Youth Gang Intervention and Prevention in Texas: Evaluating Community Mobilization Training

• NCJ Number: 152092
• Journal: Journal of Gang Research Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (Fall 1994) Pages: 63-71
• Author(s): E H McConnell
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 9 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Texas Office of the Governor
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in Chicago, Ill., on March 9, 1994.

Annotation

This article reports on the evaluation of a community mobilization training program designed to address an emerging gang problem in Texas.

Abstract

The curriculum used in "Youth Gangs: Intervention and Prevention, Bringing Communities Together for Positive Action" was developed to provide community mobilization training to teams of participants or to individuals from communities with adolescent gangs. Training conferences were convened in Corpus Christi from March 8-10, in El Paso from March 21-23, and in Fort Worth from April 12-14, 1993. The curriculum, designed to train community teams of gang practitioners, was based on a community coalition model that is also used by the U.S. Department of Justice. A three-part evaluation design was used to measure training effects. It consisted of a pretest/posttest of conference participants, participants' evaluations of the training, and a survey of participants to determine what changes resulted from the training. According to the majority of responding participants, based on the on-site course evaluations, the training conference was rated as average, good, or excellent in all but two areas. This suggests that the training was successful in its organization, topic and issue, relevance, usefulness, opportunities, length, classroom rapport, instructor's knowledge, use of appropriate techniques, use of style, recommendations of instructor, meeting its stated objectives, and overall workshop evaluation. Team teaching might make the curriculum more acceptable to criminal justice practitioners in future training sessions. An analysis of the mailed surveys designed to determine what changes had been undertaken by conference participants showed that few respondents reported any type of change. This was probably due to time constraints that required the survey to be taken within 3 months of the conclusion of the training. Recommendations for training improvement are offered. 3 tables and 7 references