Half of the homicides in Chicago are currently attributed to gang violence, does Cease Fire broker gang truces?
Yes, CF has been directly involved in brokering gang truces. CF has been currently been more successful with African American than with Latino gangs. The impact of violence eradication seems to wear off a little over time, and perhaps that is an aspect of gang life that ought to be addressed, we are now in a position to consider ways to consolidate CeaseFire successes. Are there jobs for ex gang members? There is no smooth transition to the job market. Unfortunately after years in prison, -many have spent over half their lives behind bars- you are not prepared with the necessary skills to face a job interview. We have partnered with other institutions in this field, have gotten job openings but it has been hard placing people. The truth is no one has developed the methodology yet. That is a field in which Brazil has a strong tradition, a pedagogy that works with self-actualization, perhaps the way we ought to go. Another aspect is that half of our workers are 40 or older, older than th
