Gang Prevention and Intervention for At-Risk Youth

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program (Byrne Discretionary Program) helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 08 Congressional Budget. Funds should be used for purposes recommended by Congress.

The Latin American Youth Center-Maryland Multicultural Youth Center (MMYC) will support gang prevention and intervention for at-risk youth in Prince Georges and Montgomery counties in Maryland. MMYC will implement four programmatic components: 1) gang prevention for in-school youth; 2) gang prevention/diversion for out-of-school time (summer and afterschool; 3) gang prevention/diversion for youth who have dropped out of school; and 4) intensive intervention for gang-involved youth. Each component includes community outreach; leadership development, life skills, academic enrichment, job readiness skills and case management; behavioral health; and screening and referral. The program's objectives are: successful outreach/recruitment; increasing resilience factors among participants; reducing gang involvement among participants; retention/tracking; and enhancing linkages with law enforcement to reduce gangs. Performance will be measured through pre and post tests, surveys, school performance, and short and longer term behavior and attitudinal changes.

NCA/NCF