Description
Book SynopsisIn this book, Irving Spergel details the efforts of his Chicago youth gang project, a comprehensive, community-based model designed to reduce gang problems, including violence and illegal drug activity. He offers an in-depth description of the Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project, revealing the successes and failures of intervention at each level: individual youths, the gang itself, and the community at large. Spergel relates how a coalition of criminal justice, neighborhood, and academic organizations_along with a team of tactical officers, probation officers, former gang leaders, and a neighborhood organization_developed strategies for dealing with hardcore violent male youths from two gangs: the Latin Kings and Two Six. This well-known project has become the model for a series of national initiatives. Policymakers, criminologists, and gang researchers will find this model valuable for assessing gang programs and reducing gang violence.
Trade ReviewIrving Spergel's book on the Little Village application of the Comprehensive Community gang intervention model is unique as an example of applied research and effective programmatic response. Spergel has created a program to ameliorate community gang problems that is well worth a look by policy makers, gang responders, and criminological theorists. It is the best and most tested reaction to gang problems available today. -- G. David Curry, University of Missouri, St. Louis
Table of ContentsPart 1 Project Background and Program Strategies Chapter 2 Gang Problems Chapter 3 Project Formation Chapter 4 Entering the Field Chapter 5 Team Development Chapter 6 Social Intervention: The Outreach Youth Worker Chapter 7 Suppression/Social Control Chapter 8 Community Mobilization Part 9 Evaluation: Program Analysis and Project Outcome Chapter 10 The Project Evaluation Model Chapter 11 Changes in Social Context of Program Youth Chapter 12 Life Course Factors Related to Self-Reported Offense/Arrest Charges Chapter 13 Project-Worker Contacts, Services and Strategies Chapter 14 Arrest Changes: Program and Comparison Youth Chapter 15 Arrest Changes for Different Types of Gang Youth Chapter 16 Services and Outcome Chapter 17 Gang and Community Crime Change Chapter 18 Project Termination 19 Summary 20 References
