Youth Leadership: Gang Reduction and Intervention (GRIP)
Empowering Youth to Make Healthy Choices
Gang Reduction and Intervention Program (GRIP) empowers youth to avoid gang life, helping them develop a positive self-identity and hopeful vision for the future. Youth are encouraged to define their identity, find ways to make positive contributions to the community, build upon personal strengths and interests, and increase community supports through group activities, one-on-one mentoring, and experiential learning. The program works closely with local law enforcement, schools and other non-profits to provide an array of holistic services.
Participants are primarily aged 11–19 years old, live in the Saint Paul community, and are either currently involved in a gang, at-risk of becoming involved in a gang or have recently ceased gang activity. GRIP is a source of support for both youth and their parents/caregivers.
Services
Youth participate in a combination of group and individual services based on their personal needs, including the following:
- Jovenes – Exploring Latino culture, participants are provided a safe space to learn basic life skills on a weekly basis. Once per month, the youth engage in field trips to dance performances, fishing expeditions, cultural celebrations, college tours and more.
- Boxing – Transportation is provided to and from a local boxing gym to engage youth in a positive extracurricular activity that teaches the sport of boxing, increases self-esteem and develops self-discipline.
- Tattoo Removal Program – For many youth, removing visible gang tattoos can be an important step in disengaging from gang life. Plastic surgeons and nurses donate their time to Neighborhood House to perform laser removal treatments.
- One-on-One Meetings – Individual meetings develop goals, offer support and information, plus evaluate progress in the program.
- Special Events – Cultural and educational special events and field trips, expose youth to new and positive experiences outside of their routine environment.
Success Story Creating New Possibilities for Youth Leaving Gang Life
Working with the support of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department and in conjunction with law enforcement, the courts, schools, county social services, community leaders and parents, the Gang Reduction and Intervention Program (GRIP) aims to reduce local gang activity. Participants are primarily Latino youth, ranging in age from 11 to 19, who strive to abandon or avoid local gangs.
Led by longtime youth advocate Cha-Cho Estrada, the program provides participants with free tattoo-removal, group activities and one-on- one mentoring. Estrada says of one participant’s positive experience, “When Hector came to Neighborhood House, I wasn’t sure he was ready for GRIP. But we took a chance with Hector and it’s paid off. He attends many GRIP activities such as tattoo removal and group sessions. We took the group to the University of Minnesota recently. Hector told me, ‘I’ve never been to a college campus. I like it.’ Attending college is now one of Hector’s primary goals in life.”
The positive results of the program are visible in the numbers: of the 46 GRIP members in 2009, 75% were gang members actively involved in taking steps to leave gang life. Of the 22 who had prior records, 20 did not re-offend and are using the tools gained through GRIP to imagine a future and create new life possibilities.
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