The Bronx's gang alternative

By Chris Burch
Staff Writer

How do you keep youth and adults from joining or staying in gangs? The Latino Pastoral Action Center (LPAC), located at Jerome Avenue and 170th Street in Highbridge, has an answer. Thanks to Adrian Bordoni and two other staffers, LPAC (pronounced “elpac”) started a gang intervention program that works with youth in gangs and at-risk youth by involving them in alternative activities.

The program, called P.R.A.I.S.E. (which stands for Providing Recreation, Arts, Innerhealing, Services and Education), started one year ago. P.R.A.I.S.E.’s staff have been meeting with community leaders, law enforcement leaders and community youth to bring about change.

“We provide a service for young people between the ages of 13 and 21,” said Adrian Bordoni, coordinator of gang prevention at P.R.A.I.S.E. “Our focus is high risk and at-risk young people who are in gangs and who are influenced by gangs.”

Mr. Bordoni started the program. He realized that there was (and is) a gang problem in the area. “There were no gang programs, but there were mediation programs, educational programs, but it was up to me to tie in all those different groups and really focus and meet with young people.”

P.R.A.I.S.E. meets every other Thursday, and as of 2003, the program will have meetings every Wednesday. There will be training programs for young people, including job training and job development. The program offers services like anger management for gang members and former gang members who are parents. “Part of the training I do is that I talk to parents, grandparents, educators and established agencies to make them aware of such a thing because at a young age some of these gang members are coming from family situations at times where their parents, cousins, sisters or brothers are in gangs,” said Mr. Bordoni.

What Mr. Bordoni is noticing is the high number of young women in these gangs. These women are being used as prostitutes to sell and transport drugs and some of these female gang members sell weapons.

Mr. Bordoni grew up in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. “I grew up during the crack wars in the 1980s. There were a lot of shootings. I was never in a gang because I had a strong family support system.”

Outside of his family’s apartment window he saw some of his friends getting involved with drug dealing, but he was never tempted. Mr. Bordoni attended Columbia University in Manhattan and graduated with a Master’s degree in history from the Teacher’s College. After graduation he taught social studies in the New York City Public School system for 7 years. “In one of my first years as a teacher, I saw a gang fight outside my classroom window. Guns and machetes were used. Seeing young people trying to hurt and kill each other, there was such a fury, I wanted to know what was happening. Where was this anger coming from?” said Mr. Bordoni.

There are two more staff members at P.R.A.I.S.E. One is Pastor William Reyes. He goes out to junior high schools to do workshops with faculty and students. The other is Sandy Robles, a chaplain. Ms. Robles visits jails, hospitals and group homes. Ms. Robles also advocates for the youths who are in criminal court pending jail sentences. She speaks on behalf of youths to get them released, shorter jail time or probation.

Currently, praise has 15 active members. The goal is to get 35 new members in the next few months.

The parents of some of these gang members are getting involved in P.R.A.I.S.E. with the help of Isaac Rodriguez. Mr. Rodriguez is a model program member. He is a former member of the Latin Kings. Mr. Rodriguez has been to jail several times.

“I go out to the streets and speak to gang members,” said Mr. Rodriguez. “I go to schools to speak to students and teachers. I go to a lot of neighborhoods where I know gangs are and talk to them about the program. I reach out to the Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings and Netas.”

Mr. Rodriguez is 26 years old. The turning point in his life was when he was incarcerated. He has been in jail four times. His last stint in jail was in 1996.

“My last bid (jail time) was my eye opener,” he said. “I realized that gang life wasn’t for me. I said to myself that I am my own man.”

Mr. Rodriguez found P.R.A.I.S.E. through Christianity. He was speaking with friends about his spiritual conversion and attending church. The friend referred Mr. Rodriguez to Sandy Robles. Ms. Robles in turn talked to Mr. Rodriguez, and the rest is history.

Part of Mr. Rodriguez’s role in the program is to inform: For example, he teaches youth about New York State’s Ricco Law. This particular law targets organized crime members. This law puts gang involvement on the same level as Mafia activity. This means gang members, if brought to trial, can serve jail time like John Gotti.

Rodriguez also talks about causes of gang involvement: Broken homes and problems with families, he says, cause a lot of young people to join gangs. “Some of the kids grew up or grow up without fathers or male figures in and out of their mother’s lives,” Mr. Rodriguez said. “I grew up without my father at home. Gangs give brotherhood and family.

Mr. Rodriguez has a dream to go back to the Latin Kings, the gang he left. He wants to dismantle their negative reputation and help to make it forever positive.

“There is a serious gang problem in New York City,” said Mr. Bordoni. “The numbers of gang members are growing and it is becoming very organized.”

The P.R.A.I.S.E. coordinator has a vision for the program. “I would like to reach as many young people as possible,” he said, “be able to get them to listen to us and hear hope ... hear that there is someone able to give them a second chance. We can meet as many of them to get to know their families, get them to see their successes, somebody like Isaac ... in 6 months, I’ve seen how he is developing and interested in education. I just want to be able to have a sense that when people mention P.R.A.I.S.E., whether in the schools, precincts, prisons, or the streets, they find it as a place where they can drop by and have someone listen to them. Whether they come in with their colors hanging out of their pockets, the program can be a safe place. They are here to get a sense that there is another way out.”