In 1980, a group called Roca, which means "rock" in Spanish, was established in an effort to nip youth violence in the bud. Since that time it has taken root in Baltimore. Youth interventionists spend time with young people who, at an early age, have suffered the trauma of growing up in the midst of poverty and violence. Roca gives them tools to help them move past crises. "All of us at that age are not wired to think long term. You need a support network that can put you in an environment that can get you through the time until you get to a point where the lightbulb comes on," Marc Schindler, executive director of Justice Policy Institute, a Washington DC-based think tank that focuses on criminal justice solutions told The Trace. Roca does just that.
More: