Breaking Cycles: Youth Gang Exit & Violence Disruption Pilot

Breaking Cycles is a pilot program designed for justice-involved youth (ages 12–21) at the Calgary Young Offender Centre (CYOC) and Edmonton Young Offender Centre (EYOC). The initiative is focused on supporting youth in safely exiting gangs, disrupting cycles of violence, and preparing for meaningful reintegration into the community.

Delivered by Pivot Empowerment, Education & Recovery Society (Pivot Society), Breaking Cycles uses a lived-experience model — facilitators who have been directly impacted by gangs and violence guide participants through real-world strategies to change their trajectory.

The program includes four core components:

1. Gang Exit Planning – Individualized safety assessments, threat mapping, and reintegration roadmaps addressing housing, education, and work.

2. Violence Disruption Workshops – Weekly group sessions addressing organized crime realities, retaliation cycles, and conflict resolution.

3. Life Skills & Purpose Development – Identity building, anger management, and personal goal setting, with pathways into education and careers.

4. Community Mentorship Bridge – Pairing youth with trained mentors pre-release, providing six months of ongoing support post-release.

By intervening at a pivotal stage, Breaking Cycles creates measurable outcomes:

• Reduced disciplinary incidents in custody.

• 100% of participants completing an exit/reintegration plan.

• 70% engaging with mentorship supports after release.

This program is a first-of-its-kind in Alberta, providing an innovative, community-based approach to gang exit inside correctional facilities. The funding will establish a model that can be scaled to other communities and facilities across the province.

Breaking Cycles directly benefits incarcerated youth (ages 12–21) who are involved in or at risk of gang activity. These youth are among Alberta’s most vulnerable: many have histories of trauma, addiction, poverty, and systemic barriers. Without intervention, they face high risks of reoffending, gang entrenchment, and cycles of violence that extend into their families and communities.

The program also indirectly benefits:

• Families who often struggle with fear, stigma, and limited resources to support their children’s reintegration.

• Correctional facilities (CYOC/EYOC) by reducing violence and disciplinary incidents inside.

• Communities across Alberta, as safer reintegration decreases crime, improves community safety, and creates pathways for young people to contribute positively.

By focusing on youth at a pivotal stage in their lives, Breaking Cycles intervenes early enough to disrupt generational cycles of crime and violence. The ripple effect extends beyond the individual participants to hundreds of people in their networks.