work. This decision will later serve as a basis for decisionmaking and program implementation. In emerging cities, expansion of existing programs can fill this resource gap by developing a youth employment component targeting gang member and gang-prone youths. Expansion of existing programs or creating new programs is dependent on agency mission, available resources, staff within an agency with needed expertise, and agency commitment to serve the employment needs of gang youth. Where adequate resources are not present, the agency will need to pursue additional resources. In a chronic context, a new program structure may be required. Since the task of an opportunity provision strategy is ultimately to place gang members into legitimate jobs that are alternatives to street crime, hustling, and gang violence; the agency must also make a careful assessment of local labor market conditions. There are three basic tasks in carrying out an assessment. These activities are: (1) establishing an interagency or agency working group, such as a task force or committee; (2) gathering information and making recommendations; (3) planning and implementing services. We highly recommend that representatives or individuals who are in decisionmaking roles within the agency and local and citywide community organizations serve on the working group. This will greatly expedite the planning and implementation of an effective opportunity provision strategy. In this process, it is also important to obtain the support of the grassroots community. Collecting information from key informants, parents, local ministers, and store owners, will enable consideration of their opinions and beliefs regarding causes, scope, and seriousness of the gang problem. Holding public hearings is a way to gather information on the gang problem and, also, raise public awareness and concern for the problem. If resources are available, the agency should consider site visits to one or more employment programs. This can provide valuable information regarding program structure and what works and does not work. This will save months during the planning phase of program implementation. The data collection process will result in a great deal of information about gangs. It is important, however, that the agency emphasizes obtaining objective, verifiable information; to the extent possible, the agency must thoroughly research anecdotal accounts, opinions, and beliefs and recheck them for reliability and validity. Examples of goals for an employment program targeting gang youth are: (1) To develop entry-level jobs for gang youth that provide adult status, income, and good interpersonal relations; (2) To prepare youths for entry-level employment; (3) To provide gang youths with remedial education, social services, and supervision; (4) To address two critical points of gang youths' development-- early teens--before commitment to gang life--and-- late adolescence--when youth sees less benefit in gang life and increased risk of imprisonment, injury, or death; (5) To redirect gang youths to employment and away from street crime and violence; and (6) Most important, to reduce gang violence and serious gang crimes. After the working group has set goals and to some extent objectives, the next task is to decide on a structure for an employment gang program. We recommend that the program have the following components: specialized staff, intake and assessment, remedial education, work acclimation, job placement and followup, suppression, and social support (see appendix E). To maximize program effectiveness, the new program will need to hire specialized staff or use current staff in new roles. The program should target gang youth between 14 and 24 years old. This should include leaders, hardcore, gang-prone, and fringe members in some appropriate order of priority. Suggestions for specialized staff for an employment program targeting gang youth are: (1) Program Director--The Program Director is responsible for hiring staff, maintaining the agency budget for the physical plant, implementing the overall program, and evaluating staff and programs; (2) Job Development Specialist--The Job Development Specialist is responsible for developing the job bank and convincing employers to hire gang youth; (3) Outreach/Intake Worker--The Outreach/Intake Worker is responsible for developing a referral base for gang youth; recruiting them to the program; and performing intake, skill, and gang involvement assessments; (4) Case Managers--Case Managers are responsible for team management and directly or indirectly providing social support, counseling, liaison with criminal justice and other agencies, referral, and parental contact and involvement; and (5) Teachers: Academic and Vocational--Teachers are responsible for assessment of educational and vocational skills and learning problems, curriculum development and tutoring of gang youth regarding basic job attitude and educational and vocational skills as needed. After hiring qualified staff, the agency must thoroughly train them prior to contact with gang youths. Training will enhance the knowledge and abilities that staff already bring to the job. Training should include: (1) Orientation to the agency and job, (2) Gang-specific training, and (3) Job development and placement training. In certain situations, gang youth may be more prone to disruptive physical behavior or physical confrontation. Therefore, it is necessary to train staff to prevent or handle problems or crisis situations. It is critical to contact social agencies, schools, and criminal justice agencies, especially the police, that target gang youths before program implementation in order to develop a referral base. This initial contact is an opportunity to describe the employment program and request help recruiting gang and gang-prone youth. It is possible that recruitment may be difficult primarily because gang members may be resistant, more likely ambivalent to involvement in an employment program. To counter this resistance, four strategies may be helpful: (1) Suppression, (2) Incentives, (3) Creative Recruitment, and (4) Development of a positive program reputation in the community. The job development task is to establish a meaningful exchange and a trusting relationship with employers. Employers who are flexible and willing to work with gang youths and agree to training to work with gang youths by the agency. This is vital to the success of a gang employment program. The Job Development Specialist must con- tinue to search for key people within the organization who can make decisions. Ferman (1980) found that companies that became involved in training programs were receptive to at least one of four types of appeal. Specifically, the types are that the program will: (1) Provide a source of labor supply not readily available to the company; (2) Benefit public relations through involvement by the company with the agency; (3) Solve particularly troublesome company manpower problems; (4) Enable the company to receive financial incentives to offset personnel cost (perhaps a tax credit). The program will need to establish working relationships with a variety of agencies; particularly agencies that refer youth to the program or actively work with youth in the program. The program must think carefully and develop guidelines for sharing information and maintain a balance between confidentiality (youth's right to privacy) and the other agencies need for information to serve the youth and protect the community. After all program development tasks are complete, the program must now screen and accept program participants. The Program Director must develop specific criteria for program participation of gang members and gang-prone youths. The program should not screen gang and gang-prone youths out of the program because of past criminal behavior, probation, or parole. The next step is a careful assessment of their motivation, employment needs, interests, and background. The Outreach/Intake Worker must assess each youth regarding the past and current criminal behavior and criminal justice contacts. However, the actual extent of involvement in criminal activity, gangs, and motivation to obtain a job and participate in the program may not become apparent until youth have developed relationships and confidence in staff. During the intake assessment, the program must make a determination regarding all youths educational skills and background. The agency must decide whether to test all youth for remedial education or to refer only youths who have an obvious need for testing and tutoring. In the past, some gang youths may have had only limited contact with the world of work and people who work. Therefore, they will require instruction in how to feel, think, and act as a worker. Training will need to start at zero; do not assume that they know anything about the world of work. Assume, instead, that they will need to be thoroughly prepared for eventual employment. This instruction will include knowledge of work organizational procedures, job interviewing, filling out application forms, and the development of interpersonal relationship skills. Also, integrate a general living skills and life skills focus into the program design. Life skills training should focus on individual competence, delay of gratification, and good decisionmaking. Work acclimation objectives may include: (1) improving the youth's interpersonal relationship skills, (2) transforming street-wise skills for use on legitimate jobs, (3) helping the youth develop the belief that legitimate jobs can be rewarding, (4) exposing the gang youth to the world of work and helping him assess his skills in relation to specific jobs, (5) technical training in specific job skills, and (6) preparing the youth for job placement. The agency must provide followup and build social support into the program to enhance training and job placement. Mentors, the employment program, probation, or parole can provide social support. It is critical to involve family and close friends of gang members in the program. The agency should consider having a series of sessions to help parents and close friends understand program structure, process, and goals. Finally, the program will need evaluation to obtain information regarding the success of program goals and objectives. It should measure the extent to which the program has been successful recruiting, training, and employing gang youth in meaningful jobs and reducing gang crime. The first step is to compile and summarize the program activity and process data into totals, percentages, averages, or other statistics. Next, evaluate client change by changes in the level of functioning of targeted behavior. Are job skills improved, attitudes toward work changed, or involvement in gangs and crime decreased? Then, an attempt can be made to gauge community impact; i.e., reduction of gang violence and serious criminal behavior. What is the current neighborhood or community incidence of the targeted problem and how has it changed since program implementation? The program can engage a local college or university to set up appropriate data collection methods and periodically assess program effectively. ------------------------------ CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION o Program Mission and Background o Purpose of the Manuals o Problem Statement o Discussion of Terms and Issues o Approach to the Problem o Summary Program Mission and Background Criminal youth gang activity represents a serious threat to the safety and security of local citizens and impedes positive youth development. In recent years, higher levels of youth gang violence and gang-related drug trafficking has been reported in an increasing number of neighborhoods, high schools, public housing projects, correctional institutions, and other social contexts throughout the country. In response, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Justice Department, entered into a cooperative agreement with the School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, in October 1987 to conduct the National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention Program. This program is a four-stage Research and Development process: Assessment, Prototype/Model Development, Technical Assistance, and Testing. Three of the four stages have been completed. Stage 1 included a comprehensive review of the research and program literature on youth gangs, a survey of programs in 45 cities, selected site visits, conferences, and special studies. During Stage 2, gang suppression and intervention models were produced for police, prosecutors, judges, probation, corrections, parole, schools, employment, community-based youth agencies, and grassroots organizations. Additionally, separate manuals for comprehensive planning and for community mobilization were developed. Stage 3 involved the creation of 12 technical assistance manuals which provide guidelines to implement the policies and procedures presented in the models. The ten agency manuals specify both organizational and community perspectives for dealing with the youth gang problem. The other two manuals outline specific procedures and processes for planning a comprehensive community approach to youth gang suppression and intervention. (See appendix A for a list of documents.) The program models and technical assistance manuals were based on the findings of the initial project assessment stage as well as extensive consultations with policymakers, administrators, and practitioners at local and national levels. Two regional conferences were held with policymakers and administrators from 16 cities who contributed to the development of the final version of the manuals. Purpose of the Manuals The purpose of the technical assistance manuals is to present detailed steps for the control and reduction of youth gang crime, especially gang-motivated violence. The manuals seek to provide governmental authorities, criminal justice organizations, social agencies, and community groups with strategies that encourage gang-prone and gang-involved youth to terminate criminal activity and to participate in legitimate social, academic, and employment pursuits. Broad preventive policies that deal with larger social issues such as poverty and racism, housing, education, jobs, and health care are addressed only on a limited basis in the manuals. Key issues of family breakdown, violence in the media, and the proliferation of sophisticated weapons need to be directly addressed as they contribute to the youth gang problem. They are dealt with here mainly as conditions within which special organizational policies and procedures and community mobilization must be developed. Local administrators and policymakers are the primary audience, but the manuals should also be useful to other officials and personnel concerned with the problem, including agency supervisors, front-line workers, and community volunteers. The manuals are not intended to serve in the place of more general models and manuals dealing with delinquent or troublesome youth in the criminal justice and human service fields; they are intended as a supplement to them. Even so, the manuals should be of value in dealing with youth crime more generally. This is because the youth gang problem can be viewed as part of a larger set of crime and delinquency and youth socialization problems. Problem Statement During the 1980's and early 1990's, more criminally oriented and better organized gangs or cliques have become prevalent in many urban communities. More young people from diverse backgrounds and settings are joining gangs to meet social and economic needs not satisfied through existing institutions, e.g., family, school, and employment. The youth gang has become an alternative, mainly antisocial, institution for an increasing number of youth. Why youth gangs have developed and become more criminal and complex organizations is not clear. The type and severity of youth gang problems may be largely a response to two conditions, poverty or limited access to social opportunities and social disorganization, i.e., the lack of integration and stability of social institutions including family, school, and employment in a local community. Certain factors exacerbate these two social conditions to produce varying gang subcultures and systems. They include: o large and rapid population movement of low-income minorities into a community; o intergenerational gang traditions; o defects of social policy and coordination of service delivery at local and national levels; o institutional racism; o insecurities of certain working and middle class populations "threatened" by newcomers; and o the growth of criminal opportunities. Examples are the following: Violent youth gang subcultures often develop when gang-affiliated African-American and Hispanic youth move from central cities to smaller cities and suburban areas without adequate social, family, economic, and educational supports. Violent gang subcultures may also develop when new waves of poor immigrants from Mexico, Central America, the Pacific Islands, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea, the Philippines, and other Asian countries arrive in urban communities. The newcomer groups are often met with hatred and resentment, sometimes manifested in physical attacks. Gangs may form and become rapidly entrenched, first as defensive, and then as offensive groups. Furthermore, in ghetto, inner-city African-American, and Hispanic communities, a limited criminal opportunity system often develops. Gangs in these communities may change from status- oriented, conflict groups to highly predatory, criminal-gain groups. Over time, sophisticated instrumental rather than traditional or status-oriented youth gangs may develop, with special interest in drug trafficking and other economic criminal activity. In some communities across the country, particularly in the western States but increasingly elsewhere, the influx of low-income and working- class Pacific-Islander and Asian groupsþe.g., Tongan, Filipino, Hong Kong, Korean, Vietnamese, Laotian, or Cambodianþhas resulted in other varieties of youth gang problems. Second-generation youths, who were born in this country or who arrived as pre-teens, may seek protection, prestige, and income through gang membership. Some of these gangs adopt African-American or Hispanic gang patterns; others become closely connected to traditional ethnic-based, adult criminal organizations. Criminal activities can include home invasions, business extortion, robbery, rape, intimidation, and a range of racket activities. These newcomer youth gangs, and the Asian communities upon which they prey, are difficult for local law enforcement, schools, and community organizations to penetrate or influence because of cultural, communication, and trust problems. Some blue-collar or middle class communities are characterized by growing economic, social, and cultural pressures as well as by increasing family or personal disorganization. Some of these formerly stable, predominately white communities have become centers for youth groups with a "nothing to lose attitude." Youth gangs or their equivalent such as Satanic, Stoner, punk rocker, hate, Neo-Nazi, or racist Skinhead groups may participate in a wide range of loosely organized criminal acts, characterized by perverse and negative behavior, including vandalism, drug use, homosexual assaults, and even homicides. Additionally, in certain stable, lower middle class communities, whether African-American, Latino, Pacific Islander, Asian, white, or Native American, the gang problem may assume a more organized and usually less violent character. Youth may become relatively more involved in extortion, car theft, burglary, robbery, sophisticated drug trafficking, and various lucrative quasi-racket activities which are not necessarily conducted in the "home communities." Legitimate business and criminal interests may be relatively well integrated. Furthermore, specialization of criminal youth gang patterns by race and ethnicity seemingly exists. Economic, social, and cultural factors may, in fact, be the cause. Thus, some African-American youth gang or clique members may be heavily engaged in street-level crack-cocaine trafficking; Mexican-American youth gang members may be relatively more involved in violent turf-based activity, and Asian gang members may be more mobile and closely related to adult crime organizations involved in crimes such as extortion, robbery, and international drug trafficking. However, these youth gang subcultures also exist side by side, interact, integrate with, or succeed each other over time. In some communities youth gangs are interracial and interethnic. In spite of the many and changing varieties of gang subcultures that can be found, a common denominator among them is that most of these groups are comprised of youth who share somewhat similar values and a keen sense of personal failure and low self-esteem. For many gang youth, violence has become an acceptable way of life, partially sanctioned by the larger society. Violence is seen on nightly newscasts, in the movies, on evening television, and Saturday morning cartoons, and encouraged by certain "rap" stars. Violence is projected as a means of resolving authority, low self-esteem, and racial/ethnic problems. Discussion of Terms and Issues (See also Appendix B Glossary) It is important to accurately identify key components of the youth gang problem in order not to exaggerate, deny, or mythologize them. This is necessary in order to develop appropriate policies and procedures to deal with the different or varying street gang problems and subcultures encountered. The components are: 1) the criminal youth gang, 2) the youth gang member, and 3) the gang incident. The central focus of the manuals is control and reduction of gang-motivated violence. We are not primarily interested in highly organized drug trafficking by groups concerned only with profit, although there are often important connections between these associations and the youth or street gang. However, we are concerned with drug trafficking or predatory youth cliques to the extent they participate in, depend on, and influence the development of violent gang activities. Youth gang members engage increasingly in both violent, status-related crime and entrepreneurial or predatory criminal activities. If a youth group engages primarily in criminal entrepreneurial activity and participates periodically in serious violence, it falls within the scope of our concern. Our concern is also with differences between emerging and chronic gang problem communities and the need for prevention and especially early intervention services. 1. Criminal Youth Gang This is a group often comprising both juveniles and young adults who engage in a range of social and antisocial behaviors. Cliques or members engage repetitively or at times spontaneously in violent, predatory, and criminal-gain behaviors. The criminal youth gang may be located within a neighborhood or across neighborhoods and even cities. It may be loosely or well organized with established rules of conduct. The youth gang may have a name, turf, colors, signs, symbols, and distinctive dress. The youth gang often promotes mutual support among members and conflict with competing gangs or established authority. Many of these groups are traditional turf-based gangs. Traditionally, the primary function of the youth gang has been to establish or protect the group's reputation and status within a framework of shared or communal values. This continues to be true for many youth gangs today. Some youth gangs, however, do not display colors and are not primarily concerned with social status, but are more gain-oriented and more rationally organized. 