Father Greg- The Unlikely Face of Homeboy Industries

Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit Priest, does not look anything like you would think he would. The man who began Homeboy Industries, the world's largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program, has been able to save and change countless lives of ex-gang members who are looking for ways out of their old way of life.


After being a priest in Bolivia, he chose to be assigned to the Dolores Mission Church in Los Angeles, the poorest church in LA, sat directly between two housing projects with extreme gang activity.


In 1988, he began the startup that became Homeboy Industries, Jobs For a Future, which opened an alternative school for those who were kicked out of public schools, a daycare, and a program for finding jobs for gang members who wanted to leave that life behind. After the 1992 LA riots, Boyle launched Homeboy Bakery, which led to the creation of Homeboy Industries shortly after.

Being the largest and most successful gang rehabilitation program in the world, Homeboy Industries gives gang members an escape from a cycle of violence and incarceration, completely free. Homeboy supports 10,000 men and women a year, including legal case management, counseling, educational classes, tattoo removal, work preparation, legal assistance, and job training-focuses in Homeboy owned businesses, which now include Homeboy Bakery, Homegirl Café, and Homeboy Silkscreen & Embroidery. Boyle, though his many years of service, has been able to provide alternatives to gang life and creating extremely safer and healthier communities.

Boyle's motivations behind his work are very much intrinsic. This is really shown in his book,
Tattoos on the Heart, where he documents the stories of countless gang members he was able to help by giving them jobs and new opportunities for their lives. It hasn't always been easy, however. He has seen many deaths of ex-gang members, but he continues to work on even when his work is fought against. Never explicitly pushing religion on anyone, it's inspiring to see how his creative process can change depending on the type of person he encounters. Being able to show gang members that there is a way out is one of his main tactics, which is one of the most successful, but another step of his includes explaining to gang members that no matter what, they always have a place in the Church and in God's life.  This second process works just as well, sometimes if not better than just giving gang members a job; it gives them a reason to change their lives, and feel better while doing so. Similar to the studies conducted by Kaufman and Baer, Boyle has seen that writing and poetry have also provided a great deal of support for ex-gang members with mental illnesses, which are extremely common due to the extremely violent life gang members have led.

Greg Boyle (Middle, Left) shown with ex-gang
members working at Homeboy Industries. 

Simply known to those working at Homeboy as G, Boyle has been able to make great strides in bringing together ex-rivals and showing that jobs work over jails, and rehabilitation works over incarceration.

If you are interested in supporting Homeboy Industries, they have a great merch shop that directly supports ex-gang members looking to change their lives.





Sources: 
Boyle's book, Tattoos on the Heart
Homeboy Industries' website
Priest Responds to Gang Members Lethal 
Absence of Hope with Jobs and Love