Gangs and Restorative Justice

Gangs pose a special challenge to communities and to law enforcement because of the power they are able to exert over the lives of people within their communities. Can restorative processes work when dealing with individuals from violent, tight-knit organizations? These articles discuss that issue.

Violence in Byron Bay, Australia – it takes a whole society to raise one violent boy, says Pip Cornall

from the entry on Malechallengemedia's blog: “Perhaps it takes a whole society to raise one violent boy,” says Male challenge (formerly sustainable-masculinity) advocate, Pip Cornall, who, after more than two decades working to prevent violence in the USA and Australia, is appalled by the rising youth violence showing up as teen gangs, homicides, teen porn, those damaging large group parties, vandalism, drugs, burglary, violent and sexist music. You’ll notice these behaviours almost always involve boys and young men—it’s a male thing, but it is a male thing that is growing.” ....When asked if we can solve the problem of youth violence he replied, “Sure we can. For example, in workshops with gang members and violent teens, when we help them drop the “tough guise,” we expose a vulnerable boy with terrible self esteem. Once we identify the root causes of male violence, we can design solutions—solutions of an immediate nature, and longer term preventative approaches.”

Grenfell, Dale Mary. ROCA- Restorative Justice in a Massachusetts Community

Roca is Spanish for “rock" or “foundation." Located in a highly diverse, multicultural, urban area north of Boston, Massachusetts, Roca, Inc is a values driven agency that began in 1998. Roca, Inc focuses on empowering at-risk youth and young families through programs that promote a real sense of belonging. In this article Dale Mary Grenfell describes its roots in restorative justice principles, peacemaking circles, multicultural programming, and community building. She also identifies some of Roca’s key programs – such as literacy, health, young parenting, and life skills – and she profiles the director of the organization, Molly Baldwin.

Badger, George and Albright, Cal. Alter-Natives to Non-Violence Initiative. Aboriginal Youth Gangs Exploration: a community development process

The approach adopted by the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Alter-Natives to Non-Violence Initiative is rooted in the understanding that behaviours are the observable symptom of feelings and emotions that are hidden from our view. The negative behaviours of youth have developed into recognizable labels with pre-packaged responses for systems and adults. The process developed to respond to the labelled behaviours does not necessarily address the underlying problems that may be hidden within the lives and experiences of youth. A system has evolved that has been designed to respond to specific labels or symptoms that are convenient and identifiable. The systems are simply not sophisticated enough to resolve the sensitive personal issues of youth at risk. Abstract courtesy of the Centre for Restorative Justice, Simon Fraser University, www.sfu.ca/crj.

Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. Seeds of Change: Using Peacemaking Circles to Build a Village for Every Child

Roca, Inc., a grassroots human development and community organization, has adopted the peacemaking circle as a tool in its relationship building with youth, communities, and formal systems. Circles are a method of communication derived from aboriginal and native traditions. In Massachusetts, the Department of Social Services and the Department of Youth Services are exploring the application of the circle in programming with youth and families. By providing a consistent structure for open, democratic communication, peacemaking circles enhance the formation of positive relationships in families, communities, and systems. The outcome is a stronger community with greater unity across truly diverse participants. This article presents the theory and practice of peacemaking circles, the lessons and challenges of implementing circles in formal organizations, and the potential of the circle to support a strengths-based and community-based approach to child welfare. Author's abstract.

Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations. Alter-Natives to Non-Violence Report: Aboriginal Youth Gangs Exploration--A Community Development Process.

The approach adopted by the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Alter-Natives to Non-violence Initiative (hereafter called "the Initiative") is rooted in the understanding that behaviors are the observable symptoms of feelings and emotions that are sometimes hidden from our view. The negative behaviors of youth have been assigned recognizable labels that receive prepackaged responses from systems and adults. The processes that were developed to respond to the labeled behaviors do not necessarily adress the underlying problems, which may be hidden within the lifes and experiences of youth. Presently, is our understanding that the police have adopted a system of labeling some Aboriginal youth as gang members. We are uncomfortable with this, because the process seems to be subjective, and the consequences are severe. At the same time, we understand the need to manage the larger, more formal adult gangs. (excerpt)

Mahfuz, James J. and Hart, Linda M.. Roca: Supporting Young People to Thrive and Lead Change.