2. The Youth Gang Member While the criminal youth gang includes some youth who conform primarily to conventional norms, most engage in a range of criminal behaviors. Most gang participants are in the age range of 12 to 24 years, although some preschoolers as well as persons into their 50's have been reportedly engaged in gang activities. The most serious and violent gang activity tends to be committed, however, by older adolescents and young adults. Some gang members may join for as little as a day, a week, or a month; others are members for years. Some members move from low to high gang status, from less serious to more serious criminal gang behaviors, and vice-versa, sometimes in different gangs. Far fewer females than males join youth gangs, although with the increase in number of gangs throughout the country more female members are probably involved in serious youth gang activities than in an earlier era. Available evidence indicates, however, that females usually join gangs later and leave earlier, and are usually involved in less violent or serious criminal behavior than males. About nine times as many males as females are arrested for gang crimes according to several studies. Less than one percent of gang homicide offenders are female. Female members typically are in groups affiliated with male gangs. Sometimes females are integrated directly as members into the gang proper, and are less frequently involved in independent all-female criminal youth gangs. There is some recent evidence that, in a few cities, females have assumed leadership roles in certain gang or criminal group activities, such as drug trafficking. Special attention needs to be directed at high-risk female gang members who are likely to be physically and sexually victimized, or who induce or facilitate male gang member assaults against other gangs. Traditional gangs may have different type of members: identifiable leaders, core, regular, associate, soldier, peripheral, wannabe, floater, veteran, or old-head members. The presence and definition of these categories of gang members, however, may be quite variable across the country. Of special interest, for purposes of control and prevention are two categories of gang youth: 1) the more serious, hardcore, often older gang youths; and 2) the younger, high-risk, often less committed gang youths. Agencies need to carefully identify gangs and gang members. This process should depend on use of multiple criteria such as gang member self-identification, statements by reliable witnesses, verification by a second independent agency source, prior police records and the youth's regular association with a known gang member. Participation by the youth in certain serious gang-motivated criminal incidents such as drive-by shootings must ordinarily precipitate a gang member identification process for gang suppression and intervention purposes. 3. The Gang Incident A gang incident is the unit for classifying and reporting an event as a gang crime, especially for law enforcement purposes. Reported gang incidents become the basis for determining whether a gang problem exists and for assessing its scope. The gang homicide is usually the key and most reliable measure of the seriousness of gang crime. However, identification of gang incidents, e.g., homicide, assault, or robbery, is neither a simple nor a standard procedure. Two different procedures or variations of them, are currently employed to determine whether a gang incident has occurred and should be recorded for law enforcement, and, consequently, public policy purposes. o Gang-Motivated In this procedure, a criminal act is defined as a gang incident if it grows out of gang motivation, interest, or specific circumstances that enhance the status or function of the gang. Examples include: intergang violence, gang retaliation, turf protection, intimidation, robbery, recruitment, or other criminal activity that affects the gang's reputation or interests as a whole. One or more members of the gang may be involved as a suspect, witness, offender, or victim in these circumstances. In classifying the incident, focus is on the nature of the specific situation in which the illegal act occurs, such as a drive-by shooting or the yelling of a gang slogan in the course of the crime. Crimes such as burglary, car theft, prostitution, and drug trafficking by a gang member are problematic because it is hard to determine whether the act is gang-motivated. Many criminal acts serve individual member needs unrelated to gang interests. On the other hand, seemingly individual or self-serving crimes by gang or aspiring gang youth may be gang-motivated. For example, a youth may be required or feel compelled to commit a particular property or person crime because of pressures by the gang. o Gang-Related This procedure is based on the characterization of a crime or delinquent act as a gang incident when the suspect, offender, or victim is a gang member, regardless of gang motivation or circumstances. Usually, any serious criminal act, especially of a violent, predatory, or drug trafficking nature, in which a gang member is involved, can be classified as a gang incident. For example, the crime of a gang member who steals from a store--even though that act has nothing directly to do with his gang membership--would be classified as a gang-related incident. (See appendix B for a discussion of mixed situations and erroneous classification of group delinquency as gang crime.) o Which Definition to Use The argument in favor of using the gang-motivated definition is that it focuses sharply on the circumstances of the incident rather than the identification of the individual as a gang member. It may be more precise and valid than the gang-related definition. It withstands court challenges better. It also avoids excessive labeling or exaggeration of the gang problem. The counter argument is that the gang-motivated definition minimizes the actual scope of the gang crime problem. It encourages organizational or community denial of the problem. A key assumption of the proponents of the gang-related definition is that a gang member is likely to engage in a wide range of serious crimes because gang membership predisposes him or her to do so. Evidence for this argument is not substantial, however. Police and prosecutors generally believe that it is desirable to identify gang members and their activities as completely as possible. Police are particularly concerned that the full range of criminal activities of the gang member be available for efficient tracking and investigation purposes. We recommend a procedure that avoids excessive labeling of youth but ensures protection of the community. A gang-incident procedure should be devised that records and distinguishes between gang-motivated and non-gang-motivated crime committed by the gang member. All serious criminal incidents by repeat gang offenders should be clearly "flagged" on criminal justice computer systems. An effective computerized information system permits use of either or both procedures to track gang-motivated incidents and gang member crime. 4. Gang Problem Contexts and Chronic and Emerging With the growth and spread of the youth gang problem, a two-fold categorization of the problem context has come into use: Chronic and Emerging. Our manuals stress the differences in these contexts as a basis for the development of distinctive strategies, policies, and procedures for gang suppression and intervention. Simply put, a more preventive or early intervention approach may be required in the emerging gang problem context, while a more elaborate and formalized suppression, intervention, and prevention approach may be necessary in the chronic context. o Chronic Gang Problem Context This organizational or community context is characterized by persistent or periodic crises of major gang member violence and sometimes related drug trafficking extending over a period of five to ten years or more, or even decades. Youth gangs are usually better organized in these communities, which are often located in larger or older cities. These contexts are likely to be found in impoverished, ghetto, or transitional areas or ports of entry of inner cities, although they are increasingly found in smaller cities and suburban communities. o Emerging Gang Problem Context This organizational or community context is characterized by less well organized and persistent, but at times serious, forms of gang violence and gang member drug trafficking. Usually, the gang problem has been present and/or recognized for five years or less. To some extent, the development and spread of the problem may be traced to the influence of new settlers or gang-crime entrepreneursþfor example, drug traffickersþfrom chronic problem cities or contexts. Youth gangs in emerging problem areas tend to be fewer in number and most often evolve out of local delinquent, sometimes social, groups under deteriorating economic or social situations for minority, newcomer, or socially isolated populations. The distinction between the concepts of chronic and emerging gang problem communities, however, are not sharp. Indicators related to the onset of the problem, its duration, degree of gang organization, severity of gang violence and related gang member drug trafficking, as well as the appropriate response to the problem(s) are not neatly categorized by the terms "chronic" and "emerging." Emerging gang problem communities may develop into chronic; and chronic gang problem communities may go through periods of sharply diminished gang activity before the problem reemerges. Different parts of a community or jurisdiction may be charac- terized by different stages or degrees of severity of the problem at a given time. 5. Variability of Gang, Drug Trafficking, and Crime Problems For policy and program purposes, it is important to that youth gangs involved in gang violence are not necessarily involved in drug trafficking. Some communities that have high levels of youth gang violence may have relatively low levels of drug trafficking; other communities with high levels of drug trafficking may have low levels of youth gang activity. Drug trafficking may succeed, or serve either to diminish or increase, patterns of youth gang violence. Finally, high levels of general criminality in a community do not necessarily indicate high levels of gang activity. Some cities with the highest levels of youth homicide and drug trafficking may have relatively limited youth gang activity. 6. Prevention The focus of this and the other technical assistance manuals in our Research and Development program is on issues of intervention and suppression in contexts where the gang problem is clearly present. Here, prevention refers mainly to secondary forms of prevention, or early intervention, which reduces the likelihood that highly gang-prone or the younger gang member will commit or continue to commit gang crimes. This is to be accomplished through effective controls, direct treatment or services, and provision of legitimate opportunities. In our concept, prevention requires change and development by the individual youth as well as within his or her social environment. Most youth from low-income and social problem- ridden communities are not involved in delinquent gang activities. Finally, we note that a simple prevention model that emphasizes exclusive concern with younger youth may be unsuccessful. Such a model does not take into consideration system effects, including the influence of older youth on "wannabe" or younger youth. All key components of the systemic problem need to be addressed. Approach to the Problem The manuals specify five major lines of action or strategies: community mobilization, opportunities provision, suppression, social intervention, and organizational change and development. These strategies must be combined in different ways depending on the problem context, the specific mission of the organization, and the kind of youth targeted for special attention. 1. Community Mobilization Community mobilization is necessary in socially disorganized communities. Social disorganization, which contributes to the development of criminal youth gangs, may be characterized by the weakness of existing legitimate institutions such as home, school, and employment; the failure to integrate norms, values, and roles of different social institutions; and the fragmentation of criminal justice or community service delivery systems, within and across communities. Both local and Federal interests and resources must be mobilized for the development of collaborative community and interagency activities and a cohesive community genuinely directed at the control and reduction of the youth gang problem. In times of restricted local community resources, coordinated or agency consortium efforts are essential. These should include the full and productive use of local, State, and Federal resources; moral and political pressures; and local citizen participation and action. (See also General Community Design and Community Mobilization manuals.) 2. Opportunities Provision The provision of additional social opportunities-- i.e., the development of a variety of targeted educational, training, and employment programsþis the second most important component over the long term for the reduction and prevention of the youth gang problem, particularly in chronic contexts. The schools need to provide remedial and enriched educational programs for gang-prone and hardcore gang youths. Education, training, and jobs are especially critical for older youth, still in gangs, who are not in school but who are at "positive risk" at a certain point in their social maturation for leaving the gangs, or for decreased participation in criminal gang activity. A key objective of these programs should be developing socially competent youth, whether in or out of school. (See School and Employment manuals.) 3. Social Intervention Youth-serving agencies and grassroots community groups must "reach out" and act as a link between gang youth and the conventional world. Staff or adult volunteers of these organizations must develop meaningful relationships with these youth. Community-based youth agencies should facilitate access to pertinent opportunity systems and exercise social controls that contribute to socialization of gang youth. Special efforts are also required to coordinate services for these youth. (See Community-Based Youth Agency manual.) 4. Suppression Social control procedures, particularly those of criminal justice but also of community-based agencies, are essential for community protection and for the prevention and reduction of the problem. Youth gang suppression involves not only law enforcement but a variety of other agencies and community groups in the targeting, monitoring, supervision, and if necessary, restraint of gang offenders. It requires the anticipation, prevention, and limitation of the effects of gang crime in particular situations to protect both youth participants and the community. Arrest, prosecution, imprisonment, and close supervision of gang youth are insufficient, however, unless joined with other community- oriented strategies to achieve long-term impact on the problem. This means that community-based agencies and local groups must accept and collaborate with criminal justice agencies in patrol, surveillance, and certain information- sharing under conditions that protect both youth and the community. Police, prosecution, and other criminal justice agencies must develop a variety of social intervention, opportunities, prevention, and community involvement programs to supplement their primary goal of suppressing gang crime. (See especially Police, Prosecution, and Probation manuals.) Furthermore, policymakers, administrators, and practitioners in the criminal justice system have a special responsibility to withstand pressures from the public and other units of the justice system to carry out an exclusive strategy of suppression to deal with the youth gang problem. 5. Organizational Change and Development Finally, the above strategies need to be appropriately organized, based on the nature and scope of the problem in the community and the mission of the particular organization. Organ- izational development and change require better use and reallocation of available resources with agencies and neighborhoods, but also across communities. Common definitions, improved communi- cation, resident involvement, and coordination within as well as across agencies and contiguous communities dealing with the problem are also required. Both community mobilization and organizational development strategies whether in emerging or chronic gang problem contexts, should be closely interrelated to create efficient and cohesive system/community/regional arrangements for dealing with the gang problem. Targeting To conserve resources and most effectively deal with the youth gang problem, it is important to target certain communities, organizational contexts, gangs and gang members, or gang-prone youth. Special emphasis on community mobilization is required in both emerging and chronic gang communities. Opportunity provision must also be emphasized for chronic problem communities and contexts. Neighborhoods and organizations, particularly schools, experiencing serious gang problems, should be priority targets for suppression and intervention efforts. Certain youth gangs or gang-like groups clearly committed to violent and serious criminal activity should receive priority attention. This is to avoid unnecessary labeling and widening the net of gang delinquency and crime through inappropriate criminal justice and community-based agency attention. It is also to concentrate resources on the heart of the presenting problem. Finally, individual youth should be targeted in the following order of priority purposes: o First, leadership and core gang youths--to disrupt gang networks, protect the community, and facilitate the reintegration of these youths into legitimate pursuits through community-based or institutional programming; o Second, high-risk gang-prone youth who are often younger or aspiring gang members who give clear indication of beginning participation in criminal gang activities--to prevent further criminal gang involvement through early intervention, preferably community-based services; and o Third, regular and peripheral gang members--to generally address their needs for control and intervention services. Finally, a caution! The policies, procedures, and steps recommended in the manuals should be viewed as promising but not yet systematically researched through field testing. Summary The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Justice Department, entered into a cooperative agreement with the School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, to conduct the National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention Program. The scope and seriousness of the problem was analyzed from both an organizational and community perspective. Models or prototypes were developed. Technical Assistance manuals were created which focused on the implementation of policies and procedures in emerging and chronic gang problem communities and contexts. The manuals address the gang problem in terms of critical characteristics of the youth gang, its membership, and the way the problem is defined. Focus is on controlling, reducing, and preventing gang-motivated violent and serious criminal youth gang activity. The mission of suppression and intervention as specified requires five key strategies: community mobilization, opportunities provision, social intervention, suppression, and organizational change and development. Key targets of a program should be leadership and core gang as well as high-risk gang-prone youth. "There has been an increase in the Youth Gang problem and the need for information and guidance." "This Technical Assistance manual is part of a four-stage Research and Development process." "Twelve manuals have been produced." "The purpose is to present a set of guidelines to reduce youth gang crime." "Administrators and policymakers are the primary audience." "The gang problem has changed and grown more serious in most regions of the country." "Poverty and social disorganization are key conditions contributing to the problem." "Under different community conditions, different types of gang problems appear to develop." "There are variations in the gang problem by race/ethnicity, class, and newcomer status." "Growing economic, social, and cultural pressure can contribute to the development of youth gangs." "Violence may be encouraged by the media." "Key components of the problem are the youth gang, youth gang member, and the gang incident." "Gang-motivated violence and not drug trafficking is the key but not exclusive concern of the manual." "The traditional youth gang is turf-based and status-oriented, but other kinds of gangs have also developed." "The focus of concern is the youth gang member, 12 to 24 years of age." "Fewer females than males are gang members." "Attention needs to be directed at high-risk female gang members." "Different types of gang members should be carefully identified." "Different definitions of the gang incident exist." "The gang-motivated definition focuses on the nature of the criminal act." "The gang-related definition focuses on identification of the criminal suspect as a gang member." "The narrow gang-motivated definition avoids excessive labeling." "The gang-related definition may be more useful to criminal justice officials." "Emerging and chronic gang problem contexts may require different suppression and intervention approaches." "The gang problem has had a longer history and is usually better organized and more severe in the chronic context." "The gang problem is recent, less well organized, but sometimes very serious in the emerging context." "High levels of general crime are not necessarily closely associated." "Secondary prevention is included in the manuals' perspective." "Different strategies of suppression and intervention have been identified." "Community mobilization is critically important." "The opportunities provision strategy focuses on the importance of education, training, and jobs for high-risk and gang-prone and gang member youth." "Social intervention is based on an "outreach" and linkage approach of gang youth to the conventional society." "The strategy of suppression is defined in broad social control terms and requires more than the involvement of criminal justice agencies." "Criminal justice strategies must also include community mobilization, social intervention, and opportunities provision." "Organizational development and change focuses on internal agency resources to deal with the youth gang problem." "Targeting of certain communities, gangs, and gang members is necessary to make the best use of limited resources for dealing with the problem." "High gang crime neighborhoods, certain types of gangs, and gang members should receive priority attention." "Key targets of community agency and grassroots attention should be leadership and core gang as well as high-risk gang-prone youths." ------------------------------ CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTIONþOPPORTUNITY PROVISION STRATEGY o What This Manual Will Do o Problem Statement o Rationale and Perspective o School-to-Work Transition o Overview of Community-Based Design Process o Summary What This Manual Will Do How to assess a