PowerPoint Presentation

Tribal Gangs and Evidence-Based SuccessGordon Swensen, M.S., LVRC, CRC, CPM, GCDFDirector of Statewide Strategic Alliances and InitiativesUtah State Office of RehabilitationDivision of Rehabilitation Servicesgswensen@utah.gov

CANAR Annual ConferenceSalt Lake City, UtahNovember 12, 2015So How Motivated Are You?

Youve seen the motivational posters on everything from Courage, Faith, Persistence, Patience, Leadership, Integrity, Love, Endurance, Loyalty, Service, Friendship, Courtesy, Kindnessand all the rest!

Lets Take a Look!

Its the Last Day of the Conference and Getting to the Airport, and Hopefully Not Being Delayed, and Finally Arriving Home Exhaustedso maybe a few Non-Motivational messages may be exactly what you need right now!

DELINQUENCY, DISABILITY, and THE VR ProcessWe sometimes are called upon to work with people for whom all others have abandoned hope. Perhaps we have even come to the conclusion that theres no possibility of change or growth. Its at that time that, if we can find the tiniest scrap of hope, we may turn the corner, achieve a measurable gain, save someone worth saving

(Hanoch McCarty)

Native American Youth GangsLearning Objectives:

Indian Country Research on Youth GangsTools and Resources (Tricks of the Trade) for Service ProvidersOffender Re-Entry Issues Following IncarcerationCollaboration and Partnerships that WorkA Change in Perspective

Delinquency, Disability, and The VR ProcessBillions of dollars have been channeled into rehabilitation programs with few positive results. Yet the concepts of rehabilitation as applied to the criminal personality is a misconception and a misnomer. To rehabilitate means to restore to an earlier constructive state or condition. Offender rehabilitative measures have included providing educational opportunities, job skills, social skills, counseling and therapy. This resulted in criminals who have education, job skills, social skills, and occasional personal insights. They remained, however, criminals.

The rehabilitative measures were well-conceived and somewhat useful, but they did not touch the core of the criminal-the way he thinksWhat is necessary is to know who the criminal is and how he thinks. Then it becomes possible to approach him more realistically in terms of making decisions and developing an approach to help him become a responsible human being.

(Stanton E. Samenow, Ph.D., in The Criminal Personality)

Native American GangsA Closer Look at the Research from Indian CountryNative American GangsThe following information is from research conducted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U.S. Department of Justice, taken from Youth Gangs in Indian Country, a Juvenile Justice Bulletin, March 2004, and the 2000 Survey of Youth Gangs in Indian CountryNative American GangsTo address appropriate social issues and cultural sensitivity, advisors from the following were consulted for the study:National Youth Gang Research StaffResearchers from Center for Delinquency and Crime Policy StudiesRepresentative from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)The Department of JusticeDepartment of Housing and Urban DevelopmentDepartment of Health and Human Services Indian Health ServicesNational Indian Court Judges AssociationNational Congress of American IndiansTribal Leader as Initial Contact Instead of Law EnforcementNative American GangsLaw Enforcement Services:

Vary from community to communityLimited Resources (e.g. officer to resident ratio)Lack of sufficient crime data for these communitiesNative American GangsYouth Gang Activity:Twenty-three percent of respondents (69 tribes) reporting having actives gangs in their communities during 2000. Seventy percent reported there was no gang activity and seven percent could not make a determination.Of Importance: The 23% mentioned approved were larger Indian country communities with greater gang involvement.Native American GangsBy contrast, law enforcement agencies responding to the same survey reported 40 percent of tribal jurisdictions with active gang involvement.

The majority of respondents reported 1-5 different youth gangs in their communities.

Half of the respondents said gang problems began after 1994, suggesting a relatively recent onset of gang activity.Native American GangsNavajo Nation Field Study (2002) found that the importation and spread of youth gangs are the result of several factors:Frequency with which families move off and on the reservationPovertySubstance AbuseFamily DysfunctionCluster Housing verses Traditional Single-Family HousingWaning Connection to Native American Culture and Traditional Kinship Ties Among CousinsNative American GangsThese changes in structural forces weaken families, schools, and other institutions traditionally associated with social control, thus allowing youth to be socialized on the street by gangs.

(from Armstrong, T.L., Bluehouse, P., Dennison, A., Mason, H., Mendenhall, B., Wall, D, and Zion, J. Finding and knowing the gang nayee-Field initiated gang research project: The judicial branch of the Navajo Nation, 2002)Native American GangsAdditional Statistics:

Gangs in Schools:

Eighty-six percent of Indian country communities with gang problems reported gang activity in the schools.This resulted in higher levels of violent victimization, availability of drugs and students who carry guns.Native American GangsCriminal Involvement:

56 percent of respondents reported that youth gangs committed crimes both within and outside the community. 36 percent reported only crimes within Indian country.47 percent of communities with a gang problem reported a significant graffiti issue; 40 percent reported vandalism; 22 percent reported drug sales; and 15 percent report aggravated assault.

