After School and Summer Alternative Youth Gang Initiative

Through the Byrne Congressionally Mandated Awards program, the Office of Justice Programs helps communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and supports training and technical assistance programs and other efforts that strategically target local needs. This program is authorized to organizations identified in the Conference Report to accompany the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010.

The Housing Authority of Plainfield Youth Gang Alternative is to reduce street gang recruitment activities and the causes of gang violence by providing positive alternative activities and family support to at-risk youth. The P.A.C.T. strives to provide the healthiest environment for youth to grow by reducing violence and re-enforcing healthy behaviors. This mission will be achieved by utilizing a combination of in-school and afterschool-based, community outreach and summer programs. The P.A.C.T. uses a multi-pronged approach to accomplish its goals. The program will provide awareness, gang prevention and intervention services to youth, families, and to the community. Some of the proposed outreach programs are Professional Development, Academic and Character Education Program (ACE), Parent Connection, Intervention and Redirection Program (IR), and Youth Outreach. The overall goals of the program are to provide positive alternative activities designed to deter gang recruitment and youth violence through in-school and after-school programming; to communicate with at-risk youth and gang members to reduce gang recruitment activities and gang violence through direct interaction on the streets; to continue to maintain an on-going presence in the community in order to foster a belief among at-risk youth and gang members that there are people committed to them by building partnerships with community service organizations, corporations and local government; to educate the community at-large about the issues and root causes that result in gang recruitment, involvement and violence through public speaking activities; to cooperate with other youth-serving agencies in an effort to assist with one-on one court mandated counseling sessions; and to provide parenting sessions in an effort to increase parenting skills and problem solving abilities.

NCA/NCF