gang problem and successfully implement an opportunity provision strategy is the purpose of this manual. Chapters will review steps in developing and planning an opportunity provision, in particular an employment program targeting gang youth. The remainder of this chapter will describe why such a strategy should work with gang youth, provide a rationale and perspectives for an opportunity provision strategy, and give a summary of the program design process. The next chapter will provide steps for a community to get started. These steps include: o The purpose and characteristics of an assessment. o How to assess a community gang problem. o The assessment of local labor market factors. Subsequent chapters will go into specific detail regarding how to implement an employment program for gang youth. The manual concludes with a glossary and bibliography that may be helpful in developing an opportunity provision or employment program. Problem Statement: Why An Opportunity Provision Strategy (Employment Program) for Gang Youth? It is impossible to address the problem of gangs without reference to the declining labor force participation and earnings of young men. The increase in the gang problem, at least partially, is the result of the unemployment and underemployment of minority males; particularly young black men. Declining opportunity in the manufacturing sector, discrimination, and the movement of industry to the suburbs contribute to their employment problems. Inner-city gang and gang-prone youth are among those who have the highest rates of school failure, unemployment, and the least appropriate employment skills and work attitudes. Many of these youths are from poor, single parent families. Therefore, it is no surprise that these youths join gangs, presenting enormous problems for themselves, their families, and the criminal justice system. They participate in illegal economic alternatives to work. At the same time, it is possible that strategies that lower dropout rates, lower arrest rates, reduce institutional racism, strengthen family structure and provide economic opportunity for young men will also reduce gangs and gang violence. Legitimate jobs are an alternative to street crime and hustling. Rationale and Perspective for Opportunity Provision Strategy To provide economic opportunities for gang youth, certain strategies and programs must be adopted to meet the unique needs of gang and gang-prone youths. Community-based job development and training programs that target gang youth must be created or expanded. The intent of programs should be to develop entry-level jobs for gang youth that provide adult status, adequate income, and good interpersonal relations and to redirect gang youth to employment and away from street crime and violence. Such a program will require not only job development, remedial education, and the connections between the two, but supervision of gang youth on probation or parole by criminal justice agencies as well. Focus must be on the development of meaningful, legitimate educational and problem-solving capacity for gang youths. It is imperative that the full range of gang youth to be targeted for services, include leaders and hardcore members, and that agencies avoid the practice of "creaming" or focusing on youth who are already functioning reasonably well. Program emphasis is on the provision of economic opportunity, through education and job training, and social intervention. Yet, the program must include components of a suppression strategy; i.e., supervision of some participants by criminal justice and other agencies. An effective program must include sanctions for counterproductive behavior. This will help control or extinguish criminal and antisocial behavior. School-to-Work Transition In addition to expanding community-based job development and training programs, other approaches that establish school-to-work transition services need consideration. These approaches include (Berlin and Sun 1988; William T. Grant Commission on Work, Family and Citizenship, January 1988, November 1988; and Quality Education for Minorities Project 1990): o School-based vocational, preemployment training, internship, and apprenticeship programs. High school gang and high-risk students must spend part of their time in programs designed to enhance employability following graduation. Schools in cooperation with private industry can develop partnerships that offer summer internship, apprenticeship training in particular trades, and in-school vocational and preemployment training. The idea is to improve the transition from school to work by enhancing the employment skills of gang and high-risk youth. o Youth-Operated Enterprises In this approach, youths act as entrepreneurs and develop and manage small businesses. This experience can increase their self-esteem, aspirations, and expectations of themselves. In addition, youths can acquire the skills, discipline, and values required in the work world. o Job Corps The Job Corps, a residential program where youths receive remedial education, vocational and technical training, and work maturity skills, needs expansion to include far more gang member and gang-prone youth than it presently accepts. Also, youths receive health and nutritional services, personal and group counseling, job placement, and other support services. This program graduates 74 percent of all enrollees and assists 75 percent of them to move to a job or full-time study. The program has already demonstrated its effectiveness in increasing the employment and life prospects of high-risk youth (William T. Grant Commission on Work, Family and Citizenship, January 1988). o State and Local Youth Corps In this approach, State or local governments establish a youth conservation corps that includes elements similar to Job Corps. Youths work in numerous public service projects designed to pro- vide some training. Overview of Community-Based Program Design Process Effective opportunity provision and social intervention require community support, planning, knowledge, and commitment. Effective program design will require a logical process of assessment, planning, goal definition, implementation, and evaluation. We recommend that opportunity provision (i.e., development and implementation of community- based employment programs) follow a six-stage process with the following stages: I. Problem Assessment II. Defining Goals and Objectives III. Organizational Development and Deciding on Program Structure IV. Program Implementation: Developing the Programs Organizational Base o Staff Selection and Training o Developing a referral base for gang youth o Developing a job bank o Liaison with other agencies V. Program Implementation: Service Delivery o Intake assessment and screening o Remedial tutoring and testing o Work acclimation o Behavior and crisis management o Job placement and followup o Social Support VI. Evaluation Summary The key points of this chapter are: 1. The purpose of this manual is to show how to assess a gang problem and successfully implement an opportunity provision strategy. 2. Subsequent chapters will go into specific detail regarding how to implement an employment program for gang youth. Chapters will review steps in developing and planning an opportunity provision, in particular an employment program targeting gang youth. 3. It is impossible to address the problem of gangs without reference to the declining labor force participation and earnings of young men. At the same time, it is possible that strategies that lower dropout rates, lower arrest rates, reduce institutional racism, strengthen family structure, and provide economic opportunity for young men will also reduce gangs and gang violence. Legitimate jobs are an alternative to street crime and hustling. 4. To provide economic opportunities for gang youth, certain strategies and programs must be adopted to meet the unique needs of gang and gang-prone youths. The intent of programs should be to develop entry-level jobs for gang youth that provide adult status, adequate income, and good interpersonal relations and to redirect gang youth to employment and away from street crime and violence. 5. In addition to expanding community-based job development and training programs, other approaches that establish school-to-work transition services need consideration. 6. These approaches include; (1) School-based vocational, preemployment training, internship, and apprenticeship programs--High school gang and high- risk students must spend part of their time in programs designed to enhance employability following graduation; (2) Youth-operated enterprises--Youths act as entrepreneurs and develop and manage small businesses; (3) Job Corps- -The Job Corps, a residential program where youths receive remedial education, vocational and technical training, and work maturity skills, needs expansion to include far more gang member and gang- prone youth than it presently accepts; and (4) State and local youth corps--State or local governments establish a youth conservation corps that includes elements similar to Job Corps. Youths work in numerous public service projects designed to provide some training. 7. Effective opportunity provision and social intervention require community support, planning, knowledge, and commitment. Effective program design will require a logical process of assessment, planning, goal definition, implementation, and evaluation. "This manual will discuss how to implement an employment program for gang youth." "The increase in the gang problem is related to the employment problems of minority group members." "The full range of gang members should be targeted." "School-based vocational, preemployment training, internship, and apprenticeship programs need to be created or expanded." "An objective assessment must be made of the community gang problem." ------------------------------ CHAPTER 3: ASSESSMENT o Purpose and Characteristics of Assessment o Establishing a Working Group o Gathering Information: Sources of Data o Chronic Versus Emergent Context o Agency Assessment o Summary Purpose and Characteristics of Assessment To properly implement an opportunity provision strategy, answers must be found for many questions: o Does the community have a gang problem? o Are the gangs in the community involved in serious rivalry, drug dealing, or serious gang violence? o What are the number of gangs and gang members in the community? o How long have they been active in the community? o What is their age range? o Where do the gangs "hang out"? o Where do the gang members live? o What employment skills do the gang members have? o Does this community or agency have the resources to provide employment development and training to gang members? o If not, what new resources will be needed and where will they come from? o How will employers react to employing gang youth? To obtain this information, the agency must make a careful, objective assessment of agency resources, characteristics of a community gang problem, and local labor market conditions. From the agency perspective, the task is to assess the capacity to expand existing programs to include an employment component targeting gang youth. This assessment will serve as a basis for defining goals and objectives and for making decisions regarding the feasibility of program expansion or the need to develop an employment program. Since the task of an opportunity provision strategy is ultimately to place gang members into legitimate jobs that are alternatives to street crime, hustling, and gang violence, the agency must also make a careful assessment of local labor market conditions. This is a way not only to collect information about employment availability and skill requirements, but to meet potential employers as well. Such contacts can serve as a time to persuade employers to invest in the program and, where possible, guarantee entry-level jobs to gang members. There are three basic tasks in carrying out an assessment. This is relevant to assessing a community gang problem, agency resources, or local labor market conditions. The primary differences are the type of information collected and sources of the information. These activities are: o First, establishing an interagency or agency working group, such as a task force or committee. o Second, gathering information and making recommendations. o Third, planning and implementing services. This chapter discusses Steps 1 and 2 and subsequent chapters discuss the final step, planning and implementing services. The results of the assessment will determine program design. Establishing a Working Group The agency can use a variety of approaches to carry out an assessment. This can include establishing a working group composed of agency representatives, appointed from staff within an agency, or establishing a local community task force. The method chosen, of course, will take into consideration the scope and seriousness of the gang problem, the variety of agencies or consumers and neighborhood people involved, and the relative commitment to the development of opportunities and related services by each actor or agency. Assessment may involve only one or many agencies (i.e., community organizations) or actors that target the gang problem. However, we highly recommend that representatives or individuals who are in decisionmaking roles within the agency and local and citywide community organizations serve on the working group. This will greatly expedite the planning and implementation of an effective opportunity provision strategy. In this process, it is also important to obtain the support of the grassroots community. Gathering Information: Sources of Data General issues to identify: o Is there really a gang problem? o Is the gang problem chronic or emergent? o What are the causes of the gang problem? o Agency resources: internal and external. o Local labor market conditions. Sources used by the working group to collect data can include: o A review of the literature; a bibliography o School data o Law Enforcement/Court data o Social service agency data o Reviews of agency data for information on need for services and services already provided o New data, such as interviews with former gang members, surveys of agency or grassroots personnel or key informants, field observations, or public hearings o Site visits to existing employment programs targeting gang youth o Local employers School Data Local schools are a primary source of information about gangs and gang youths. A community gang problem most immediately spreads from the streets to the schools. Students who are gang members, particularly in the middle schools, may be failing which leads to destructive gang attitudes and behaviors. The youths establish turf, deface school property with graffiti, and exert control through intimidation and assaults on other students. Therefore, schools ordinarily have a great deal of information about the dynamics of the gang problem within and around the school. They also are the key source of academic and social information on these youths. Yet, due to confidentiality requirements, there is usually a limit to the type of information that schools can release to outside agencies, at least concerning individual students. Law Enforcement/Court Data Law enforcement agencies, particularly police departments, sometimes have gang crime units or staff designated to handle gang crimes. These agencies will usually share aggregate-level data regarding gangs and gang members. Data that might be available include: number of gangs; type and number of gang-related incidents; number of gang members; demographic characteristics of gang members; identity of gang leaders; conditions of rivalry between gangs; and a hypothesis regarding the precipitating causes of the gang problems and gang violence in particular parts of the high school or city. Social Service Data Social service agencies, drug treatment programs, public and non-profit community-based service agencies, and agencies that target ex-offenders, are also a source of information about gangs and gang youths. The quality of this information may vary depending on agency recordkeeping. However, the agency can obtain the following information: characteristics of the gang problem that they have witnessed or are aware of in the population served; types of services they provide to gang members; an appraisal of the employment and training needs of gang members that are not being addressed; and problems that they anticipate for an employment program targeting gang youth. It is important to obtain general information from other organizations (e.g., correctional authorities, churches, neighborhood organizations) regarding characteristics of gangs and gang members or any other information that might be helpful in understanding the job needs, qualifications, assets, and limitations of gang youths. Gathering New Data The agency can compile new data by interviewing former or selected gang members, surveying agency personnel and key informants, or holding public hearings. Interviews with former and present gang members may unearth information regarding their perceptions of the scope and seriousness of the gang problem, ideas regarding how to make an employment program more responsive to the unique needs of gang members, and potential problems of a gang employment program. Information from key informants, parents, local ministers, and store owners, will enable consideration of their opinions and beliefs regarding causes, scope, and seriousness of the gang problem. Holding public hearings is a way to gather information on the gang problem and, at the same time, raise public awareness and concern for the problem. The agency can collect information via face-to-face interviews or with a simple survey instrument. To collect this information: o First, a list should be assembled of key informants from whom you want to collect data. o Second, a list of names and addresses should be developed. The list should vary according to sources of information. o Third, an interview guide (i.e., list of questions that you want to ask) or a brief questionnaire should be prepared. o Questionnaires can be mailed, delivered directly to homes and offices if you have the manpower, or circulated through bulk distribution (i.e., distributing large numbers of questionnaires in the entire community). Site Visits to Other Programs If resources are available, the agency should consider site visits to one or more employment programs. This can provide valuable information regarding program structure and determining what works and does not work. This will save months of effort during the planning phase of program implementation. Since there are not many programs that target gang youth, the agency may need to visit programs out of town. A list of several is provided in appendix D. Local Employers The process described aboveþdeveloping a list, finding addresses, and arranging interviews or mailing questionnairesþis also relevant to collecting information from employers. However, the initial task must be to collect information on local community, city, and area jobs for which gang members might qualify. Local Private Industrial Councils can provide expert local information and assistance--what jobs are available, the skills needed, what kinds of training works best--normally at little or no cost (William T. Grant Foundation Commission on Work, Family and Citizenship 1988, p. 99). Once complete, a comprehensive list of available and potential local jobs and employers, and the means to use these sources can serve as a basis for developing a job bank. Where do you begin? Some sources of information are: o Newspaper ads--to get an idea of some vacancies and skill requirements. o Counselors at Federal/State employment agencies (i.e., Job Service). "Federal/State employment offices can be of particular assistance to ex-offenders. All offices can provide bonding for ex-offenders, if they need to obtain employment. They also have information on tax-breaks for employers who hire ex-offenders. The larger offices even have Ex-Offender Specialists (Boles 1990, p. 316)." o Personal contacts via friends, agency personnel, etc. o Literature search; most of these books can be obtained from the public library. American Society of Training and Development Directory Contains a list of professionals in the training and job development field. Can provide a lot of useful information. Contacts Influential: Commerce and Industry Directory Business in particular markets listed by name, type of business and key personnel. Encyclopedia of Business Information Lists electronic, print, and other information from 1100 business subjects. National Business Telephone Directory Contains phone numbers and addresses for 350,000 businesses and industrial companies. Occupational Outlook Handbook Manufacturers Registers Register of manufacturers for your State and area. Directory of Special Programs for Minority Group Members: Career Information Services, Employment Skills Bank, Financial Aid Sources Job Power: The Young People's Guide to Job Finding Jobs for Teenagers The Guide to Basic Skill Jobs, Vol. 1. A catalog of viable jobs for individuals who have only basic skills. Job Search Education Worksheets for the young job hunter. A Survival Source for Ex-Offenders Jobs '90; By Career, By Industry, By Region Contains leads on more than 40 million jobs and how to get them. Contains a complete Job Bank. Also, lists associations and directories relevant to minorities. This should get you started; a more complete bibliography can be found in appendix D. Chronic Versus Emergent Context Initially, it is extremely important to determine if the local gang problem is emergent or chronic. That is: o How long has there been a gang problem in the particular community and how serious is it? o How well organized are the gangs? o How deeply ingrained is the gang system? o What has been the nature and the effectiveness of community response to the problem? A community needs to determine the history of the gang problem in terms not only of violence and serious criminal behavior, but how intractable the problem has been; i.e., what seems to work or not work. This decision will later serve as a basis for decisionmaking and program implementation. Our research has found that an emerging gang problem usually occurs in smaller cities. Usually, gangs have been a problem for less than 5 years and involve fewer, usually younger youth. In an emerging context, there are fewer gangs than in a chronic context; gangs that do exist are less organized, or consistently involved in serious crime and violence. Gang-related drug trafficking has only just begun at the street level. In this context, usually more resources are available, and families and institutions are more cohesive and effective. The community may be better able to organize itself formally or informally to deal with the problem. In contrast, in a chronic context; the gang problem is longstanding (more than 10 years), intractable, complex, and severe. There are a large number of gangs, gang members, and a high level of organization. A defining characteristic in a chronic context is a relatively high number of gang-related incidents of serious crime and gang violenceþparticularly gang homicides. Drug trafficking by senior gang and ex-gang members has become an established practice. While particular organizations may have had long experience in dealing with gangs, their approaches are highly specialized, isolated, and usually interrelated with those of other organizations. Their approaches also often tend to be insufficiently community- based, the problem may have developed its own momentum, and gang and gang crime have become an accepted fact of life. The data collection process will result in a great deal of information about gangs. It is important, however, that the agency emphasizes obtaining objective, verifiable information, and to the extent possible, that the agency research anecdotal accounts, opinions, and beliefs thoroughly, rechecking for reliability and validity. Agency Assessment The decision regarding where and how to develop an employment program targeted at gang youth is a complex one that depends largely on the agency mission. Expanding existing programs or creating new ones is dependent on resources available, agency staff with the needed expertise, and agency commitment to serve the employment needs of gang youth. Where adequate re-sources are not present, the agency will need to pursue additional resources. Suggestions regarding possible resources are in appendix F. Summary The key points of this chapter are: 1. The agency must make a careful, objective assessment of agency resources, characteristics of a community gang problem, and local labor market conditions. This assessment will serve as a basis for defining goals and objectives and for making decisions regarding the feasibility of program expansion or the need to develop an employment program. 