Native American GangsProgram and Policy Implications:

Survey findings suggest that the most critical concerns in Indian country communities are the social problems that contribute to youth gang involvement, not the gangs themselves. Respondents identified a variety of factors that promote delinquent behavior and gang activity, including parental apathy, erosion of family structure, low self-esteem, social problems in the community, and lack of positive activities for youth.Native American Gangsprograms incorporating a range of strategies to prevent, control, and reduce youth crime in Indian country could effectively combat gangs

Prevention, Intervention, and Suppression Strategies with Programs that have Proven SuccessIMPROVING THE VISION OF OFFENDERS

Looking for their glassesNearsightedness (look in the mirror/not pleased with the view)Through Rose Colored GlassesCreating Shatter-Resistant LensesDaily Wear ContactsFocusingField of VisionFinding Contact LensesFour Eyes/Role of MentorsBlindness/Finding the WayColor BlindnessIs there a prescription for all offenders?

J. Gordon Swensen

The Five Is of Involvement (Working Towards a Solution)I. IDENTIFICATION- Finding the offender affected by the social diseases of delinquency, violence, substance abuse, and/or poor life choicesII. ISOLATION- Separating the offender from the harmful influenceIII. INOCULATION- Vaccinating with surround services to eradicate the spread of illnessIV. INCUBATION- A period of protected preparation for entry into a healthier existenceV. INTEGRATION- Moving the offender into a more productive, healthier, lifestyle, including employment J. Gordon Swensen

Surveys conducted by the NICs (National Institute of Corrections) Transition and Offender Workforce Development Division among offender workforce development specialist trainees indicated that approximately 65% of offender workforce practitioners have received no formal training in offender workforce development.

(35th IRI Monograph, Moore, Carter, Simpson, & Wade)Professional Tricks of the Trade- the Things That Work

Adjust the dials on your Paradigm ViewmasterTreat offenders with respect-Have no fear of fairDevelop rapport carefully and caringlyRespect is deserved, trust is earnedWatch for games criminals play/dont be manipulatedBecome culturally informed (those native nuances)See the offender through Supermans lenses (beyond the mask)Channel productive, yet illegal skills into marketable onesIdentify the possible disabilities behind, or affected by, the conductProvide a way out of crime/break the cycleSearch for answers in the scattered pieces of a familys puzzle

Tricks of the Trade (continued)

Avoid the Big Picture-focus on the rainbows path instead of the pot at the end of itTalk straight up with offenders/test their realitiesDont try to save the Titanic alonetrust the advice of those with sturdy lifeboatsChange the expectation, and you change the destinationBe specific in vocational planning (short-term objectives, key players, evaluation and time-lines)Advocate for offender employment with employers, the community, and lawmakers (more harvests/fewer obituary columns)Educate employers about disability and delinquencyGate-keepers and Key-Masters

Lets Talk Offender Re-Entry in Indian Country

Are there strategies that work?How to collaborate with state and federal partners?An Example of a Partnership That WorksThis information comes from the document Strategies for Creating Offender Reentry Programs in Indian Country, American Indian Development Associates, prepared for the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Washington, D.C., August, 2010

Tribal Challenges with Offender Re-EntryIndians and non-Indians may have different perceptions of wrong-doing and the most effective means to address crime. In the non-Indian community, a person who commits a crime is deemed a law breaker who must be punished. Many Indian communities, however, traditionally view offenses as misbehavior that calls for corrective action or mentoring or an illness that requires healing.Tribal Challenges (Continued)The clash between worldviews and practices becomes evident in correctional facility construction, operations, programming, and reentry planning for offenders, which lack cultural relevancy.jails in Indian Country frequently operate under substandard conditions.A U.S. Office of Inspector General study found that Indian jails are understaffed, overcrowded, and underfunded.The poor conditions, lack of programming, and transitional services of BIA and tribal jails require vast improvement to support offender success in addressing the root causes of their incarceration.State ChallengesTribal-state relations vary among tribes from progressive to non-existent.For most tribes, state law enforcement is limited for tribal apprehension or prosecution.The lack of formal relations between tribal and state criminal justice authorities compromises justice for victims and tribal communities.

State Challenges (continued)Lack of tribal-state relationships preventsInvolvement of tribal criminal and juvenile justice representatives , who could assist in all aspects of transitional planning.Proper notification by state authorities to tribal authorities that the state is housing or will release an Indian offender.Service agencies from coordinating and collaborating to develop an offender rehabilitation or care plan and assist with reintegration.Tribal justice and other service agencies from remaining in contact with tribal members serving sentences in off-reservation prisons or facilities.

