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 an