Project INSPIRE, the City of Jacksonville's Comprehensive Anti-Gang Program for Youth

Grantees are funded under this initiative to develop program activities based on the core strategies of the Comprehensive Gang Model. Category 1, Intervention, supports intervention strategies that can dissuade youth from joining gangs and help them discontinue their involvement in gangs. Proposed strategies are built upon the principles of the following core strategies in the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model: Community Mobilization, Opportunities Provision, and Social Intervention.

Project INSPIRE (Identifying Needs and Supports to Partner, Intervene, Reengage and Educate youth), the City of Jacksonville’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Program for Youth, is a multi-agency collaboration that mobilizes faith and community organizations and partners with the State Attorney’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), social service systems, families and youth to reduce and sustain reductions in community youth violence and victimization, including youth gun and gang violence. Governed by a task force of the 4th Judicial Circuit’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, (statutorily mandated to provide recommendations to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice), Project INSPIRE will prevent violence and promote healing from victimization and exposure to violence through intervention and suppression strategies. These strategies will target youth who are in a gang or at-risk of joining a gang as identified by the JSO’s Violence Reduction Strategy’s program “Operation Safe Passage” which works with documented adult gang members and affiliates in the target zip code of 32209. INSPIRE will serve the siblings and other family members (age 18 and under) following in this anti-social trajectory. Project INSPIRE will provide an experienced, master’s level Care Coordinator who will assess and prioritize the social, emotional, physical and environmental needs, in addition to an Employment Specialist to assist with employment and a Peer Specialist position to develop a supportive relationship with the youth and family. Further, the team will coordinate existing resources for the youth to improve education, obtain skills for employment, obtain employment, engage in positive social activities, address family relationships and ensure their basic needs to support positive community engagement. The goals and objectives measure reduction in violence victimization, improved opportunities (social competencies, education, job skills, employment, family relations, antisocial behavior, substance use, gang involvement, gun-related behavior) and prevention of crime including gun related behaviors and/or prevention of crime re-offenses. The program will not use any portion of the project budget to conduct research. ca/ncf