CalVIP Cohort 4 Local Evaluation Report: Peace and Justice Law Center’s Legal Services to Support Gang Desistance

Authors

• Nyla Baxter-Williamson MAFollow
• Kirsten Chaplin MA, University of San DiegoFollow
• Tori Luna MA, University of San DiegoFollow
• Topher McDougal PhD, University of San DiegoFollow

Files

Abstract or Description

This Local Evaluation Report assesses the implementation and outcomes of the Peace and Justice Law Center’s Legal Services to Support Gang Desistance (LSSGD) project, funded by the California Board of State and Community Correction’s California Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (CalVIP) Grant, Cohort 4. Through LSSGD, PJLC sought to provide direct legal services to current or formerly gang-involved individuals, as well as those treated by law enforcement as gang-involved, to reduce legal obstacles to desistance, expand access to lawful employment, promote family stability, and improve trust in legal institutions. The Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (Kroc IPJ) conducted a retrospective mixed-methods evaluation of the LSSGD program. The evaluation assessed implementation, output achievement, data-system limitations, and the plausible contribution of legal services to conditions that support desistance and reintegration.

Publication Date

6-2026

Document Type

Report

Keywords

legal services, gang desistance, Orange County, California, evaluation

Disciplines

Law | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Digital USD Citation

Baxter-Williamson, Nyla MA; Chaplin, Kirsten MA; Luna, Tori MA; and McDougal, Topher PhD, "CalVIP Cohort 4 Local Evaluation Report: Peace and Justice Law Center’s Legal Services to Support Gang Desistance" (2026). Kroc IPJ Research and Resources. 128.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/ipj-research/128