2. Since the task of an opportunity provision strategy is ultimately to place gang members into legitimate jobs that are alternatives to street crime, hustling, and gang violence; the agency must also make a careful assessment of local labor market conditions. 3. There are three basic tasks in carrying out an assessment. These activities are: (1) establishing an interagency or agency working group, such as a task force or committee; (2) gathering information and making recommendations; and (3) planning and implementing services. 4. We highly recommend that representatives or individuals who are in decisionmaking roles within the agency and local and citywide community organizations serve on the working group. This will greatly expedite the planning and implementation of an effective opportunity provision strategy. In this process, it is also important to obtain the support of the grassroots community. 5. Information from key informants, parents, local ministers, and store owners, will enable consideration of their opinions and beliefs regarding causes, scope, and seriousness of the gang problem. Holding public hearings is a way to gather information on the gang problem while raising public awareness and concern for the problem. 6. If resources are available, the agency should consider site visits to one or more employment programs. This can provide valuable information regarding program structure and determining what works and does not work. This will save months of effort during the planning phase of program implementation. 7. To start a job bank, the agency must collect information on local community, city, and area jobs for which gang members might qualify. Local Private Industrial Councils can provide expert local information and assistance. 8. It is extremely important to determine if the local gang problem is emergent or chronic. A community needs to determine the history of the gang problem in terms not only of violence and serious criminal behavior, but of how intractable the problem has been; i.e., what seems to work or not work. This decision will later serve as a basis for decisionmaking and program implementation. 9. The data collection process will result in a great deal of information about gangs. It is important, however, that the agency emphasizes obtaining objective, verifiable information, and that, to the extent possible, the agency thoroughly researches anecdotal accounts, opinions, and beliefs, rechecking for reliability and validity. 10. Expanding existing programs or creating new ones is dependent on agency mission, available resources, agency staff with the needed expertise, and agency commitment to serve the employment needs of gang youth. Where adequate resources are not present, the agency will need to pursue additional resources. "Answers must be obtained for many questions." "To obtain this information a careful assessment must be made." "Contact must be made with local employers." "Must make assessment of agency resources." "Various types of data sources are required." "Local schools are a primary source of information on gangs and gang youth." "Law enforcement agencies have gang crime units or specialized staff that keep data on gang crimes." "The quality of social service data may vary depending on collection methods." "Will need to collect new data from key community people." "Public hearing can help bring attention and make the public aware of the problem." "Visiting other gang employment programs can save months of planning or wasted effort." "The initial task must be to collect information on local community, city, and area jobs for which gang members may qualify." "A comprehensive list of employers and jobs and resource persons is the basis of a job bank." "Whether the community has an emergent or chronic gang problem will determine goals and objectives." "In a chronic context, drug trafficking by gang and ex-gang members is often an established practice." "Agency mission and resources must be assessed." ------------------------------ CHAPTER 4: DEFINING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES From the assessment process, the agency must develop a set of recommendations and goals for an employment program targeting gang youth. The working group or agency should now know: o the scope and seriousness of the gang problem o the employment needs of local gang members o the needs of potential employers o the availability of local resources o the adequacy of local resources to train and employ gang youth. In addition, the agency should have made the critical decision regarding whether or not the community has a gang problem and whether it is an emergent or chronic problem. Specific community and agency goals will vary, contingent on assessment findings and decisions about the nature of the problem. Answers to these questions will determine the focus of implementation and priority targets. In an emergent context, due to the availability of more skilled and semi-skilled jobs, access to employment may be easier. Therefore, the agency or community will not need to develop an intricate or new employment program. We then recommend focusing energies on expanding existing programs or networks and connecting gang youth with available jobs. By contrast, in a chronic context, gang problems are more intractable and, as our research shows, the problems of jobs, job training, and job access usually are severe. Therefore, the agency or community will urgently need to pay special attention to the employment needs of gang youths. The agency or community must direct energies on the development of a formal program planning and implementation process. The remainder of this manual will focus on how to plan, implement, and evaluate an employment program targeting gang youth. Due to resource limitations, it may not be possible to implement the entire employment program. The reader should feel free to implement components that are most relevant to his or her setting. In this situation, the agency should be sure to target gang youth and combine job development with intensive support services. Examples of goals for an employment program targeting gang youth are: o To develop entry-level jobs for gang youth that provide adult status, income, and good interpersonal relations. o To prepare youths for entry-level employment. o To provide gang youths with remedial education, social services, and supervision. o To address two critical points of gang youths' development: o Early teens--before commitment to gang life. o Late adolescence--the priority target--when youth sees less benefit in gang life and increased risk of imprisonment, injury, or death. o To redirect gang youths to employment and away from street crime and violence. o Most important, to reduce gang violence and serious gang crimes. "In an emergent context, will need to connect youth with available jobs." "A chronic community gang problem will require a new employment institution." "Will need to separate youth due to different degrees of commitment to the gang as well as different age-related employment needs." ------------------------------ CHAPTER 5: ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAM STRUCTURE o Expansion of Existing Programs (Emerging Context) o New Program Planning o Summary Expansion of Existing Programs (Emerging Context) Special organizational arrangements or employment programs for gang youth hardly exist. However, in emerging cities, expansion of existing programs can fill this resource gap by developing a youth employment component targeting gang member and gang-prone youths. These program areas include community-based agencies, private-industrial councils, schools, correctional facilities, parole, probation, and even drug treatment or sheltered workshop programs. New Program Planning After the working group has set goals and, to some extent, objectives, the next task is to decide on a structure for an employment gang program. We recommend that the program have the following components: specialized staff, intake and assessment, remedial education, work acclimation, job placement and followup, suppression, and social support (see appendix E--chart of program structure and process). The agency or community must involve some of the members of the working group as employees or consultants in the implementation process. They are now familiar with the dimensions of the local gang problem, available resources, and options for employing gang youths. To maximize program effectiveness, the new program will need specialized staff and the program should target gang youth between 14 and 24 years old. This should include leaders, hardcore, gang-prone, and fringe members in some appropriate order of priority. Due to the different employment and learning needs, we recommend separating gang youth in the following way, primarily because those under 18 years old will have limited employment opportunities due to labor legislation that restricts working hours and prohibits minors from working with heavy machinery or under hazardous conditions: o 14- to 16-year-old hardcore dropouts Program should emphasize remedial education, work readiness, and part-time work. o 14- to 18-year-olds still in school (gang member or gang-prone) Program should emphasize preapprenticeship training and remedial education at work and school. o 16- to 24-year-old hardcore dropouts Older adolescents comprise the priority group for a distinctive job development, training, and placement program. The gang problem in its leadership, severe crime, and most disruptive community, family, and personal character is reflected in this age group. Program should include remedial education, training, job development or employment, and career development in close cooperation with business and industry. Suggestions for specialized staff for an employment program targeting gang youth are: o Program Director The Program Director is responsible for hiring staff, maintaining the agency budget for the physical plant, implementing the overall program, and evaluating the staff and program. The Program Director also: o Contacts and meets with other agencies and community groups on a regular basis. o Has basic responsibility for development of a community approach to reducing the gang problem. o Attempts to influence local, State, and Federal policies regarding gangs. o Works for increased and directed funding for programs targeting gang youths. o Works for better communication and integration of service delivery targeting gang youths. Of particular importance is improved communication between school and employment programs, as well as criminal justice, human service, and employment programs. o Job Development Specialist The Job Development Specialist is responsible for developing the job bank and convincing employers to hire gang youth. He/she is also responsible for consulting with employers regarding conflict resolution; handling gang-related problems; communicating with gang members; and setting clear, fair, and firm limits on gang member behavior. o Outreach/Intake Worker The Outreach/Intake Worker is responsible for developing a referral base for gang youth; recruiting gang youths; and performing intake, skill, and gang-involvement assessments. He/she also assists in work acclimation, and performs client/employer skill-matching, referral, and some followup of youth on the job. The Outreach/Intake Worker is also responsible for liaison with outside agencies and community actors. Case Managers Case Managers are responsible for team management and directly or indirectly provide social support, counseling, liaison with criminal justice and other agencies, referral, and parental contact and involvement. Also, Case Managers are responsible for mentor recruitment and selection, followup, and problem resolution once a gang youth is placed on a job and involvement in work acclimation training. Case Managers are also responsible for liaison with outside agencies and community actors under the supervision of the Outreach/Intake Worker. o Teachers: Academic and Vocational Teachers are responsible for assessing educational and vocational skills and learning problems, developing curricula, and tutoring gang youth regarding basic job attitude and educational and vocational skills needed for a job. Summary The key points of this chapter are: 1. In emerging cities, expansion of existing programs can fill this resource gap by developing a youth employment component targeting gang member and gang-prone youths. 2. After the working group has set goals and, to some extent, objectives, the next task is to decide on a structure for an employment gang program. We recommend that the program have the following components: specialized staff, intake and assessment, remedial education, work acclimation, job placement and followup, suppression, and social support. 3. The agency or community must involve some of the members of the working group as employees or consultants in the implementation process. They are now familiar with the dimensions of the local gang problem, available resources, and options for employing gang youths. 4. To maximize program effectiveness, the new program will need specialized staff and the program should target gang youth between 14 and 24 years old. This should include leaders, hardcore, gang-prone, and fringe members in some appropriate order of priority. 5. Suggestions for specialized staff for an employment program targeting gang youth are: Program Director--The Program Director is responsible for hiring staff, maintaining the agency budget for the physical plant, implementing the overall program, and evaluating the staff and the program. Job Development Specialist--The Job Development Specialist is responsible for developing the job bank and convincing employers to hire gang youth. Outreach/Intake Worker--The Outreach/Intake Worker is responsible for developing a referral base for gang youth; recruiting gang youth; and performing intake, skill, and gang involvement assessments. Case Managers--Case Managers are responsible for team management and for directly or indirectly providing social support, counseling, liaison with criminal justice and other agencies, referral, and parental contact and involvement. Teachers: Academic and Vocational--Teachers are responsible for assessing educational and vocational skills and learning problems, developing curricula, and tutoring gang youth regarding basic job attitude and educational and vocational skills needed for a job. "First step is to set goals. Next must decide on program structure." "Specialized staff will be needed." "We recommend structuring the program by age group, commitment to the gang, and employment needs." "Program Director should attempt to influence State, Federal, and local policies regarding gangs." "Program will require a Job Specialist, Outreach/Intake Worker, Case Managers, and a Teacher. "Case managers are responsible for social support, counseling, and liaison with outside agencies." ------------------------------ CHAPTER 6: PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: DEVELOPING THE ORGANIZATIONAL BASE o Staff Selection and Training o Development of a Referral Base o Development of Job Bank o Liaison with Other Agencies o Summary Staff Selection and Training Staff Selection To get the program off the ground, the agency must select qualified staff. If the agency does not select qualified staff, the agency will not develop an effective team. We recommend the following procedures: 1. Identification of skills required for a particular position 2. Development of job descriptions 3. Talent search 4. Hiring procedures 1. Identification of Skills The first step is to take a close look at the job functions and responsibilities. Break down each job--the roles of Job Development Specialist, Outreach/Intake Worker, Case Manager, and Teacher-- to get a clear picture of functions and responsibilities. Consult the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, if necessary, to assist with the task (see appendix D). It has a complete list of occupations with relevant job descriptions. In general, staff who work with gang youth should have the following characteristics: o Technically qualified for a particular position. o Able to keep the best legitimate long- and short- term interests of gang youths in mind. o Knowledgeable about gangs, in general, and local gang problems, in particular. o Skilled in relationship-building techniques. o Possess good communication skills and are patient. o Are aware of community resources available for gang youths o Have the attributes of a good role model (punctuality, honesty, a good work ethic). o Are aware of gang culture and norms. o Able to deal with the difficult testing behavior of gang youths. o Objective and cool in a crisis. It is important that gang members have staff with whom they can identify and establish relationships. This will mean hiring some staff from the same background and sometimes the same neighborhood as the gang member. In situations where the program serves Hispanic gang members, some qualified staff should be bilingual. In addition, qualified former gang members who can easily establish rapport with gang youth may be helpful. However, avoid hiring someone who is still a gang member or committed to gang life. A commitment to reducing gang violence, and the ability to work flexible hours would also be helpful. While previous experience working with gangs or living in the community with gang members is important, it is not sufficient. Other candidates may be successful, if they possess experience, professional qualifications, and a commitment to helping such youth develop legitimate work careers. 2. Development of Staff Job Descriptions Define job responsibilities and required skills thoroughly and clearly. They should contain enough information so that the reader will get a clear picture of the job. Job descriptions should include: o Job Title o Salary, wages, and fringe benefits o Job functions and responsibilities o Required qualifications o Experience and education o Statement about equal opportunity employment o Any other pertinent information that relates to the particular job 3. Talent Search The selection process works most effectively when employers widely advertise information on job openings. Where do you find qualified staff people? After clarification of qualifications for the job: o First, look within your own agency for talent. o Next, send job descriptions to: o State employment services o Trade Journals o College placement offices o Graduate schools of social work, psychology, and sociology o Community, minority, and citywide newspapers o Radio and Television (if you have the resources) o Selected community-based agencies o Individuals who might have contact with qualified people Look for people who fit the job you are offering, who have empathy, and who can make a contribution to the successful vocational and social development of gang youth. Avoid people who will settle for the job. 4. Hiring Procedures Once you have completed identifying skills needed, developed job descriptions, and started your talent search, you will need to develop procedures for hiring staff. The first step is to review technical skills that you have decided are necessary. Your job descriptions will help with this. Then, you must examine candidates in light of specific job qualifications and organizational demands, given their past work experience and skills. Have candidates fill out an application, bring a resume, or both, to assess their past work experience, educational background, and writing skills. You should have in mind some minimal qualification so that you can quickly screen out candidates who do not qualify. After you develop procedures for hiring staff, you can begin to interview. Prior to the interview, complete a list of questions to ask each applicant that will help you assess the candidates' qualifications, job skills, and personal background. Remember, knowledge of gangs and local gang problem and the capacity to work with gang youths (strength of character, flexibility, commitment to legitimate norms, and being street-wise) are important. Try to ask the same questions to each applicant, so that you will have a basis for comparison. Ask questions regarding: o Gaps in employment history or education. o How applicants might handle confrontations with gang youth or other relevant crisis situations. o Why applicants are interested in working with gang youth. o Where they live and if they have access to transportation. Answers to these questions will help you make a judgment about the candidate's motivation, decisionmaking skills and capability under pressure, motivation, and future reliability. Hire the person who best fits the needs of the organization and position and potentially will be a good team member. Training After hiring qualified staff, the agency must thoroughly train them prior to contact with gang youths. Training will enhance the knowledge and abilities that staff already bring to the job. Training should include: 1. Orientation to the agency and job 2. Gang-specific training 3. Job development and placement training 1. Orientation This introductory phase of training should focus on agency mission, procedures, policies, program goals and objectives, and time and task management. Think these topics through in advance, and to the extent possible, prepare written documentation to be given to staff. Staff should know that opportunity provision is part of an overall community approach to the reduction of gang crime and violence. Discuss the role of the other agencies, if any, and procedures for collaboration and sharing of information. It also would be helpful to discuss the specific rationale behind an opportunity provision strategy, of which job preparation and training are critical components, as a tool to reduce gang crime and violence. In addition, you will need to thoroughly summarize program structure and process and give staff an overview of program design and their specific role in program implementation. Also, discuss all staff job descriptions at this time. Encourage staff to ask questions, share opinions, and give input regarding the development of rules for gang youth participation, handling rule infractions, and behavioral expectations. This will increase the likelihood that enforcement of rules will be timely, fair, and consistent. Finally, summarize specific documentation and recordkeeping requirements. Explain the requirement of careful recordkeeping by multiple program funding agencies and how recordkeeping will serve as a basis for later testing of program effectiveness. Spend some time talking about time and task management (how to organize work and use time effectively). New staff will have a lot to do--documenting and working directly with youth--and will need to know how to organize their time to complete all tasks without feeling overwhelmed. 