Saving Young Men from Murder: The Homeboy Story

Psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead has spent more than 30 years working with violence perpetrators. In this programme, she visits Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang rehabilitation in the world. The charity, which offers training, education, therapy and other services, was set up by a Jesuit Priest, Father Gregory Boyle. He was responding to the so-called “decade of death,” in the late 1980s, as his neighbourhood was terrorised by gang violence.

"There were shootings all the time. I buried eight teenagers in a three-week period", he said.

But this is a good news story. Today, 40 years on, it’s been called one of the most successful gang rehabilitation organisations in the world. Talking to Father Boyle and several former gang members, Dr Adshead explores the Home Boy model of rehabilitation and asks if something similar could work here?

Presenter: Dr Gwen Adshead
Producer: Jim Frank
Editor: Clare Fordham
Production co-ordination: Katie Morrison.