The John Jay College Research and Evaluation Center (JohnJayREC) received a research grant in September 2022 from the National Institute of Justice to support the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Violence Intervention and Prevention initiative (CVIPI).

From 2022 to 2026, researchers from JohnJayREC will evaluate the Bronx Osborne Gun Accountability and Prevention (BOGAP) program in New York City. The Osborne Association and the Office of the Bronx District Attorney created the program to combine accountability and individualized support for young people facing their first firearm-related charges. Participants ages 16 through 30 accept guilty pleas for gun-related charges and avoid incarceration by enrolling in BOGAP. They are helped to succeed in paid employment and to avoid violence by adopting alternative strategies for managing interpersonal conflicts.

Using a quasi-experimental design, the evaluation will measure changes in participant versus non-participant attitudes around guns, violence, and conflict resolution, compare recidivism among participants and non-participants, and document the program’s implementation and success in helping participants put down their guns and avoid the long-term negative effects of incarceration. The evaluation will answer key research questions using surveys, interviews, and administrative data analyses.

The Osborne Association is a nonprofit organization in New York City that transforms the lives of clients, the communities they work in, and the criminal justice system itself. By strengthening families, helping people build economic stability, and promoting health and healing, Osborne programs help communities become collaborative and inclusive spaces. The Osborne Association received a complementary CVIPI grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance that will expand the BOGAP program to serve additional clients over the grant period.

Associate U.S. Attorney General Vanita Gupta on Community Violence Interventions (CVI)

Funding
Evaluation: $786,000 John Jay College
Program: $2M Osborne Association

Staff
Jeffrey Butts (PI), Rebecca Balletto, Patricia Cobar, Sheyla Delgado, Richard Espinobarros, Gina Moreno, Fidel Osorio, Rhoda Ramdeen, Kathleen Tomberg (Project Manager), and Maureen Allwood (affiliated faculty).