2. Gang-Specific Training Training must also focus on general information about gangs. Where can you find this information? First, carefully review the bibliography of this manual and select readings that give a good overview of gangs. Next, consult outside experts (police, probation, parole, school, corrections, academics, or community-based agency staff) and invite them to participate in training seminars on gangs. Also, the findings of the comprehensive community assessment completed by the working group, after being updated, are a good source of information about the local gang problem. Include the following information in training seminars on gangs: o Local gang history and an understanding of gangs and gang subculture. o Causes of gang formation. o Factors that motivate individual gang members. o Ways to identify gangs; including gang symbols, language, attire, graffiti, and methods of gang recruitment. o General patterns of intergroup rivalry and violence in the particular community. o Nature of gang crimes, including violence, property crimes, and drug use and trafficking. o Ways to establish appropriate communication and productive relationships with gang members. o Methods for collecting information on gangs and gang structure; to include how to tell who is a leader, hardcore, or fringe member. o Methods of crisis intervention and gang mediation between gang members. o General methods and techniques of gang suppression and intervention; the limitations of a suppression-only approach. 3. Job Development and Placement Training Training should focus on: o Preparing youth for employment. o Techniques that maximize successful job placement. o Referring youth for further education and training. o Engaging gang youth in supportive counseling. Involve potential employers in this phase of training, either by giving input or acting as trainers, to help staff understand the required knowledge, job attitudes, and skills. At this time, summarize the specific work acclimation curriculum (see below, chapter 7, section on Work Acclimation) and role of each staff. If necessary, bring in an outside expert to teach how to engage gang youths in supportive counseling. Topics should include: how to master resistance to participation; how to handle hostility and acting out behavior; how to support gang youths attempts to change; how to enhance self-esteem and self-discipline; and how to handle issues related to the youth leaving the gang. 4. Cultural-Awareness Training At some point, the agency will need to train staff regarding sensitivity and respect for youths from different cultures. This will need to involve training regarding culturally specific meanings of phrases, behavior, and attitudes. Focus should be on: (1) exposing and dealing with any stereotypical beliefs or negative and confused perceptions about other cultures, and (2) helping staff to understand how their cultural background might influence their interactions with others, in particular gang youths. 5. Behavior Management Training The agency will also need to train staff in methods and strategies to handle disruptive and aggressive behavior. To aid in this process, chapter 7, the section on Behavior and Crisis Management, covers some general guidelines. 6. Ongoing Staff Support Working with gang youth is a challenging and frustrating endeavor. Therefore, staff will need a structure for individual and mutual support. Designate experienced staff to provide individual consultation and weekly clinical supervision to less experienced staff. This is an opportunity for less experienced staff to share frustrations and learn from the experience and skill of more experi- enced staff. In addition, a weekly staff support group, weekly meetings, or in-service training on stress management can help staff avoid burn-out. All cases should also be "staffed" (formally presented and reviewed by all staff) on a regular basis to give staff a time to share and obtain information and receive support and suggestions from other staff. Development of a Referral Base It is critical to contact social agencies, schools, and criminal justice agencies, especially the police, that target gang youth before program implementation. This initial contact is an opportunity to describe the employment program and request help recruiting gang and gang-prone youth. The referral base for older gang youths can be the justice system, self-referral, social agencies, and probation. School programs and community-based agencies will probably refer younger gang or gang-prone youths. The program should specially target gang and gang-prone youths who either drop out or are forced out of school. This will require frequent contact and liaison with school officials so that little time is lost between drop out and program involvement. It is possible that recruitment may be difficult, primarily because gang members may be resistant, or more likely ambivalent, to involvement in an employment program. To counter this resistance, four strategies may be helpful: 1. Suppression Approach 2. Incentives 3. Creative Recruitment 4. Development of a positive program reputation in the community 1. Suppression Approach Gang or gang-prone youths may be on probation or parole, or have a case pending in court. Probation, parole, or judges may mandate attendance to the program by these youths. First, make these sources aware of the employment program; other potential recruitment sources must know the goals and objectives of a gang employment program. Criminal justice agencies can not only mandate that gang or gang-prone youths attend, but can also administer negative sanctions to youths who do not attend regularly or fail to cooperate with program staff. Even so, a program that is totally dependent on forcing gang and gang-prone youths to attend probably will not be successful long term. The agency must use some creativity and careful planning and the promise of successful outcomes to develop ways that will enhance attendance by these youths. Understanding and meeting the interests and needs of gang and gang-prone youth is a first step toward voluntary program attendance. They must see the benefits of their involvement in an employment program as a meaningful alternative providing more long-term benefits than street crime and hustling. 2. Incentives The program must build incentives into the program. Modest training stipends, the development of positive relationships with staff, and rewards connected to intrinsic satisfaction in positive behavior are some examples. Understanding the interests and needs of gang and gang-prone youths will help the staff member select incentives and rewards. If the recruitment strategy involves training stipends, the program must ensure that it has resources to give stipends for the duration of the program or risk losing program participants if stipends suddenly stop. Also, link stipends clearly to appropriate behavior with appropriate behavior increasing the stipend and inappropriate behavior decreasing it. 3. Creative Recruitment The program should "reach out" and actively recruit gang and gang-prone youths from the schools and community. This will require staff to recruit beyond the boundaries of the nine-to-five work day. Successful recruitment techniques used in employment programs with dropout youths include: media announcements; outreach visits to schools, parks, and other youth gathering places; distributing posters and fliers advertising program services to schools, laundry mats, and other community organizations; and recruitment in the streets (on the "turf" of gang members) (Auspos, Cave, Doolittle, and Hoerz 1989). 4. Development of a Positive Community Reputation Long term, the most powerful recruitment tool will be a reputation for successful preparation and placement of gang youths in jobs that promise adequate pay or preparation for a better job. Older youths who want to make the transition from gang to legitimate adult status are more likely to invest in the program if they know a good, adequate paying, stable job is waiting for them when they finish. The program should avoid using "make work" jobs that have little career development potential. One way to develop a good community reputation is to successfully place the first gang youths in the program on jobs. This will help the agency develop a reputation in the community as an agency that can help you get a good job, or at least one with good promise. Development of Job Bank The first step in the development of a job bank, the assessment of local labor market conditions, already began during the community assessment phase. The working group developed a list of potential employers, located addresses, and interviewed some of them. You should now be aware of potential aids and barriers to finding jobs for gang youths. Attention to the job development process is extremely important. Ferman (1980) sees job development as an organized process that seeks to establish a complementary relationship between the agency and employer. As long as the relationship is complementary, i.e., "the agency is enlarging social opportunity of its clientele and the company is recruiting and developing a more efficient work force" (Ferman et. Al. 1980), a working relationship will exist. When the relationship becomes one-sided, it will end. Therefore, the job development task is to establish a meaningful exchange and a trusting relationship with employers. Employers who are flexible and willing to work with gang youths and who agree to training to work with gang youths by the agency are vital to the success of a gang employment program. Private employers can provide jobs to gang or gang-prone youths and they can contribute to the legitimacy of the program by supporting it. Yet, gang youth will need training and preparation to work with the employer and perform job responsibilities. In effect, the program has two clients: gang members and employers (Ferman et. Al. 1980). Of course, the program must explore other sources for jobs. They include State employment services, city government, personal or agency contacts, labor unions, and trade, industrial, and business associations. The first step, again, is to assess the state of the local labor market that includes the structure of local industry, growth patterns, the status of minority group employment, the skills needed by employer, previous experience working with the hard-to-employ, identification of key job areas that might be suitable for gang youths, and labor shortages in particular companies (Ferman et. Al. 1980). From this initial assessment, the program will need to compile a list of firms to target. It is very possible that the resources may not exist for a thorough analysis of local labor market conditions and individual firms. However, the Job Development Specialist must approach job development in an organized way with adequate information. At the very least, the Job Development Specialist must attempt an analysis of the social structure of targeted firms in an attempt to understand who in the company has the power to make decisions. As Ferman (1980) points out, many job development strategies do not work because the Job Development Specialist makes contact with the wrong person within the company, not the person who makes decisions or can influence and persuade others. The next step is to develop a plan to obtain access to these key people within the organization. This access may be your only opportunity to persuade employers to work with gang youth. Expect some resistance by employers to working with minority gang youth. As Johnson (1978) states, "employers are risk avoiders. Given a choice, they prefer to recruit, select, and hire from among those closest and most familiar to them in all categories." Such risk avoidance has probably increased in recent years due to the negative media attention focused on minority males and gangs. The Job Development Specialist must explain to employers how employing gang youth will contribute to company goals of increased productivity and a stable work environment. How do you contact employers and persuade them to hire gang youths? This is a major task that at a minimum will require a full-time person. Obtaining access has two steps: precontact operations and initial contact (Ferman et. Al. 1980) 1. Precontact Operations o Select companies to target. o Develop information about companies. o Develop informal contact with executives in the companies targeted. Staff must develop informal contact with business executives in a variety of settings--trade association meetings, local chamber of commerce, and membership in professional organizations. In an informal setting, staff can make a case for the agency program and arrange to meet with executives later. Another route of access is through contact with community agencies that have relationships with companies. Labor unions may also be a point of potential access to local companies. In addition, where employment for gang or gang-prone youths might not be immediately available, try to develop collaborative internship or training opportunities. City government, community agencies, even some companies may be willing to train program youth for a period of time. This has two advantages: (1) youth will receive some training and exposure to a particular job, and (2) an internship may be the first step for youths developing a long-term employment opportunity. 2. Initial Contact Even after the Job Development Specialist makes contact with a company or firm, he or she must continue to search for key people within the organization who can make decisions. Certain techniques are important. As Ferman (1980) advises, "Do not overuse the telephone; there is a limit to the amount of information that can be obtained over the phone." Staff will often make the mistake of only talking to secretaries and not people in key decisionmaking positions. If attempts at making contact fail, the following approaches may work (Ferman et. Al. 1980): o Write a letter to key executives summarizing the goals and objectives of program and past program successes. Include brief printed matter to give more detail and point out how the program might be in the best interests of the company and the community. The Job Development Specialist should indicate that he or she will call later for an appointment. o Call the executives secretaries and ask for an appointment. o Provide the names of business executives in the community who know the agency and its services. The staff person must prepare a selling strategy in advance and organize the presentation. He must remember to focus and be sensitive to company needs. Ferman (1980) found that companies that became involved in training programs were receptive to at least one of four types of appeal. These appeals are that the program will: o Provide a source of labor supply not readily available to the company. o Benefit public relations through involvement by the company with the agency. o Solve particularly troublesome company manpower problems. o Enable the company to receive financial incentives to offset personnel cost (perhaps a tax credit). In addition, certain occupations require workers with specific personality characteristics. For example, the sales field requires an individual to be extroverted or able to handle rejection (Personal communication, Gudell 1990). Therefore, matching and training youth with such specific characteristics increases the possibility that employers will take a chance with these youths and that they will be successful on the job. The Job Development Specialist can use additional strategies that include using honesty, offering an inducement, and the "foot in the door" approach (Gordon 1971). o Using Honesty This might be successful, especially if employer realizes that he may hire, without knowing it, a youth who is a gang member any way. If he hires a youth from the agency, the agency can supply certain controls and support. Employers become suspicious if the program is not honest about gang member problems. A major problem, however, is how much to reveal about the criminal background of the gang youth. o Offer an Inducement Talking an employer into making a decision he might not otherwise make is sometimes easier if the agency offers some inducement (Gordon 1971). Examples of inducements are followup of job placements, tax breaks, social support, social recognition, and problem resolution. Explain to the employer that although, in the beginning, placement may primarily benefit the youth, he could become a good, reliable worker and stay with the company for a long time. Mentioning other companies that have benefited from employing gang members may help. o "Foot in the Door" Approach For the long term, this is probably one of the best initial strategies to follow. The objective is to arrange for a successful experience for the employer (after employer agree to give it a try). The assumption is that once the "foot is in the door" the employer will be receptive to further hiring and retention. This is done by carefully selecting the first gang members placed and providing them with extra coaching (Gordon 1971). In summary, the key to successful job development is the development of a trusting relationship between the program and employers. Without the development of trust based on some successful experience by employers with such youth, staff will have a difficult time finding jobs for gang youth. A word of caution! When the employer makes positions available and the agency cannot provide program youth, this damages program credibility. Therefore, do not guarantee placement. Liaison with Criminal Justice, Schools, Other Agencies, and Actors The program will need to establish working relationships with a variety of agencies; particularly agencies that refer youth to the program or actively work with youth in the program. The program must pay particular attention to developing good working relationships with schools to ensure timely referral of youths who either drop out or are forced out of school. The goal is to establish mutual support, referrals, and information-sharing. Agencies, particularly criminal justice agencies, are good sources of information regarding: o Youths who have dropped out of school and could benefit from program services. o Youth problem behavior in the community including gang involvement, drug trafficking, violence, or arrest. o Discontinuities in program attendance due to incarceration; criminal justice agencies can assist in the youth's return to the program. o Discussions of controls and support for the youths to attend the program regularly. o Possible job leads. The program must encourage these agencies to call, visit the program, or participate in agency programming as observers or instructors and give referral sources (police, probation, parole, youth agencies, community organizations, and schools) periodic progress reports. In addition, the program must hold meetings and case conferences with agencies and schools on a regular basis. The Program Director will need to designate specific program staff to handle liaison responsibility. Outreach/Intake Worker or Case Managers are in daily contact with youths and therefore are in a good position to share information and build relationships with these collaborative agencies. The program must think carefully and develop guidelines for sharing information and maintain a balance between confidentiality (youth's right to privacy) and the other agencies' need for information to serve the youth and protect the community. Summary The key points of this chapter are: 1. To get the program off the ground, the agency must select qualified staff. If the agency does not select qualified staff, the agency will not develop an effective team. 2. We recommend the following procedures for hiring staff: (1) Identification of skills required for a particular position, (2) Development of job descriptions, (3) Talent search, and (4) Hiring procedures. 3. After hiring qualified staff, the agency must thoroughly train them prior to contact with gang youths. Training will enhance the knowledge and abilities that staff already bring to the job. Training should include: (1) Orientation to the agency and job, (2) Gang-specific training, and (3) Job development and placement training. 4. It is critical to contact social agencies, schools, and criminal justice agencies, especially the police, that target gang youths before program implementation in order to develop a referral base. This initial contact is an opportunity to describe the employment program and request help recruiting gang and gang-prone youth. 5. It is possible that recruitment may be difficult, primarily because gang members may be resistant, or more likely ambivalent, to involvement in an employment program. To counter this resistance; four strategies may be helpful: (1) Suppression approach, (2) Incentives, (3) Creative Recruitment, and (4) Development of a positive program reputation in the community. 6. The job development task is to establish a meaningful exchange and a trusting relationship with employers. Employers who are flexible and willing to work with gang youths and agree to agency training to work with gang youths are vital to the success of a gang employment program. 7. The Job Development Specialist must continue to search for key people within the organization who can make decisions. As Ferman (1980) advises, "do not overuse the telephone; there is a limit to the amount of information that can be obtained over the phone." Staff will frequently talk only to secretaries and not people in key decisionmaking positions. 8. Ferman (1980) found that companies that became involved in training programs were receptive to at least one of four types of appeal. The appeals are that the program will: (1) Provide a source of labor supply not readily available to the company, (2) Benefit public relations through involvement by the company with the agency, (3) Solve particularly troublesome company manpower problems, (4) Enable the company to receive financial incentives to offset personnel cost (perhaps a tax credit). 9. The program will need to establish working relationships with a variety of agencies, particularly agencies that refer youth to the program or actively work with youth in the program. 