Roca’s theory of change is that young people, when re-engaged through positive and intensive relationships, can change their behaviors and develop life, education, and employment skills to disrupt the cycles of poverty and incarceration.
Roca’s Intervention Model is a cognitive-restructuring, behavioral change and skill development intervention, which focuses on high-risk young men. Roca’s model focuses on 17-to-24-year-old young men who are either: 1) aging out of the juvenile justice or juvenile probation systems with a strong propensity for re-incarceration as an adult; 2) connected with the adult justice system; or 3) are high-risk members of the community being served who have a strong propensity for incarceration as an adult.
This is a four-year program designed to allow participants enough time to undergo meaningful behavior change, which will enable them to stay out of jail and go to work. The first two years involve intensive interaction between the program and the young man, focusing on gradually engaging the participant in programming and promoting behavior change. The subsequent two years focus on sustaining the positive change in behavior. The ultimate goals of the model are reducing participants’ incarceration rates and increasing participants’ ability to retain employment over time
