A trailblazing priest who works to rehabilitate LA gang members is partnering with a Belfast charity aiding former prisoners.
Fr Gregory Boyle founded Homeboy Industries 30-years ago in response to LA’s deadly gang wars.
It now operates an international network of organisations that offer job skills training to people leaving the criminal justice system.
Belfast charity The Turnaround Project, which helps former prisoners reintegrate into society through employment, has announced that it will be joining the network.
Richard Good, Director of The Turnaround Project, said: “Both the people that Homeboy Industries and that the Turnaround Project serve very often have ended up in the justice system because of some other issue, whether that’s experienced childhood trauma, or addiction, or homelessness, or in our case falling foul of paramilitary crime gangs.”
Mr Good added that the time spent in transitional employment helps former prisoners adjust to life after prison and address any issues that might be barriers to employment.
“Those issues can be family relationships, it can be housing, it can be mental health or substance abuse. For some people it’s just needing to have something on their CV to overcome the fact that they haven’t worked before or for some years,” he explained.
Mr Good said that he hopes joining the Homeboy Industries network, will give his organisation access to the wider network of groups with experience in support people leaving the criminal justice system.
He said: “Many of these issues overlap, you rarely have someone who has just experience of homelessness, addiction, or mental health.
“We’re very early on our journey, but we have an ambitious three year strategic plan, which will see us supporting our transitional employees into conventional employment, but also working with people for whom we can provide opportunities.”
Fr Boyle met Justice Minister Naomi Long and Economy Minister Deirdre Hegarty as part of a series of events aimed at promoting ‘transitional employment’ for people leaving the justice system.
“More than any kind of training, they experience a real palpable healing, so that they aren’t toppled by what the world will throw at them,” he said Fr Boyle.
“And that’s the main aim, because we are not preparing good employees but if people experience real healing of real wounds, trauma and despair then they’re going to be pliable and absolutely wonderful employees.”