Since its inception in 1988, thousands of young people from Chelsea and Revere, Massachusetts have reclaimed their lives at Roca through the power of transformational relationships. Driven by a vision of children thriving and leading change, Roca has become a place where disenfranchised youth find a safe haven for growing and nurturing their dreams: both for themselves and their community. Rejecting the deficit model—a model that sees young people as the victims of the social ills that they have experienced: poverty, racism, war in their native countries, and violence in their own communities, Roca has built it’s programming on the strengths of these resilient youth. Roca’s theory of change is that as young people experience greater degrees of belonging and generosity in their lives, they become better positioned to thrive and lead change as they grow into adulthood. Author's abstract.

Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. Healing the Wounds of Street Violence: Peacemaking Circles and Community Youth Development.

Peacemaking circles, a method of communication and problem solving derived from aboriginal and native traditions, are used in relationship development, healing, community building, and restorative justice efforts. This article highlights how circles are used at Roca—a multicultural, youth, family, and community development organization—to open up fresh possibilities for connection, collaboration, and mutual understanding between youth and adult participants. (excerpt)

Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. Discovering Their Voice: Empowering Young People Through Circles

Peacemaking circles are a method of communication and problem solving derived from aboriginal and native traditions. This summary highlights how circles are used at Roca—a multicultural, youth, family, and community development organization—to open up new possibilities for empowerment of young people through discovering their own voice. (author's abstract)

Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. Come Together: Building Community Through Circles

Peacemaking circles are a method of communication and problem solving derived from aboriginal and native traditions. This summary highlights how circles are used at Roca - a multi-cultural, youth, family and community development organization - to strengthen the bonds of community. (author's abstract)

Boyes-Watson, Carolyn. Circle of Accountability: Being in Circle Outside of Circle.

Peacemaking circles are a method of communication and problem solving derived from aboriginal and native traditions. This summary highlights how circles are used at Roca—a multicultural, youth, family, and community development organization—to open up new possibilities for empowerment through learning how to be accountable to themselves and their community. (author's abstract).

The Interrupters: A story of restorative justice

from the article by Josh Larsen on Capital Commentary: The interrupters program is based on the work of epidemiologist Gary Slutkin, who compares the spread of violence to the spread of infectious diseases. The interrupters try to stop the infection at its fountainhead, which is where Matthews lives—at the source.

. Newham Restorative Justice Network.

Network (NRJN) works with young people aged 13 – 19 who have been affected by conflict and crime from our purpose built youth club “The Mix” in Plaistow (1a Cumberland Rd, E13 8LH). The project seeks to address issues surrounding guns, gangs, knives & street crime (& related crimes) among young people in the borough. It works with offenders, as well as with victims (who often go on to become offenders) to reduce offending subsequent recidivism. (excerpt)

Gang injunctions do not work

from an op-ed by Victor Rios on Stop the Injunction in Oakland: I am a former gang member, juvenile felon from Oakland, California. I now have a Ph.D. from Berkeley and am a Professor of Sociology who studies youth-police relations. Based on my studies with hundreds of gang associated youths I can tell you that gang injunctions are a failed attempt at addressing youth violence. Gang injunctions cannot guarantee gang violence reductions. Sociologists like Cheryl Maxson, in Los Angeles and Irvine have found that years of gang injunctions in Southern California have not produced results. Instead, youth crime and violence has increased in communities where injunctions have been implemented.

Salinas gang prevention initiative loses funding, but not heart

from Sunita Vijayan's entry on the Californian.com A pilot program aimed at ending gang violence in Salinas has run out of money, but it hasn't run out of fight. After two years, Community Building Circles has used up the $25,000 it received from the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention Program, said the group's director Deborah Aguilar on Wednesday. "Community Building Circles has lost the funding, but [I have] not lost the passion to service the needs of the community," Aguilar said.

