Week 4 Blog 5 Gang Intervention Efforts

TRIANGLE

It was uplifting to view something that regarded intervention and positive effort.  With reading so much on poverty, struggle, gangs, which all leads to higher health risk and possible injury it was a breath of fresh air to see places like Glen Mills Academy that are using positive efforts and reinforcement to change the lives of people.  This establishment had almost cut the statistic that 60 percent of all delinquents at some point return jail in half.  This means that places like this are working and at a much more efficient cost.  Glen Mills is an example of how to show children positive peer pressure and a change from the pressures of poverty and deprevassion.

SQUARE

An extra point that needs to be made is in reference to the difference in surrounding from prison, juvenile detention, and a place such as Glen Mills.  References were made that it cost less per day to work with students at Glen Mills versus a standard prison setting; which is sad when you look at the difference in scenery.  Glen Mills was beautiful, and was treated and respected in such a way; the prison is just that a cold place of concrete and bars, yet it still costs more money?? Does not make sense.

CIRCLE

What I really enjoyed about Glen Mills is that the youth that are spending out their sentences are referred to as students, not numbers.  They are given the opportunity to feel self worth and build who they are while they are learning how to reestablish in society.  I think a lot has to be said with this; when you watch shows such as Locked Up, or Scared Straight there is one thing in common in how prisoners refer to themselves, they are a number, nothing more.  I think that this degrades the person and reinforces a lack of self worth which only heightens the problems instead of solving it.  Glen Mills has taken this into account and properly done something about it and it shows.  Something as small as one word can really mean a lot.

“Glen Mills Gang: Arrested Without Locks and Bars.” (2000) Films on Demand. Web. 27 Jun 2011. <https://myasucourses.asu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_206021_1>.