10. The program must carefully consider and develop guidelines for sharing information and maintain a balance between confidentiality (youth's right to privacy) and the other agencies' need for information to serve the youth and protect the community. "Agencies can implement the components of the program that are most needed." "Must select staff carefully." "Must identify skills needed for each job; this will help in staff selection." "Staff should be chosen based on their ability and capacity to work with gang youth." "Staff should be aware of gang culture and norms and have the ability to deal with the difficult testing behavior of gang youth." "Selection process works best when job openings are widely advertised." "Should prepare a list of questions that you want to ask prior to the interview; remember to focus on gang-related work qualifications." "Probe for answers regarding any gaps in employment history; interest in gang youth and access to transportation are a plus." "Training will enhance the knowledge and abilities that staff bring to the job." "Program structure and process should be thoroughly summarized." "Documentation and recordkeeping are essential and will serve as a basis for later testing of program effectiveness." "Staff will have a lot to learn." "Employers should act as trainers to teach staff what job attitudes and skills will be needed." "Staff should learn how to help gang youth enhance self-esteem and self-discipline." "Ongoing staff support can help staff avoid burnout." "Work with various agencies and community services to develop a referral resource system." "Long-term voluntary attendance is preferred to forcing youths to attend." "Incentives and understanding the interests and needs of gang and gang-prone youth is important." "A community reputation for getting youth good jobs will enhance voluntary participation." "A trusting relationship must be established with employers." "Must develop a plan to access key people within the organization." "Do not overuse the telephone; there is a limit to the information that can be obtained over the phone." "Prepare a selling strategy in advance and organize your presentation." "Additional strategies include honesty, offering an inducement, and the "foot in the door" approach." "Should try to arrange a successful first experience for a new employer." "The key to successful job development is development of a trusting relationship between the program and employers." "Relationships should be established with outside agencies who are working with program youths." "Outside agencies, particularly criminal justice agencies, are a good source for information." "Need to develop guidelines and policies for information-sharing." ------------------------------ CHAPTER 7: PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: SERVICE DELIVERY o Screening and Intake Assessment o Remedial Testing and Tutoring o Work Acclimation o Behavior and Crisis Management o Job Placement and Followup o Social Support o Summary Screening and Intake Assessment By now, the working group has completed an assessment. The agency has selected, hired, and trained staff. Program staff have developed a referral base and developed a preliminary list of program participants. The Job Development Specialist has started the process of developing a job bank. After all program development tasks are complete, the program must now screen and accept program participants. Prior to acceptance into the program, all youths must be carefully screened to ensure that they: o meet JTPA or other funding source guidelines for program participation. o meet target youth criteria for program inclusion. o are otherwise appropriate for the program, are motivated, and have a good chance to be successful in the program. The Program Director must develop specific criteria for program participation of gang members and gang-prone youths. The program should not screen gang and gang-prone youths out of the program because of past criminal behavior, probation, or parole. Refer youths who do not appear suitable for this program to one that will meet their needs. Once you have recruited gang members into the program, the next step is a careful assessment of their motivation, employment needs, interests, and background. The Outreach/Intake Worker must assess each youth regarding the past and current criminal behavior and criminal justice contacts. However, the actual extent of involvement in criminal activity, gangs, and motivation to obtain a job and participate in the program may not become apparent until youth have developed relationships and confidence in staff (Personal Communication, Cliff Williams 1991). Assessment is an ongoing, dynamic process. Assessment of the gang youth should cover the following areas: 1. Motivation and desire to obtain employment and participate in program. 2. Individual vocational needs and interests. 3. Employment/vocational aptitude and history-- should include a profile of occupations or positions for which youth's personality, interests, and academic background is best suited. 4. Specific need for remedial education (completed by Teacher). 5. Wage that they expect to make. 6. Level of resistance to program involvement. 7. Gang-specific attitudes. 8. Level of gang involvement. 9. Severity and chronicity of past criminal behavior that resulted in probation or parole. Three methods may be useful in collecting this information: (1) Detailed interview with individual gang member; ask questions skillfully and in a non-threatening way. (2) Have gang members complete a simple form carefully designed to achieve the above assessment needs. Intake Worker must mention that the information they give is confidential and will only be shared with employers, as appropriate, in their best interest. This is also a good way to begin to assess the youth's writing and cognitive skills. And (3) Talk with applicants, including gang members in structured, and unstructured groups across different gangs. Remedial Testing and Tutoring During the intake assessment, the program must make a determination regarding all youths' educational skills and background. The agency must decide whether to test all youth for remedial education or to refer only youths who have an obvious need for testing and tutoring. The choice must be for the best use of agency resources. To the extent possible, the Teachers should test all high school dropouts. The Teachers will be responsible for testing for Math, English, and any learning problems that may interfere with work acclimation training and job placement. Later, the program must make tutoring by the program teacher or at an outside educational service available for gang youth who need it. If possible, the Teachers must adapt tutoring minimally toward completion of the GED for high school dropouts. Many youths will require continued instruction once they are on the job. The program must provide this instruction or refer youths for outside educational service. The program must target youths who are far behind in educational development for tutoring and reading and educational writing skills needed for the job and encourage youths to continue their education part-time or vocational training full-time to meet career objectives. Work Acclimation Work acclimation is defined as a process of preparing gang youths for eventual job placement. In the past, some gang youths may have had only limited contact with the world of work and people who work. Therefore, they will require instruction in how to feel, think, and act as a worker. Training will need to start at zero; do not assume that they know anything about the world of work. They will need thorough preparation for eventual employment. This instruction will include knowledge of work organizational procedures, job interviewing, filling out application forms, and the development of interpersonal relationship skills. A general living skills and life skills focus will need to be integrated into the program design. Life skills training should focus on individual competence, delay of gratification, and good decisionmaking. Program youths must learn the skills necessary to function as successful adults and to make good sound decisions that include leaving the gang, longevity on a job, and cooperation with program staff and employers. In interaction with staff, youths will need to be counseled regarding good decisionmaking and individual competence. This interaction must be repetitive in nature to reinforce learning of basic competence skills. If youths receive a stipend, the program must require or strongly encourage them to open up a bank account and save money for specific goals. Work acclimation objectives may include: o improving the youth's interpersonal relationship skills. o transforming street-wise skills for use on legitimate jobs. o helping the youth develop the belief that legitimate jobs can be rewarding. o exposing the gang youth to the world of work and helping him assess his skills in relation to specific jobs. o technical training in specific job skills. o preparing the youth for job placement. Appendix E describes the process for achieving the above objectives. Youth orientation to the program will need to focus on clearly explaining what preemployment, training, preparation for a job, and job placement will involve. The remainder of this section will focus on each specific objective, the rationale for each objective, and the methods to accomplish each objective. o Objective 1--Improving Youths' Interpersonal Skills The program should, to the extent possible, simulate interpersonal relationships--appropriate and inappropriate--on the job. Special attention should be paid to gang member relationships with authority figures. Rationale o To avoid his use of inappropriate attitudes, skills, and intimidation on the job. o To help the youth become aware of his street behavior and learn to control it. o Suggested Methods Role-playing may help the youth experience new work roles and relationships with authority as well as how it feels to perform them. In addition, staff should give the youth feedback regarding positive and corrective role behavior. A useful resource for preparing role-play exercises is Role Modeling and Role Playing: A Manual for Vocational Development and Employment Agencies (see appendix D). o Objective 2--Transforming Street-Wise Skills for Use on Legitimate Jobs Rationale o Gang youth may have learned certain skills through involvement in illegal enterprises that may be useful or appropriate in legitimate enterprise: charm, rational calculation, verbal persuasion, hustling, showing up where he is supposed to, and doing what he is told. o To the extent possible, gang youth must be able to transfer aptitude and skills (e.g., salesmanship) but not illegitimate purposes and values. o A distinction must be made between intimidation or street hustling and legitimate work. o Suggested Methods Reinforcement for appropriate skills and disapproval of criminal values. Also, staff must teach skills that will be needed on a job and help extinguish those that will interfere with job success. o Objective 3--Helping Youth Develop Belief That Legitimate Jobs Can Be Rewarding Also, that legitimate jobs provide status, pay, and good relationships. Rationale o Gang youths often have bleak, fatalistic attitudes about their future prospects. This must be countered so that they are prepared to be successful on the job. o Suggested Method A series of sessions on attitude training and change should be given. Sources for curriculum material are: Job Search Education, Pathways to Work: A Workbook for Finding Job Opportunities, Get Ready: Job Hunter Kit, and Anti-Drug Gang and Violence: A Practical Guide for Decision Makers (see appendix D). o Objective 4--Expose the Youth to the World of Work to Help him Assess his Skills and Begin to Prepare for the Job. Rationale o As indicated above many youth have limited contact with work and people who work. Such youths may need instruction in how to think, feel, and act as a worker before entering the world of work. o Suggested Methods Direct observational and instructional experiences, to include visits to work sites, and communication with employers and workers. This will help gang youth begin to understand the tasks, requirements, and constraints of the workplace. This exposure also will help gang youth assess their skills and aptitude for particular jobs. o Objective 5--Technical Training in Specific Job Skills. Rationale o Employability is improved if youth are trained in specific, concrete job skills (e.g., carpentry, welding, etc.). o Suggested Method If resources permit, program participants should receive on-site training in data processing, computer technology, etc. The Program Director can also arrange cooperative arrangements with local vocational training programs, night schools, or junior colleges for participant training in technical skills. This should follow participant vocational testing to determine areas of vocational aptitude. o Objective 6--Preparing the Youth for Job Placement Rationale o Gang youths need to become competent in the actual skills and behavior needed to obtain a job. o Suggested Method Job workshops, with the involvement of employers when possible, should be provided on the following topics: o Filling out application forms. o Proper job interviewing (includes correct dress, personal hygiene, speech, and appropriate behavior at the interview). o Role-playing and videotaping interviews if resources are available. Arrange for employers to do practice interviews at the workplace. Youth go in for an interview in a natural setting and later receive specific feedback on their interview skills. o Additional attitude training regarding how to relate to authority figures and peers who may be gang members from the same or different gangs. In order to be successful, work acclimation must be comprehensive and individualized, based on a particular gang youth's needs and interests. Youth should be exposed to the world of work, trained in specific skills, and given feedback that leads to change regarding street or ghetto-specific attitudes and behaviors that may interfere with successful job placement. Behavior and Crisis Management In certain situations gang youth may be more prone to disruptive physical behavior or physical confrontation. Therefore, it is necessary to train staff to prevent or handle problems or crisis situations. To aid in this process, the following guidelines are suggested: 1. Hire staff carefully. Pay particular attention to self-control, judgment, maturity, and the capacity to build relationships. Staff should have the knowledge and sensitivity to anticipate which situations create tension and possible conflict. Judgment and Self-Control When disruptive behavior, a crisis, or physical confrontation happens, events can escalate quickly. Therefore, staff must be self-controlled and able to make good, sound decisions under pressure. To delay or to make poor decisions can contribute to things getting out of control. Maturity Sometimes individuals work with others to meet their emotional needs. Staff who are authoritarian or passive will probably be ineffective in a crisis. Also, staff should not collude with youths or unintentionally give permission for youth to act irresponsibly. All staff must have the capacity to intervene and set limits and not avoid intervening due to insecurity or personal "hang ups." Relationship-Building Relationship-building is the foundation on which constructive change and growth is built. Youth are more likely to follow directions and listen to adults whom they respect and have a relationship with. This is very important in crisis situations. 2. The antecedents of aggressive behavior include community tensions, drug use, interpersonal problems, including arguments with a girlfriend, ill health, and situational events such as crowding, boredom, arguments with staff or peers, and poor programming. Gang tensions in the community, police raids, and family disruptions often create insecurities in the youth during the training period. These problems and tensions are particularly likely to arise on weekends. Participant return to the program on Mondays may be "flash" points. Staff should be sensitive to what is occurring in the community that may affect youth behavior in the program. Roughhousing and Physical Intervention Staff should avoid playful roughhousing, grabbing youth, and behaving provocatively. Staff should also avoid holding or cornering a youth when physical confrontations between youths happen. This is to be done only to keep the youth from clearly harming himself, another youth, or staff. A culture within the agency that rewards physical aggression, whether by the youths or staff, should be avoided. Unsupervised Settings Staff must be involved with the youth to know what is going on. They should avoid sitting in offices and leaving the youth unsupervised for long periods of time. If staff are positively interacting with youth, they will be in a position to intervene quickly and redirect inappropriate behavior. Most disruptive behavior and aggressive outbursts begin with insults or flashing gang signs. Structuring Time When designing the program and scheduling activities, structure the participants time as much as possible. Avoid scheduling gaps where youths will have nothing to do for long periods of time. When they have unstructured time just to sit around and talk, the probability increases that someone might say or do something to start a problem. Boredom and Stress Since boredom is an antecedent to aggression, make teaching and training experiences meaningful. Avoid long lectures and focus on participatory exercises like role-playing. In addition, avoid overly stressing the cognitive and emotional capacity of youths. Tailor the material to the learning level of the group. When the material is too difficult, some youths will become frustrated. Occasionally, an unscheduled change to an activity that gives them an immediate sense of accomplishment can decrease boredom. 3. Rules must be simple and clear. Select a few rules that are most important and post them prominently throughout the building. Identify the consequences that fit your program. Orient youths regarding the rules, program expectations, and potential consequences for rule infractions. Do not permit wearing gang clothing and many athletic or starter jackets, flashing gang signs, writing gang graffiti, or violence and physical confrontation. The program must challenge gang members gang status. They must not have permission to bring gang life into the program. Staff must repeat this again and again especially during their first six to eight weeks in the program (Personal communication, Ron Tonn, Safer Foundation). While serious rule infractions or law violating behavior can result in suspension or termination from the program, future reinstatement is a possibility for improved behavior. Ideally, the ultimate goal of the program is to help youths gain self-control and learn better ways to solve problems and cope with stress, frustration, and anger. Therefore, staff must rely on rewards and not negative consequences to control behavior. Yet, the program must make consequences clear so that youths can learn to anticipate consequences and internalize self-control. The best approach is to provide a learning and training situation in which each youth develops a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem. 4. Staff must develop sound knowledge about each youth in the program and the current gang structure and process in the community. It is a good idea during intake to assess the state of relations among gangs, each participant's ability to control impulses, and his position in the gang hierarchy. This knowledge--e.g., which gangs are at war and who are the leaders and followers--will help staff assess who may be provoking or demanding problematic behavior in the program. The "macho" or status needs of youth in the program must also be assessed. Again, staff must develop some mechanism for learning what is currently going on in the community. Gang disagreements and confrontations can spill over into the program and vice-versa. Relationships with criminal justice agencies are a good source of information. 5. Generally, in the event of a physical confrontation: o Intervene carefully but as quickly as possible to calm the situation. o State clearly and specifically what is best for the personal interests of the youth involved and the negative consequences that may follow. o Have at least three staff intervene: one to work calming down youth involved, the other staff to supervise the remaining youth, and the third to maintain communication or seek assistance from other sources within the organization or outside, including police. Staff must remain calm and in control. o Require that all youth not involved return to program routine. Contagion should be avoided or controlled. o Try to discover who can further assist in calming down the "disturbed" gang members and on what basis. This will help to mediate the situation and obtain a resolution. o The goal is not only to resolve the immediate confrontation, but to keep it from spilling over into the rest of the program or the streets. The police may need to be alerted if this is about to occur. o Obviously if a crime has occurred, e.g., an assault committed or a weapon used, you must call the police immediately. o It may be useful to have the police, probation officers, or parole officers periodically visit the program and increase their visits during crisis periods. Job Placement and Followup For the sake of simplicity, job placement is presented as a logical process, although in actual day-to-day practice, the placement process may be unpredictable and dynamic. This will require flexibility and improvisation on the part of the Job Specialist and youth to make a placement plan work. Youths may not simply choose from jobs they desire or among those provided by the agency, but may have to accept a job that they may not want. However, the gang member must learn to make realistic compromises. He will need work experience to begin to establish a work record, obtain references for further career development, and understand needed skills and work areas of interest. Before or during placement the Job Development Specialist should selectively: o Sit down with the youth and develop an "Individualized Employment Plan" that specifies goals and expectation for job placement. The responsibilities of the youth and agency should be spelled out in detail. o Sell youth on the possibility that they may have to take a job that they may not want. o Orient and assist the company to understand the gang youth's special needs for acceptance, respect, and status. o Provide guidance to employers in holding the gang member accountable. o Help employers learn how to set clear limits on the youth's behavior, how to handle conflicts and gang-related problems, and who to contact if problems occur. o Communicate to employers that all the agency expects is that they be objective and fair with youths and treat them the way that they treat everyone else. They should receive no special access to the employer or extra privileges (Personal communication, Ron Tonn, Safer Foundation). o Help the company in developing on-the-job orientation for the gang youth. Orientation should include: o welcoming youth o explaining company rules and expectations o describing how the job fits into the complete production process o Arrange support services o job coach o focus on convincing the gang youth that a career ladder exists, and if he is patient, he can obtain job status and higher pay. o Arrange transportation to outlying job markets. o the youth will need to be made aware of public transportation to outlying job markets. The first four to six weeks following placement will be critical. It is during this time that the employer decides whether or not to keep the youth, and the youth decides whether to stay on the job or return to the streets, including street gang crime, intimidation, and hustling. Even if care was taking in matching youth to the job, some youth may still create problems on the job, get fired, or quit for little reason. They may quit because they feel that they are not making enough money or don't like to take orders. They may still be influenced by the gang and unable