Archbishop's lecture on prison reform, restorative justice and community

from the article on The Archbishop of YorkThe Archbishop of York blog: Dr John Sentamu questioned the deterrent effect of imprisonment, severity of sentencing, the pivotal role of communities and the need for restorative justice in his Prisoners Education Trust Annual Lecture. Dr John Sentamu said, "We should be pained and troubled by the size of our prison population in Britain, the sheer number of individuals who have given up on community – and feel that community has given up on them. We need to show love and compassion while ensuring justice is served and seen to be served".

Transformational Relationships in Youth Work: The Case of Roca

At Roca, a system is emerging that enables frontline youth workers, their supervisors, the organization’s managers and young people to communicate about the process of transformation in terms that everyone understands.

Schärf, Wilfred. "Re-integrating Militarised Youths (Street gangs and self-defence units) into the Mainstream in South Africa: From Hunters to Game-keepers?"

In this 1997 paper, Schärf details the history of gang activity and youth militarization in South Africa. He also explains how the new democracy and opening to ideas provide an opportunity for the government and civil society to help these young people become positive and productive members of society. He first suggests the use of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission format to air the crimes committed by gangs, to seek understanding and apology, and to open spaces in society for gang members to change. Schärf also suggests the use of restorative justice processes to aid with this demilitarization of youth. He suggests the adoption of Family Group Conferences and Sentencing circles as methods of re-integrating the youth. He goes a step further by suggesting that the Family Group Conferences become a type of support group with periodic meetings to encourage positive activity on the part of the youth. In essence, Schärf calls for experiments testing the restorative process that have aided his country thus far.

Pinnock, Don. Rites of Passage: Creating Alternative Rituals for Gang Members

In dealing with gang violence, Pinnock argues that tough on crime initiatives do not have the desired effect. He suggests that government use the strength of gangs to create a new path for the offenders. By undergoing supervised and positive rites of passage, the gang members are able to fill the need to be recognized as an adult and earn respect. The programs that Pinnock describes include skills training, restitution, accountability, and other community building aspects.

Becker, Harold K. New Wine in Old Bottles: The Time Has Come for Therapeutic Community Policing for Youth

Data collection was conducted during 1997-98 and was of a non-experimental descriptive design. Data were obtained by a series of surveys and personal interviews with police and youths in gang and non-gang neighborhoods in four California counties. A total of 151 youths were surveyed and separated into two categories: youths living in gang neighborhoods (GNs) and youths living in non-gang neighborhoods (NGNs). The youths in GNs had approximately two times the amount of alcohol and drug usage and were more negatively influenced by aggressive police behavior (being arrested); gangs (gang membership, gang sign language, tattoos, and wearing gang attire); fear of crime (the carrying of weapons for self-protection); and the potential for physical conflict between youths and the police. Police were overly optimistic about the influence of community policing on youths, and they showed a lack of understanding of at-risk youths and how to deal with them in positive ways. The community policing programs made no distinction between the levels of risk for youths. If the police are to be successful in preventing youth crime, there must be greater positive interaction between police and youth, and the police must achieve a more accurate assessment of youth problems. There must also be a decrease in aggressive police behavior toward youth. It is necessary to move beyond the current community policing concept to a therapeutic community policing model that relies on open communication, participation, and trust to prevent at-risk behavior by youths.

van Gelder, Sarah. Reclaiming kids. An interview with John Calhoun

In this article Sarah van Gelder interviews John Calhoun – executive director of the National Crime Prevention Council, and founder and former director of the Justice Resource Institute – to talk about ways to engage young people and to rebuild communities to prevent crime. Their discussion ranges over reasons for youths being at risk, contemporary social conditions affecting young people, needs that youths are trying to meet through drugs and gangs, youths getting involved in their communities, and the need for adults to be involved in the lives of young people.