Community Project
Teri Patterson
Springfield College: Puerto Rico Analysis & Perspectives
November 4, 2012

Introduction This paper will explore a proposed community project for the city of Hartford, CT. The project will be developed in coordination with the Connecticut Department of Correction and a community provider. The projects main goal is to provide a safe living environment for Latino gang members in the community once they discharge from prison.
Agencies
The major agency being targeted for this community project is the Connecticut Department of Correction. The CT DOC’s mission statement is as follows. “The Department of Correction shall protect the public, protect staff, and provide safe, secure, and humane supervision of offenders with opportunities that support restitution, rehabilitation and successful community reintegration.” The project is focused on the successful reintegration of offenders to the community. There was a recent report in the Hartford Courant that stated that 80% of adult males in the state of CT have been recidivists between 2005 and 2010. This number is staggering and every effort should be taken by both the department and community agencies to help this number to decrease. This project will focus on providing an opportunity for inmates in DOC who have been identified as having an affiliation with a primarily Latin gang such as the Latin Kings or Los Solidos. The inmates chosen for the program will have denounced their affiliation with the gang and completed the gang program in DOC prior to discharge. The DOC has various contracts throughout the state with providers for halfway houses, sober houses, and ¾ houses. This project will fall into the same concept focusing strictly on individuals who were gang members. In collaboration with the DOC and a community partner a residential facility will be established to house these men as they leave prison. The house itself will be under DOC contract and operated by a community agency. The house will begin as a pilot with 20 beds available in the greater Hartford area. The program once approved will provide a request for proposal for community agencies to bid on. These agencies will bid on taking over the program and assume the responsibility to operate the program from that point forward. There will be a set written program structure which outlines all aspects of the program. The financial aspect will be agreed on and signed off on by both DOC and the community agency. The program will allow for expansion if the pilot program is deemed to be a success after three years in operation.
Community Gap The major community gap today is that there is no program in existence in Hartford which specifically houses and addresses the needs of ex gang members. When young men leave a correctional institution they often do not have many supports in place in the community. The men came in looking at their gang as their family and provider. They complete the gang program in prison and then are eventually released. The question then becomes what they will now do in society. The easy answer is to return to what they know and who they know. Many of these individuals will leave prison and return to the “streets”. This is where such a high number of recidivism occurs. When these individuals return without support and guidance crime is inevitable. This not only affects the individual but anyone they come in contact with or society as a whole.
Program Structure The pilot program will be structured to address the Latin gangs in Hartford, CT. The main target group will be Latin males exiting a state correction facility under the age of 25. The pilot program will focus on younger members with the hope of expanding to all gang members once success is established. The program will provide a structured living environment for these 20 young men for up to a 6-month time frame. The program will have various programming aspects. The first aspect to be included in the program will be an addiction service piece. The program will provide ongoing addiction service counseling for all members who have a history of addiction. The second aspect of the program will involve employment readiness. The program will have an employment counselor who will work with the clients and the community to teach job skills and help the clients find gainful employment. The third aspect will be anger management. Anger is very key issue with many young men and this course will be offered for anyone with a history of anger. There will not be a mental health component in the program itself but the program will have a referral service in place for any mental health problems that arise. The program will also have a referral in place for community medical services. Further structure in the program will include a life skills piece. This program will be facilitated by one of the case managers and will address all areas that anyone in society has to be able to manage. It will include but not be limited to finances, proper hygiene, family skills, parenting, and many more topics. The next aspect of the program will include a culinary arts training program. This program will allow 4 residents who apply and go through an interview process to learn from a culinary arts instructor. They will be able to receive certificates that can be used in the restaurant industry. This aspect will be utilized as education but will also be used to provide the daily meals for the program. The next aspect of the program will address English as a second language and overall education. ESL and GED courses will be available to the residents in the evening hours. Since the pilot program is focusing on the Latin members ESL classes can be beneficial. The GED program also allows these clients to gain their GED which was not their main focus while in society. Community Service will also play a large role in the program. The members of the program will reach out on a weekly basis to troubled youth in the greater Hartford area. This can be done through alternative programs and detention centers. The members of the program will share their experiences and how they are shaping and changing their lives today. At some point the program may allow for a “big brother” initiative. The program will also work closely with local trade school in order to provide further skills in specific trades. This can also involve collaboration with a local garage that is willing to provide training for some of the members of the house. Recreation will also be a key aspect of the program. Not just the normal recreation that people would consider. This recreation will involve things outside of the norm such as attending art shows, museums, and even taking a trip outside of the area to such places as aquariums or nature centers. This provides many of the residents with experiences and cultural awareness they may have never been afforded. The program will also have a particular spiritual aspect. This will include various religious affiliations but will not be limited to religion. The spiritual principles to live life will be established. These include such simple things as respect, honesty, integrity, and ethics just to name a few. The last aspect of the program will revolve around gang education. This program will be developed with the DOC and be specific at targeting the gang activities and behaviors. This group structure will be mandatory for all members and will take place three times a week. With the help of DOC a structured curriculum can be developed and facilitated by a program staff member. This aspect of the program will also allow for community members to come to the program and share their experiences in gang life and how they have changed. This will provide further motivation for the young men in the program. If they are able to see that others in the same situation have made changes and are successful today they can have hope to do the same. The program will have a client handbook that is signed off on by each member. This handbook will outline the entire program including a list of rules and regulations. There will be a punitive system in place for the residents. If a resident receives three violations they will be placed on probation in the program and could face termination from the program. It is important that the residents also understand they can be returned to custody at any point for violation of the program rules and regulations. The program will also provide monthly toxicology screening to ensure compliance with the illicit substance policy.