to accept the expectations of a job, like getting up early each morning. The program must make efforts to keep gang members on the job as long as possible. One possible approach is the use of a job coach. An individual, either from the agency or assigned by the employer on the job, works with the youth one-on-one helping him learn specific job skills. The youth is now out of his comfort zone and will need some support on the job. A job coach is in a good position to help the youth understand the expectations on the job and in the work environment. A job coach can help the youth to work through "normal" problems of real work acclimation. Longevity on the job helps the agency obtain a good reputation in the community regarding the placement of youth in meaningful jobs. A good resource for dealing with placement and followup problems is Placement and After: A Manual for Coaches and Other Employment Workers (see appendix D). Although initial jobs do not always last long, it is important to remember that the effort was not wasted and that even a short time on a job is positive. For example, the gang youth now knows what it means to work a legitimate job and may have established a work record. In addition, the youths will now have a better understanding of the type of job he might like. This increases the possibility that he may decide to return to school or keep his next job for a longer period. Usually, the youth will require experience before he will enter vocational training or seek another job. Finally, the agency must provide followup to counter the belief that street life is more exciting and profitable than legitimate work, to provide supportive counseling, and to understand why the job did not work out. Social Support The program must include social support to enhance training and job placement and involve mentors, whether paid or volunteer (family members, close friends, ex-gang members, neighbors), in training and work support. A mentor is a person who is "a wise and trusted teacher, guide, friend." The key is the development of a positive, mutually respectful relationship between a mentor and a particular gang member. Base mentor selection on specific criteria. Mentors should have (Mission Impossible 1990): o A willingness to volunteer on a long-term basis. o An understanding of/or experience with parenting. o An ability to listen and hear what the person is saying. o Maturity and the ability to handle conflict. o Honesty and sensitivity to personal privacy. o Respect for the confidential nature of the relationship. Next, the program must recruit mentors and to some extent train and supervise them. Designate a staff member to supervise the mentor or volunteer program. The program must reward volunteers in some way, e.g., by holding yearly luncheons and awards programs, or by placing notes in local newspapers or agency newsletter, to give them recognition and to express appreciation for their efforts. The program can recruit mentors through community outreach, relatives or neighbors of gang members, or former gang members. If the mentor is not a family member, it is important that they possess the capacity to develop relationships with key family members. Orientation should also include some appropriate training or advice on effective listening and counseling skills. In addition, the employment program, probation, or parole can provide social support (see appendix E). Case Managers should have this responsibility beginning with Orientation and continuing through a set period of successful job placement (perhaps six months). The Case Manager should establish a supportive relationship where the gang member feels comfortable talking to him regarding personal problems that interfere with training and job placement. Ideally, once the gang member is placed on the job, he or she will discuss problems with the Case Manager or some other staff before the youth gives up the job so that preventive steps can be taken. The Case Manager should meet with the youth and the work supervisor to solve problems and increase job longevity. It is critical to involve family and close friends of gang members in the program. The agency should consider having a series of sessions to help parents and close friends understand program structure, process, and goals. If the resources are available, a parent or family support group may be helpful. This may help the agency better understand family dynamics, parent's intended and unintended interference in the youth's positive adjustment to the program, and increase familial investment in the program. When parents are involved in the program and receive support, they may then encourage youth to follow through on job and training commitments. Summary The key points of this chapter are: 1. After all program development tasks are complete, the program must now screen and accept program participants. The Program Director must develop specific criteria for program participation of gang members and gang-prone youths. The program should not screen gang and gang-prone youths out of the program because of past criminal behavior, probation, or parole. 2. The next step is a careful assessment of their motivation, employment needs, interests, and background. The Outreach/Intake Worker must assess each youth regarding the past and current criminal behavior and criminal justice contacts. However, the actual extent of involvement in criminal activity and gangs, and the motivation to obtain a job and participate in the program may not become apparent until youth have developed relationships and confidence in staff. 3. During the intake assessment, the program must make a determination regarding all youths' educational skills and background. The agency must decide whether to test all youth for remedial education or to refer only those who have an obvious need for testing and tutoring. 4. In the past, some gang youths may have had only limited contact with the world of work and people who work. Therefore, they will require instruction in how to feel, think, and act as a worker. Training will need to start at zero; do not assume that they know anything about the world of work. Therefore, they will need thoroughly preparation for eventual employment. 5. This instruction will include knowledge of work organizational procedures, job interviewing, filling out application forms, and the development of interpersonal relationship skills. Also, integrate a general living skills and life skills focus into the program design. Life skills training should focus on individual competence, delay of gratification, and good decisionmaking. 6. Work acclimation objectives may include: (1) improving the youth's interpersonal relationship skills, (2) transforming street-wise skills for use on legitimate jobs, (3) helping the youth develop the belief that legitimate jobs can be rewarding, (4) exposing the gang youth to the world of work and helping him assess his skills in relation to specific jobs, (5) technical training in specific job skills, and (6) preparing the youth for job placement. 7. In certain situations, gang youth may be more prone to disruptive physical behavior or physical confrontation. Therefore, it is necessary to train staff to prevent or handle problems or crisis situations. The antecedents of aggressive behavior include community tensions, drug use, interpersonal problems, including arguments with a girlfriend, ill health, and situational events such as crowding, boredom, arguments with staff or peers, and poor programming. 8. Rules must be simple and clear. Select a few rules that are most important and post them prominently throughout the building. Identify the consequences that fit your program. Orient youths regarding the rules, program expectations, and potential consequences for rule infractions. The ultimate goal of the program is to help youths gain self-control and learn better ways to solve problems and cope with stress, frustration, and anger. The best approach is to provide a learning and training situation in which each youth develops a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem. 9. Staff must develop some mechanism for learning what is going on in the community. Gang disagreements and confrontations can spill over into the program and vice-versa. Relationships with criminal justice agencies are a good source for information. 10. The program must include social support to enhance training and job placement. Mentors, the employment program, probation, or parole can provide social support (see appendix E). It is critical to involve family and close friends of gang members in the program. The agency should consider having a series of sessions to help parents and close friends understand program structure, process, and goals. "Must also assess educational skills and background." "Should encourage youth to continue education part- time or vocational education full-time." "Instruction will include interpersonal relationship skills, job interviewing and filling out application forms." "Work orientation should focus on what the job and placement will involve." "Acclimation training will need to focus on improving gang member relationships with authority figures." "Role-playing may help youth experience new roles and how it feels to perform them." "A distinction must be made between intimidation or street hustling and legitimate work." "Gang youth often have bleak, fatalistic attitudes about their future prospects." "Exposure to the world of work will help youths assess their skills and understand the tasks, requirements, and constraints of the workplace." "Workshops should include employers when possible." "Must hire staff care-fully. Pay particular attention to self-control, judgment, maturity, and capacity to build relationships." "If staff lose self-control, then who will control or calm down the situation." "Staff who are authoritarian or passive will probably be ineffective in handling a crisis." "Relationship-building is the foundation on which constructive change and growth are built." "The antecedents of aggressive behavior include a variety of community, personal, and situational factors." "Staff should avoid sitting in offices and leaving youth unsupervised for long periods of time." "Need to structure and fill participants time as much as possible." "Try to make learning experiences meaningful and do not overly stress the cognitive and emotional capacity of youths." "Rules must be simple, clear, and significant." "Wearing gang clothing, writing gang graffiti, flashing gang signs, or violence should not be permitted." "Youth should be challenged regarding gang status and must not have permission to bring gang life into the program." "Emphasis should be on self-control through personal achievement." "Need to learn gang structure and each participant's position, follower or leader, in the gang." "Relationships with criminal justice agencies is a good source of information about events in the community." "If disruptive behavior or a physical confrontation happens, staff must remain in control." "Must match the right gang member to the right job." "Employers will need help understanding gang members." "Youths will need to be made aware of public transportation to outlying job markets." "First four to six weeks on the job will be critical." "Efforts should be undertaken to keep the gang member on the job as long as possible." "Followup support should be provided to counter belief that street life is more exciting and profitable than legitimate work." "Mentors can help provide support and counseling." "The employment program, probation, and parole can also provide support." "Family and close friends should be involved in the program to encourage gang youth to complete commitments." ------------------------------ CHAPTER 8: EVALUATION Program evaluation is the process by which information is obtained regarding the success of program goals and objectives. It should measure the extent to which the program has been successful in recruiting, training, and employing gang youth in meaningful jobs and in reducing gang crime. It is, therefore, important to define program goals and objectives in advance in ways that can be measured. It is important to develop and monitor a system of careful documentation and recordkeeping. This documentation can include: o Types of youth in program o Training received and skills obtained o Job placements o This should include types of jobs worked by each gang member, how long the jobs were held, and the reason for termination. o Remedial training data o To include number of GEDs obtained or the amount of increases in grade levels for Math and English skills. o Youth experience with the criminal justice system including arrests, probation, institutionalization, and parole. o Personal and social adaptation, and days attended. o Followup at six-month or one-year intervals to determine adjustment, if resources permit. o Type, nature, and extent of gang involvement by participants served. o Nature and extent of program activities provided. o Activities that staff spent time providing. The first step is to compile and summarize the program activity and to process data into totals, percentages, averages, or other statistics. This will provide a rough estimate of program effectiveness and of how well it was implemented. Next, evaluate client change by changes in the level of functioning of targeted behavior. Are job skills improved, attitudes toward work changed, or involvement in gangs and crime decreased? It might be useful to survey gang youth themselves to see if they perceive the program as helpful or a waste of time. An attempt can then be made to gauge community impact; i.e., reduction of gang violence and serious criminal behavior. What is the current neighborhood or community incidence of the targeted problem and how has it changed since program implementation? Has there been a reduction in gang homicides and can this reduction be attributed to the program or other environmental factors (e.g., increased suppression by police and courts)? This is an extremely complex outcome evaluation that probably should involve outside experts or consultants. Staff must distinguish between program effects, other possible causes for changes, and chance occurrences. Ideally, both long- and short-term outcome evaluations should be planned and executed. Good documentation and recordkeeping will help this evaluation. It is important that someone who is not organizationally invested in the program do this evaluation. The program can engage a local college or university to set up appropriate data collection methods and to periodically assess program effectiveness. Summary The key points of this chapter are: 1. Program evaluation is the process by which information is obtained regarding the success of program goals and objectives. It should measure the extent to which the program has been successful in recruiting, training, and employing gang youth in meaningful jobs and in reducing gang crime. 2. The first step is to compile and summarize the program activity and to process data into totals, percentages, averages, or other statistics. 3. Next, evaluate client change by changes in the level of functioning of targeted behavior. Are job skills improved, attitudes toward work changed, or involvement in gangs and crime decreased? 4. An attempt can then be made to gauge community impact; i.e., reduction of gang violence and serious criminal behavior. What is the current neighborhood or community incidence of the targeted problem and how has it changed since program implementation? 5. The program should engage a local college or university to set up appropriate data collection methods and to periodically assess program effectiveness. "Must evaluate the program to see if goals and objectives have been accomplished." "Must keep documentation and records of client changes." ------------------------------ APPENDIX A List of Program Reports from the National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention Program The following is a list of draft reports developed by the National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention Program, University of Chicago, in cooperation with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U.S. Department of Justice. Stage One Assessment of this research and development program identifies promising community and organizational responses to the youth gang problem. Stage Two Prototype/Model Development focuses on developing twelve promising prototype models to address the problem. These models specify policies and practices for the design and mobilization of efforts at the community and criminal justice levels. Stage Three Technical Assistance manuals provide guidelines for implementing the models. All reports are available in draft form from the National Youth Gang Information Center (NYGIC), 4301 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 730, Arlington, VA 22203. NYGIC is OJJDP's central dissemination point for all gang-related information. NYGIC provides the above reports in hardcopy and on high-density computer disks in WordPerfect 5.1. Call NYGIC toll- free at 800-446-GANG or 703-522-4007 locally for assistance. ASSESSMENT: STAGE 1 Full Reports Available: 1. Literature Review: Youth Gangs: Problem and Response, 1991, 357 pages. This comprehensive literature review covers what has been written on the youth gang issue from a research and program standpoint. 2. Survey of Youth Gang Problems and Programs in 45 Cities and 6 Sites, 1990, 297 pages. This survey reports aggregate gang or community level data on youth gang problems and programs in 45 cities and 6 institutional sites for the year 1987. 3. Community and Institutional Responses to the Youth Gang Problem, 1990, 184 pages. This report consists of case studies of how five communities and one correctional institution addressed youth gang problems in promising ways. 4. Report of the Law Enforcement Youth Gang Sym- posium, 1988, 152 pages. This report describes the gang intervention activities of fourteen police de- partments located across the United States, particularly with respect to their attempts to reduce the gang problem. 5. Law Enforcement Youth Gang Definitional Conference--Transcript, 1990, 138 pages. This is a proceeding of a conference at which gang experts from law enforcement and academia from Los Angeles city and county, Chicago and New York City were brought together in an effort to develop a uniform set of definitions (i.e., gang, gang member, gang incident) applicable to street gang phenomena across the country. 6. The Youth Gang Problem: Perceptions of Former Youth Gang Influentials. Transcripts of Two Symposia, 1990, 139 pages. These are the proceedings of two symposia at which former gang influentials--Black and Hispanic--describe why they joined the gang, what activities they were involved in while gang members, what factors caused them to depart from the gang, and what recommendations they had for community, policy and agency changes. 7. Client Evaluation of Youth Gang Services, 1990, 53 pages. This document reports on the perceptions of current and former youth gang members concerning the nature and efficacy of services provided by some of the programs located at our field visit sites. 8. Preventing Involvement in Youth Gang Crime, 1990, 173 pages. This report identifies indicators of Black and Hispanic youth at risk of becoming gang members in inner-city Chicago communities with high gang crime rates. 9. Stage 1: Assessment Executive Summary, 1990, 25 pages. This report summarizes the findings of the Assessment Stage of the National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention Program. MODEL DEVELOPMENT: STAGE 2 Gang Intervention Models recommend policies and procedures for addressing youth gang members 12 to 24 years of age. Strategies of suppression and intervention are described. Issues of prevention, although essential, are not highlighted in these documents. The models emphasize mobilizing community interest and developing distinctive institutional missions within the local juvenile justice system. Gang Intervention Models Available: Document # Title D0001 Executive Summary: Prototype Models, 33 pages. D0002 Community-Based Youth Agency, 24 pages. D0003 Community Mobilization, 20 pages. D0004 Corrections, 19 pages. D0005 General Community Design, 56 pages. D0006 Grassroots Organization, 19 pages. D0007 Judges, 15 pages. D0008 Parole, 14 pages. D0009 Police, 21 pages. D0010 Probation, 16 pages. D0011 Prosecution, 12 pages. D0012 Schools, 19 pages. D0013 Youth Employment, 17 pages. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MANUALS: STAGE 3 Technical Assistance Manuals provide detailed step- by-step guidelines for implementing the models. Strategies are designed to encourage gang-prone and gang-involved youth to terminate criminal activity and participate in legitimate social, academic, and employment pursuits. It cannot be sure the policies and practices proposed to reduce the youth gang crime problem are effective until they are tested. Gang Manuals Available: Document # Title D0014 Community-Based Youth Agency, 92 pages. D0015 Community Mobilization, 102 pages. D0016 Corrections, 84 pages. D0017 General Community Design, 110 pages. D0018 Grassroots Organization, 92 pages. D0019 Judges, 102 pages. D0020 Parole, 98 pages. D0021 Police, 98 pages. D0022 Probation, 116 pages. D0023 Prosecution, 74 pages. D0024 Schools, 150 pages. D0025 Youth Employment, 120 pages. ------------------------------ Appendix B: GLOSSARY AND DISCUSSION OF TERMS There is much variation in the definition of youth gang or its equivalent terms depending on particular agency, city, or region of the country, race/ethnicity, gang generation, and cultural factors. The terms delinquent group, gang, and criminal organization need to be distinguished for policy and program purposes to the fullest extent possible. 