Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #117183

Elena D. Quintana, PhD¹, Tio Hardiman², Candice Kane, PhD¹, and Gary Slutkin, MD³. (1) University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Chicago Project for Violence Prevention, 1603 W. Taylor (M/C 923), Chicago, IL 60612, 312/355-3495, elenaq@uic.edu, (2) Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2121 W. Taylor (M/C 922), Chicago, IL 60612, (3) University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago Project for Violence Prevention/CeaseFire, 1603 W. Taylor, Chicago, IL 60612

Ceasefire is a violence prevention initiative in Chicago that employs the use of street interventionists who provide outreach to those most at risk for shooting someone or getting shot themselves. Violence Interrupters are ex-gang leaders who now forge peace agreements between gangs, or quell brewing problems. Outreach workers see clients in a case management capacity to offer them positive alternatives to street life and the violence that so often accompanies it. All ten of the violence interrupters on staff have been members of street organizations, in various leadership positions who have served prison time. Twenty-four (60%) of outreach staff surveyed reported that they were former gang members. Twenty-seven (67.5%) of the 40 outreach workers surveyed have served time in prison, with 60% of this number serving times for violent offenses, including homicide. None of them have served time for or been convicted of sexual crimes. Many employers find it undesirable to hire ex-felons. Initial data shows, however, that outreach workers, and violence interrupters who have felony convictions have comparably larger case loads: of the workers who served time, 63.0% had more than 20 clients compared to 46.2% of the non-felons who had more than 20 clients. Additionally, having had felony convictions and gang ties allows these workers the ability to access sensitive information more expeditiously, as they are better able to 1.) identify reliable contacts, 2.) develop a rapport (many know their key contacts and clients from prison), 3.) effectively influence high risk individuals from using violence.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.) To identify important characteristics of effective violence prevention outreach staff.
• 2.) To examine the specific contributions of ex-felons in provision of outreach services.

Keywords: Violence Prevention, Outreach Programs

Related Web page: www.ceasefirechicago.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.