NCJ Number
239003
Editor(s)
Scott H. Decker
Date Published
2012
Length
881 pages
Annotation
For the first time, this publication presents tabular data and interpretive summary analysis of Walter Miller's description and evaluation of the Special Youth Program piloted in Boston, MA from June 1954 to June 1957 as the first federally funded gang outreach program in the United States.
Abstract
Although Miller's report on the program and its evaluation findings was submitted for publication under the title "City Gangs," it was never published due to its length (900 pages). Miller died in 2004 without ever seeing his team's work receiving the attention it deserves. For the first time, the current publication presents the core data and narrative descriptions and content of "City Gangs." In 1953, United Community Services of Boston formed a special committee, the Greater Boston Council for Youth, to respond to the specific problem of juvenile gang delinquency. The committee decided to launch a 3-year experiment "to demonstrate the potential effectiveness of concentrating an intensive program of delinquency control measures in one limited geographical area." The Special Youth Program was an autonomous agency with authority to coordinate functions across existing public and private agencies. The goal was to conduct "a multiple, coordinated approach to the problem of delinquency in the community" instead of relying on a single technique. Miller and his research team planned and conducted an evaluation that assessed both the program process and outcomes. Miller's report on the evaluation composes "City Gangs." It is an in-depth study of the lives of 204 gang members in the early 1950's in Boston; and it is also a case study of what an action research/intervention program can be. The current publication is an attempt to publicize Miller's efforts in collecting data and understanding how context influences gang behavior. Its findings and insights are instructive for addressing contemporary gangs. 14 tables and 15 references