1. Gang. This term generally refers to a group or collective of persons with a common identity whose members interact on a fairly regular basis in cliques or sometimes as a whole group. The activities of the gang may be regarded as legitimate, illegitimate, or criminal in varying combinations. o Street Gang. This term preferred by law enforcement, emphasizes the organized character of a group of persons on the street, often engaged in significant illegitimate or criminal activity. The ages of members of these street gangs vary; some street gangs are more street-based than others. Some authorities report arrests of street gang members in their 30's, 40's, and 50's. o Youth Gang. This term may refer to a youth segment of a street gang, usually between the ages of 12 and 24. Some youth gang members are younger or older. The term youth gang is often used as equivalent to street gang, and is somewhat preferred by community-based agencies. o Traditional Youth Gang. This term refers to a youth gang comprising mainly adolescents, juveniles, and some young adults primarily concerned with issues of status, prestige, and turf protection. The youth gang may have a name, a hangout, codes of conduct, colors, special dress, signs, symbols, etc. Traditional youth gangs often have a leadership structure (implicit or explicit), differ in degree of a gang activities, and may persist over several generations. Traditional youth gangs vary by community as to characteristics of age, gender, race/ethnicity, scope, and nature of delinquent or criminal activities. The traditional youth gang contains many types of subgroups engaged in various delinquent, criminal, and social group activities. o Posse/Crew. The terms posse and crew are sometimes equivalent to street or youth gang. The posse or crew, more often than the traditional youth gang, is characterized by a commitment to criminal gain activity, particularly drug trafficking, rather than to status-based conflict. It may be loosely organized and/or connected to an adult criminal organization. It emphasizes employer-employee relationships and has fewer social status-related or symbolic interests or characteristics than the traditional youth gang. o Other Types of Youth "Gangs". Other types of groups or "quasi" gangs may include Stoners, Punk Rockers, Neo-Nazi Skinheads, Hate Groups, Satanic Groups, Motorcycle Gangs, Prison Gangs. They may be similar to traditional or street youth gangs in various ways, but have distinctive organizational, cultural, political, religious and institutional lifestyles, perspectives, and biases. They can be loosely organized or ephemeral and engage in group- oriented violent or criminal behavior to sustain or defend these beliefs. They may also be characterized by distinctive dress, leadership structure, and concerns with status and turf. o Other Youth Group Considerations. It is important to distinguish these gangs and gang-like groups from youth or street groups of an earlier era, which are still present today. These groups have been called street clubs, youth organizations, or social and athletic clubs are usually less violent or delinquent, generally contain fewer regular mem- bers, and are not as often regarded as delinquent youth gangs by local residents. They serve to socialize low-income, working-class, sometimes first-generation youths in transition from childhood to adulthood. Their activities may constitute acceptable behaviors that are considered normal rites of passage in the particular community. "Copycat" gangs may be increasingly present in some low-income and middle-class communities, often located in smaller cities, suburban, and rural areas. Youth in these groups may identify and attempt to imitate the mannerisms and behaviors of youth gangs in urban centers. Identification with gang culture, in significant measure through media influence, may be a source of novel experience and excitement for youth. The behavior of such groups constitute a challenge to authority in communities undergoing change and where family disruption is increasing. The activities of copycat gangs may sometimes have serious violent or criminal consequences. Most of these youth gangs, however, are ephemeral, engage in relatively minor delinquent acts and have little if any actual or ongoing contact with other criminal juvenile or adult groups. The threat these groups pose to the community and to the social development of their members should be carefully assessed so that a problem is not created or exaggerated where no, or very little, evidence of a sustainable or serious gang problem exists. 2. Delinquent Group. This refers to a group or collective, mainly of juveniles and/or adolescents, engaged usually in less serious law-violating behavior. This law-violating behavior is sometimes of a wider range, particularly with respect to property crimes, than those of youth gangs, posses, crews, and other "quasi" gangs. The delinquent group is usually less organized and more ephemeral than a youth gang. It is characterized by none of the special characteristics of gangs such as turf, distinctive dress, colors, signs or symbols. The delinquent group is the most prevalent of all deviant youth groups in most communities. 3. Criminal organization. This is usually a relatively well-organized, stable, and sophisticated clique, group, or organization of youths and/or adults committed primarily to systematic, income-producing activity of a criminal nature. Its members are essentially employees of a criminal business organization. The criminal organization may at times use intimidation and violence to achieve or protect its economic interests. The organization often provides employment for current or former gang members. Such organizations may provide illegal services or goods to the community and acquire rewards from local residents in mutually acceptable and reinforcing ways. The Loose Crew Triad and Mafia are subtypes of criminal organizations. 4. Gang clique, set, klika. The gang clique and set are terms sometimes used as equivalent to youth gang. On the other hand, a klika on the west coast may represent an entire cohort or age sector of youth (e.g., 13- and 14-year-old males) who join or are "jumped into" a street gang. The clique in its smaller-size connotation may signify a "tight" grouping of two or three youths who have similar characteristics or criminal interests. 5. Youth Gang Member. This term can indicate various types of members who engage in a range of legitimate, illegitimate, criminal, and/or violent behaviors. Leaders and core members of youth or street gangs are often (but not always) more serious and frequent offenders than are other kinds of gang members. Arrested gang members are more likely to become career criminals than arrested nongang delinquents. The following represent membership categories of the more traditional turf-based gang. In the course of a gang member's career, he or she may assume several roles: o Gang leader. This individual makes central or important decisions that affect the gang's behavior. The leader may be formally recognized as President, King, Queen, Prince, Ambassador, Old Gangster, or have no title. Leadership may also be a function shared by different members of the group, depending on particular situations, such as initiating a social or athletic affair; starting or sanctioning a gang fight; conducting a drug transaction; or negotiating criminal deals. o Core or Hardcore gang member. This is an attribution assigned, often by law enforcement, to gang members who engage consistently in gang violence and other serious gang-motivated crime, e.g., a shooter. It refers to the few gang members who are most influential in the development or implementation of the gang's violent patterns of criminal behavior. o Regular member. This gang member participates in the gang's criminal activities on a consistent and frequent basis. He or she is recognized as a member in good standing or status. o Associate. This term refers to a youth who occasionally associates with gang members on the street or elsewhere but who neither recognizes himself nor is usually, or fully, recognized by others as a gang member, except sometimes by law enforcement officials when a gang crime is committed and the particular youth is located nearby. o Soldier or peon. This is a reliable but low- status gang member. o Peripheral or Fringe member. This gang member participates periodically and selectively in gang events. He or she usually does not have high status and is not regarded as a reliable or committed gang member. The gang member may readily leave the gang and be excused from participation in many of the gang's activities. o Wannabe. This refers ordinarily to a younger (less frequently to an older) youth who wants to join the gang. He or she may be a friend or relative of a gang member or former gang member, or already be a member of a "tot" or a juvenile gang- related group. The wannabe may be sought after to join the gang and participate in its activities. o Recruit. A recruit may at times be an older youth recruited for certain skills or talents useful during crises, e.g., gang fighting. He or she may be requested to join for a limited period of time. o Youth at risk of gang membership or gang-prone youth. This is a youth who is not yet a gang member. He or she may not explicitly aspire to gang membership, nor be a target for gang recruitment. However, certain social characteristics and conditions within his or her immediate environment make the youth likely to become a gang member, such as: he or she lives in a gang neighborhood; a member of his or her family is a gang member; he or she experiments with drugs; he or she commits delinquent acts; he or she is failing at school; he or she has certain physical or social attributes which are attractive to the gang; he or she is knowledgeable about gang lore; he or she occasionally flashes gang signs or wears gang colors; he or she is suspected by school or police of being a gang member. These characteristics or conditions, singly, may be insufficient to predispose the youth to gang membership or actually identify him or her as a gang member. The National Youth Gang Suppression and Intervention Program is primarily concerned with the high-risk, gang-prone youth or incipient gang member who gives clear evidence of likely or actual criminal gang involvement. o Floater, go-between, operator, broker. Such a youth or adult is ordinarily not a member of a specific gang, but is well-known and has high status or respect among several gangs in the community. He or she has certain knowledge, talents, or resources useful to gangs, e.g., access to other gangs, capacity to mediate a gang fight, ability to provide legal advice, access to weapons or drugs. o Veterano, Old Head, O.G. (Old Gangster), Senior, Advisor, Counselor. This is usually an honorific status assigned to or taken by a young adult who was (or was reported to be) a gang member when he or she was younger. These adults are often no longer active gang members. They may be junkies, drug dealers, informers, racketeers, legitimate business operators, human service workers, a parent, or other respected members of the community. They sometimes attempt to influence the group or its membership to maintain gang tradition, increase or reduce gang violence, or leave the gang and pursue a legitimate (or illegitimate) adult career. A few may participate selectively on occasion in gang-motivated criminal activity. 6. Group delinquency and gang crime incidents. Not all group delinquency or crime should be classified automatically as a gang incident, e.g., purse snatching, disturbing the peace, mob action, or group assault by nongang members. Group delinquent acts are often incorrectly classified as gang motivated incidents, particularly in emerging gang problem contexts where the problem is just starting and officials do not clearly recognize or understand the distinctive character of the problem. Authorities may initially over-react and classify co-offending youth as members of a gang when their delinquent activity is neither gang- motivated nor gang-related. o Labelling gang-motivated and gang-related incidents. The police in practice often employ a combination of gang-motivated and gang-related procedures to define gang crime incidents. We believe that a system should be developed to gather and record information on gang crime which neither exaggerates nor denies, but accurately and meaningfully describes a gang event. A definition should be devised which emphasizes the gang- oriented nature of the incident, i.e., preferably using gang motivation criteria, and not simply the fact that the participant is a gang member. The argument that the gang member is influenced by his experience in the gang even when he commits a nongang crime must be balanced by two counter arguments. Often the gang member was a serious delinquent before he joined the gang. Subsequent gang-related activity should not thereby be regarded as simply those of a gang delinquent. More importantly, excessive reference to the individual as a gang member simply enhances his prestige and exaggerates the threat of the gang or gang member to the community. However, since the gang member, especially the leadership or core member is likely to be a serious offender, an information system should be developed that records both gang-motivated and gang-related crime of certain types of offenders. Special justice system attention should be paid to the gang member who is a repeat serious offender whether he commits gang-motivated or non-gang-motivated crime. Due regard must be given to the fact that not all gang members are delinquent or criminal, and not all delinquent or criminal gang members will be hard-core offenders. The complexity of the gang problem as well as due process and civil rights require that the individual gang youth should be correctly identified as a criminally-oriented gang member. He or she should not be subjected to excessive labelling and punishment, which will probably contribute neither to the protection of the community nor to the social development of the gang member in the long run. 7. Social Disorganization. As used in this manual, social disorganization refers to a lack of integration across the individual, family, organizations and community. It indicates, for example, an inability to mesh motivations, norms, values, and activities by the individual youth with those of his or her family; by family units with organizations such as the school; by units within a particular agency or organization; and across organizations in a community. At the societal and community levels, social disorganization is often associated with large and rapid population movements and social changes or disruptions, e.g., the influx of a new minority population, the outflow of middle-class families, and the failure of key institutions such as schools, law enforcement, and employers to understand and meet the needs of a new or changing population. Gangs, or even certain communities, may be regarded as coherently organized for their particular purposes. However, the predominant norms and values of these gangs and communities are usually in con- flict with the legitimized norms of the larger society. Gangs meet the social and often economic needs of people in ways not approved by the dominant culture. Variables of social disorganization may not be related to variables of poverty, racism, cultural conflict,1 and social isolation.2 We believe the interaction of at least two variables, particularly social disorganization and poverty, creates high risks of gang involvement. Social disorganization may also refer to changes that bring about excessive stress or crises in patterns of transition from one state or social situation to another. These transitional patterns may be normal, expected, and desirable under circumstances of stable relationships at home and in the community. They include the transition from: childhood to adolescence; adolescence to young adulthood; one level of schooling to another; and a segregated to an integrated school system, which may require bussing. Early gang involvements are likely to occur during the transition of youth from elementary to junior high, and from junior high to high school in certain neighborhoods. Social disorganization may also be inherent in the changing of seasons. For example, gang activity seems often to rise in the fall as youth begin school, just before and after holiday breaks, and during the late spring before summer vacation. 1 For example, differences in cultural values between those of immigrant groups and those of the dominant community group 2 For example, significant separation of a housing project from the neighborhood, or the neighborhood from the city ------------------------------ APPENDIX C A FEW SELECTED EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS TARGETING GANG YOUTH Chicago Commons Association Industrial and Business Training Division 4100 S. Belmont Chicago, IL 60641 Boys Club of San Gabriel Valley 2740 Mountain View Road El Monte, CA 91732 East Los Angeles Skill Center 1260 Monterey Pass Road Monterey Park, CA 91734 Safer Foundation 571 W. Jackson Chicago, IL 60604 San Jose Conservation Corps 2650 A. Senter Rd. San Jose, CA 95111 ------------------------------ APPENDIX D JOB DEVELOPMENT BIBLIOGRAPHY American Society of Training and Development Directory. 1990. Who's Who in Training and Development, Suite 305, 600 Maryland Ave. Southwest, Washington, D.C. 20024. Auspos, Patricia, Cave, George, Doolittle, Fred, and Hoerz, Gregory. 1989. Implementing Jobstart: A Demonstration for School Dropouts in the JTPA System. Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation. Berlin, Gordon and Sum, Andrew. 1988. Toward a More Prefect Union: Basic Skills, Poor Families, and Our Economic Future. New York: Ford Foundation. Bertcher, Harvey, Gordon, Jesse E., Hayes, Michael, and Mial, Harry. 1988. Role Modeling and Role Playing. Manpower Science Services, Inc.. Beusterein, Pat, ed.. 1989. Summer Employment: Directory of the United States. Ohio: North Light Books. Birch, David. Job Creation in America. 1989. New York: The Free Press. The Black Resource Guide. 1987. Washington, D.C.: Black Resource Guide, Inc. Bolles, Richard Nelson. 1990. What Color is Your Parachute?: A Practical Guide for Job Hunters and Career Changers. California: Ten Speed Press. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. 1990. Washington D.C.: Dept of Labor. Contacts Influential: Commerce and Industry Directory. 1990. Contacts Influential Market Research and Development Services, 321 Bust Ave., Suite 203, San Francisco, CA 94104. Directory of Occupational Titles, 4th ed. 1990. Supt. of Documents. U.S. Printing Office, Washington, D.C.. Ferman, Louis A., Manela, Roger, and Rogers, David. 1980. Agency and Company: Partners in Human Resource Development. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications. ________. 1988. Job Development for the Hard-To-Employ. U.S. Department of Labor: Manpower Administration. Figler, Howard E. . 1988. The Complete Job Search Handbook: All the Skills you Want and Need to Get Any Job and Have a Good Time Doing It. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Fine, Sidney A. 1989. Functional Job Analysis Scales: A Desk Aid. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 1229 W. Jackson. ________. 1969. Guidelines for the Employment of the Culturally Disadvantaged. Michigan: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. Glaser, Edward M.1973. Productive Employment of the Disadvantaged: Guidelines for Action. California: Human Interaction Research Institute. Gordon, Jesse E. and Erfurt, John C. 1971. Placement and After: A Manual for Coaches and Other Employment Workers. Michigan: Institute for Labor and Industrial relations. Guide to Basic Skill Jobs, vol. 1. 1986. Minnesota: RPM Press. Haldene, Bernard and Lowell, Jean and Martin. 1980. Job Power: Young People's Job Finding Guide. Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books Ltd. Johnson, Mariam and Sugerman, Marged. 1978. Job Development and Placement. U.S. Department of Labor: Employment and Training Administration. Johnson, Willis l. ed. 1986. Directory of Special Programs for Minority Group Members: Career, Information Sources, Employment Skills Bank, Financial Aid Sources. MD: Garrett Park Press. Jones, Ilene. 1983. Jobs for Teenagers. New York: Ballantine Press. Kimeldorf, Martin. 1989. Job Search Education. New York: Educational Design Inc. Leyard, Richard. 1986. How to Beat Unemployment. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Medley, Anthony H. 1978. Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed. Berkeley, CA.: Ten Speed Press. Mission Impossible: Churches Supporting Fragile Families. 1990. National Crime Prevention Council, 1700 K Street, NW, Second Floor, Washington, D. C., 20007 National Business Telephone Directory. 1986. Michigan: Pub-Nicholas Publishing Company. Petras, Kathryn and Ross. 1990. Job 1990: By Career, By Industry, By Region: Leads on More Than 40 Million Jobs and How To Get Them. New York: Prentice Hall Press. Pre-Employment Curriculum. 1989. From American Correctional Association, 4321 Hartwick Rd., College Park, MD 20704. Quality Education for Minorities Project. 1990. Education That Works: An Action Plan for the Education of Minorities. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute Of Technology. Survival Guide for Ex-Offenders. Lincoln, NE. 68501 Thompson, James W., Sviridoff, Michelle, and McEroy, Jerome E.. 1981. Employment and Crime: A Review of Theories and Research. U.S. Department of Justice: National Institute of Justice. Wallach, Ellen J.. 1984. The Job Search Companion: The Organizer of Job Seekers. Boston, MA: Harvard Common Press. William T. Grant Foundation Commission on Work, Family and Citizenship. January 1988. The Forgotten Half: Non-College Youth in America. Washington, D.C William T. Grant Foundation Commission on Work, Family and Citizenship. November 1988. The Forgotten Half: Pathways to Success for America's Youth and Young Families. Washington, D.C. Woy, James, ed. 1986. Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources (6th ed.). Michigan: Gale Research Company. ------------------------------ APPENDIX E: JOB DEVELOPMENT FLOW CHART Not available online. ------------------------------ APPENDIX F: SOURCES OF FUNDING References: Annual Register of Grant Support. 1990. Pub: Marquis Academic Media , 200 E. Ohio, Room 5608, Chicago, IL 60611. Foundation Directory. 1990. Pub: Foundation Center, 79th Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10003. Lesko, Matthew. 1987. Getting Yours: The Complete Guide to Government Money. New York: Viking Penguin Inc. Other Sources: You can apply to your local Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) office for Federal training funds that are administered on the local level. These offices are usually listed under city offices of job training. If you are unable to locate sources of JTPA funding, you can contact David Lah (Ph: 1-202-535-0682) of the U.S. Department of Labor for assistance. ------------------------------ GANG LITERATURE BIBLIOGRAPHY Camp, Samuel Graham and Camp, George M.. 1988. Management Strategies for Combatting Prison Gang Violence. South Salem, New York: Criminal Justice Institute. Caplan, Nathan S. 1968. "Treatment Intervention and Reciprocal Interaction Effects." Journal of Social Issues. 24 (January): 63-68. Cloward, Richard A. and Ohlin, Lloyd E.. 1960. Delinquency and Opportunity: A Theory of Delinquent Gangs. Glencoe, IL: The Free Press. Hagedorn, John. 1988. People and Folks: Gangs, Crime, and the Underclass in a Rust Belt City. Chicago: Lake View Press. Imani, Francis A. J.. 1989. The Search for Structure: A Report on American Youth Today. New York: the Free Press. Klein, Malcolm W. 1971. Street Gangs and Street Workers. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Kornhauser, Ruth R. 1978. Social Sources of Delinquency. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Miller, Walter B. 1958. "Lower Class Culture as a Generating Milieu of Gang Delinquency." The Journal of Social Issues. 14 (3):5-19. ________. 1975. Violence by Youth Gangs and Youth Groups as a Crime Problem in Major American Cities. National Institute for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Justice Department. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Moore, Joan W. 1978. Homeboys. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press Needle, Jerome A. and Stapleton, William. 1983. Police Handling of Youth Gangs. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, National Institute for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Poston, Richard W. 1971. The Gang and the Establishment. New York: Harper and Row. Short, James F. And Strodbeck, Fred L. 1965. Group Process and Gang Delinquency. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Spergel, Irving A. 1966. Street Gang Work: Theory and Practice. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley. Sullivan, Mercer L. 1989. "Getting Paid" Youth Crime and Work in the Inner City. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Thrasher, Frederic M. 1927. The Gang. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Virgil, James Diego. 1989. Barrio Gangs. Austin: University of Texas Press.