Roca works with 16-to-24 year old young men from 21 communities in Massachusetts who have experienced extensive trauma and are the primary victims or drivers of urban violence. Our Intervention Model utilizes cognitive behavioral theory (CBT) to teach young people life-saving emotional skills, and the most detailed, independently scrutinized data to prove its success over 30 years on the street.
2021 Outcome Highlights
4 OUT OF 5 YOUNG MEN WHO CAME TO ROCA WITH A VIOLENT RECORD STOPPED ENGAGING IN VIOLENCE
70% OF YOUNG MEN DID NOT RECIDIVATE WITHIN THREE YEARS, A 46% REDUCTION FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS 3-YEAR RECIDIVISM RATE
ENROLLMENT IN TRANSITIONAL EMPLOYMENT, A “CBT ACCELERATOR” AT ROCA, REDUCED THE ODDS OF VIOLENT RECIDIVISM BY 66%
Abt Associates Implementation Study 2018-2021
745 YOUNG MEN SERVED OUT OF 5 SITES IN EASTERN AND WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
89% RETAINED IN THE MODEL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
85% participated in programming, inclusive of the pandemic period
82% PRACTICED and applied CBT
52% made measurable gains in emotional regulation
84% had no new arrests
98% had no new incarcerations
Massachusetts, Fiscal 2021

2021
Massachusetts
Young Men
At-A-Glance
Fund A Young Man’s Work Experience In Massachusetts
$5,000 helps employ 2 young people for 8 weeks at a local business in our subsidized Bridge-to-Success Program