Target Group In the city of Hartford the two major gangs that have a majority of Latin members are the Solidos and Latin Kings. The Solidos is the largest in the city with the Latin Kings having smaller numbers. One important thing to note is that these two gangs are rivals. This is something the program will be forced to address and there will be provisions in place for removal from the program. The initial 20 clients that will be accepted will be from one of these two gangs and will be under the age of 25. If there is an appropriate match of someone who is for example 26 or 27 those individuals will be considered on an individual basis for suitability. The members will either be on parole or being allowed to enter the program as a provision from DOC as part of their sentence. It will be similar to that of a half way house. The client can spend the final 6 months of sentence in this program rather than in an institution.
Feedback from an ex Gang Member I was able to review this program proposal with an ex gang member. This person not to be named spent 14 years in the Solidos gang and worked his way to third in command in the entire state of CT. For the purpose of this paper we will call this individual “Pablo”. The entire community project was presented to Pablo and he provided feedback from the gang perspective. Pablo states:
“There is no guidance for the young kids, people that have been through the bullshit can help to guide them today”
“I tell my kids to look at me and see where I have been, I did it you don’t have to”
“The main question is will the community spend money on a project like this, it’s a positive program and it can help”
“Even for me what supports did I have, this would have helped me at a younger age”
Pablo provided some background:
“I started in the gang in 1993 and became 3rd in the state”
“I am done with it all now, I renounced in 2007 at Northern after spending years in solitary. I was able to see all the pain I have caused my family. I came in with 76 other guys and some have renounced and some are still with the bullshit. I left it behind; I want to do positive things now.”
“The young kids need guidance, they need to see the gang life is not a dream it’s a nightmare. They do not have to come back to jail. The program you’re talking about maybe it can employ some ex gang members that are doing good today to provide an example and see how they can change first hand.”
“A lot of the gang members when they come to prison learn how to beat the system. They leave jail they do not show colors or do certain things to draw attention but are still in the gang.”
“People do stupid things because they do not know how to ask for help. This program would give them help. The young kids do not look to the older guys for guidance anymore.”
“Addiction is a good part of the program whether its drugs or alcohol or simply the lifestyle. We are all addicts, I accept this today. I was addicted to the lifestyle. In the past OG’s would tell us younger guys to stay away from drugs but today it’s different no one is telling the younger guys.”
Pablo on whether the Kings and Solids can work together:
“Of course they can, if they gravitate towards positive they will work together. For example when I was in Northern I was very close to a member of the Kings. When we got out I helped him out in the community. We were working towards new goals and not focused on the gang life anymore.”
Pablo on a possible advocate for the program:
“For example there is a guy named Smurf who works closely with the mayor of Hartford. He was in the gang and the gang sent him to be educated. He changed his life and is now doing positive things. He could be a person that could help the program and even talk to the guys on a regular basis.”

References
Kovner, J. (2012, February 1). 80 percent of male state inmates released in 2005 arrested again by 2010. Hartford Courant. Retrieved from http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-prison-repeat- offenders-0215-20120214,0,6765006.story
State of Connecticut Department of Correction. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ct.gov/doc/site/default.asp