Haywood describes safe space model and AVP conflict resolution work
Haywood says young people often carry guns because of a poor identity and that the BOGAP program provides a safe space called 'the well' where rival groups get along. He says the program is in its 14th cohort with no gang or territorial incidents and that he has facilitated AVP conflict resolution for 50 years.
I'm a conflict resolution specialist and a program coordinator for Osborne Association.
I'm the creator of the BOGAP program, the gun diversion program.
One of the reasons why I wanted to come today and testify
is because I worked with the NEON program in 2013 when they first started.
And unfortunately, the budget, the cuts, the program was discontinued.
The model that they had back at that time was...
I do team building trainings.
And so I trained all the probation officers in the city at that time for us to work together.
And the idea was that we don't sit around and wait for a person to break a rule, to violate probation.
We work together to see that they get through it in a healthy manner.
And so I've been contacted by the probation that they want to restart it again.
And I can say that from my experience with the program, I still work with you up until today.
I retired a long time ago.
And so when they make this job, I quit.
I'm going to quit when they make this a job because it's my passion.
A lot of the people that were in NEON programs back then, a few of them actually worked for Ozborn now.
So what we're doing right now is we have two programs.
One is a BOGAP program, and that's for adults like from 19 to 37.
With gun charges, no shooters, gun can't be used in a commissionable crime.
And they come and we work with them for a year.