Federal ChallengesFederal prisons or contracted correctional facilities often lackFormal relationships with tribal criminal justice authorities.Tribal involvement in planning the return of Indian offenders.Notification policies or procedures to inform tribal authorities that they have custody of a tribal citizen or that an ex-offender is returning.Culturally relevant care or services.Culturally competent staff to assist ex-offenders in obtaining supportive services.Reentry is a process and not an event. It necessitates that tribes resolve reentry issues with culture-based methods and approaches to integrate offenders back into their tribal communities.Reentry is not limited to the physical process of how offenders will return to their families and communities, but also includes how various stakeholders and partners will assist with transitional services and discharge planning; arrange for structured services to support ex-offenders and their families; and ensure victim and community protection and safety.

Strategies to Develop Tribal Reentry ProgramsIdentify stakeholders and providing the rationale as to why they should participate in reentry.Defining the roles of participating stakeholders.Articulating the stakeholder benefits for participation in reentry.Understanding the challenges for stakeholder participation.Identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by stakeholders to participate in reentry programs.Identifying the resources needed for a reentry program or initiative.Playing Nice in the SandboxThe state agency and AIVRS agency partnerships are varied and reflect the culture of each state agency and the culture of the various American Indian Rehabilitation Vocational Rehabilitation Service (AIVRS) agencies within those states.Quality collaboration is just like VR, it is a process.The collaborative process is not quick and easy, it must start with a will to persist regardless of how rocky the start and/or what the history may be like.Each partner must work to develop an understanding as to the needs and requirements of the other.The partners must take time to develop a relationship of respect.Partners need to communicate clearly and honestly.Set attainable goals or objectives to begin with and be willing to be patient

(from 10/4/11 National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials webinar)Karenita61Advantages to CollaborationLeverage resourcesCreate opportunities for efficiency StandardizationIncreased communication and cooperation between agencies (joint benefits)Cooperative problem-solvingImpact recidivism and decrease costs

Dan63Diplomacy, Partnering, and CollaborationBig Words that can equal Big OutcomesNegotiation, Teamwork, and Sharing When Orchestrated Carefully Can Impact the Bottom Line of Services to OffendersIt is All About Team, Not About TurfCreating Pathways of Promise: Sustaining the Project for the Future

Returning to the ReservationNO WORK IS INSIGNIFICANT!

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed, or Shakespeare wrote.- Dr. Martin Luther KingMaking It WorkSome Key Strategies for Partnering Between Programs

Overcoming Barriers/Finding Common GroundCommunication and Problem-SolvingDealing with ChangeThe Political ClimateParadigm ShiftsThe Establishment of TrustIdentifying a LiaisonUnderstanding the Common Goal

Dan66Making It WorkAre There Additional Strategies to Consider?

Everyone WinsEspecially the ClientCritical to Maintain Focus on the ClientEvidence of Collaboration Between 121 Projects and State Agencies Critical to Refunding Those ProgramsMake No AssumptionsCollection of DataData Information SharingBeing Able to go to the TribesRelationship Building and RapportFrequent Opportunities to Exchange InformationDan67Making It WorkStrategies (continued):

Getting Past the Native Nuances (cultural differences)Being Visionary and Forward-MindedAvoiding Turf IssuesLooking for Additional PartnersThe Value of a Memorandum of UnderstandingAdministrative Buy-In Efforts and Constant Work on the Partnership

Karenita68Making It WorkStrategies (continued):

The Art of Diplomacy and NegotiationBeing Able to Go to the Tribes/OutreachRelationship Building and RapportCultural Competency Development (where needed)Learning to Walk Your Talk

Karenita69eye of god (Helix nebula)

Gordon70

Gordon71

The Value of Perspective: Seeing the World Through a Different LensMaking Sense of the Needs of Those Around YouImproving Ones VisionAllowing for DifferencesFinding Commonalities Landscape Changes Focus on What Matters Most

Gordon 72Improving the Hood (aka The Rez) One Gang Member At A TimeThe Value of a PartnershipPolitics and DiplomacyTurf and AgendasFinding the Right FolksNot Business As UsualTrust and Accountability

Gordon73Improving the Rez One Gang Member At A TimeLooking for Buy-InPrinciples and PracticeRelationship-BuildingSeizing the OpportunitiesStreamlining PathwaysActionsNot Words

Always Remember: Working Together Can Be A Good Thing

When Working With Gang IssuesAlways Work In Large Groups

And If That Doesnt Work

Questions?