NCJ Number
88116
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 26 Issue: 3 Dated: (1982) Pages: 207-214
Date Published
1982
Length
8 pages
Annotation
There was no discernible difference in the rate of police detentions for youth gang members who had participated in a police department's employment program compared to those who had not.
Abstract
The study compared 100 experimental subjects participating in the El Monte Police Department (California) youth gang employment program to 100 control subjects, matched on age, sex, ethnicity, and gang membership. All subjects were male and included 93 Hispanics and 7 Anglos. Because both groups showed a subsequent decline in police detentions, the effect cannot be attributed to the jobs program but is more likely increasing age and maturity and decreasing vulnerability to police arrests for minor infractions. Thus, efforts to help youth gangs should shift focus from job procurement to job maintenance. A graph, a few data tables, and 10 references are included.