BREAKING FREE Gangs and Desistance Glynn 2014 Facilitator

BREAKING FREE Gangs and Desistance (Glynn, 2014) Facilitator: Jason Sylvester Session 5

Joining a gang (Glynn, 2014) • Father absence • Poor Self concept • Code of the streets • Effects of incarceration • Community Disconnect • Silences • Limited Social Capital

Gang Member Worldview (Glynn, 2014) 1. Outside world is chaotic and stressful. 2. Impulsive actions derails desistance trajectory. 3. Family relationships are often weakened. 4. Gang members can have unmet health, education, employment, and housing needs. 5. Gang Members face retribution post-release. 6. Gang Members face barriers related to civic participation.

Gang as Social Determinant of Health Social determinants of health are the conditions in. which people are born, grow, live, work and age, shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels.

New Moons Model (Glynn, 2014) Crime Free Life Desistance Readiness Cycle of Change Desistance Build Social Capital Crime Free Life

IN YOUR GROUPS DISCUSS HOW GANG MEMBERS CAN DEVELOP: • Desistence Readiness • Cycle of Change • Social capital

Desistance - Definition Termination point of offending Cessation of criminal activity Lack of continued involvement & investment in criminal activity

Types of Desistance Primary In and out of Criminality Secondary Abandon crime for good Tertiary One’s sense of belonging to family and community.

Supporting Desistance ‘Gang Work’ tends to focus on offenders’ risk and needs, but they also have strengths and resources that they can use to overcome obstacles to desistance (Maruna and Le. Bel 2003). Since desistance is about discovering agency, interventions need to encourage and respect selfdetermination; this means working with offenders not on them (Mc. Culloch 2005; Mc. Neill 2006).

HOW CAN ORGANISATIONS WORK WITH GANG MEMBERS RATHER THAN ON THEM?

Desistance Paradigm – (Mc. Neil, 2010) The desistance paradigm (forefronts the change process) Help in navigation towards desistance to reduce harm and make good to offenders, victims and communities Explicit dialogue and negotiation assessing risks, needs and strengths and resources; and exploring opportunities to make good Collaboratively defined tasks which tackle risks and needs and target obstacles to desistance by developing the offender’s human and social capital

Breaking Free (Glynn, 2014) Family and Community BUILD SOCIAL CAPITAL CYCLE OF CHANGE Motivational Interviewing GENERATIVITY Acquiring new meaning/purpose Fear/ Anxiety management RITE OF PASSAGE produces positive masculine challenge.

WORKING WITH ME NOT ON ME TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE