Gangs to Jobs

“Gangs to Jobs” is a “how to” book about a program that helped transform the auto theft capital of California into a 2000 All-America City. Awakened by the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the Rev. Roger Minassian began a journey from middle class pulpit to “the other America.” What the author discovered led to the founding of Hope Now For Youth, an award-winning solution to gang crime and violence that since 1993 has placed over 1200 gang members into jobs at 285 businesses, with an amazing 85% success and only 8% recidivism. By allaying up front the fear most people have of gang members, the author frees the reader to understand the causes of gang behavior. Minassian then inspires as well as informs through integrating stories of successful ex-gang members with practical steps citizens can follow. This book offers every reader hope while providing activists a proven method of gang intervention. “Two Steps and You’re Up: a caring relationship and a job lift a gang member from the streets into the American mainstream.” This motto of Hope Now For Youth summarizes the solution to gang behavior described in the first half of the book. The last half explains how this highly successful program was started and how it can be implemented elsewhere.