Reaching Your Hip-Hop Acculturated Client

Louisiana Association of Drug Court Professionals

April 11-13, 2012New Orleans

P.O. Wallace Green, LICDC(216) 664-3287

GREENW@CLEVELANDMUNICIPALCOURT.ORGGREENW@CLEVELANDMUNICIPALCOURT.ORG

• Today, Blacks comprise 62 percent of imprisoned drug offenders, though they are

• only 13 percent of the national population. • One out of every 115 black males enters prison

each year on a felony drug crime, compared with one of every 1,150 white men, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

• Black youths are admitted to state correction facilities for drug offenses at 48 times the rate of white youths, according to a report by the Building Blocks for Youth Initiative. Bureau of Justice Statistics

There are more African Americans under correctional control today -- in prison or jail, on probation or parole -- than were enslaved in 1850, a decade before the Civil War began.

Barriers to Effectiveness

Lack of cultural sensitivity, knowledge, awareness, and competence• Not covered in your mandatory diversity

training

• Brought on in large part by “political correctness”

(National Maternal and Child Health Center on Cultural (National Maternal and Child Health Center on Cultural Competency, 1997).Competency, 1997).

The Death of Arthur Buford age 15 Define a “thug”. Nearly all compare a thug to trying to fit in. “He could have been in hard times and needed money.” “But they didn’t get anything. If they didn’t get anything, then

it’s just a stick up and it’s not illegal.” Three agree with her. 9 of 17 hands go up / every hand goes up But you can’t have juvenile delinquency without 1st having

adult delinquency

Regina Brett, columnist Plain Dealer 5/16/07 The Lessons Learned Lost on Childhood

Bridges Out of Poverty Unwritten Rules of Survival

Subject Poverty Middle Class Wealthy

Clothes, money, time, property, relationships, family, education, employment, language, etc

Dreussi Smith, Terie. (2001). Bridges Out of Poverty. Highland : TX. Aha! Process, Inc.

Definition of Hip Hop

A form of popular culture that started in the African American inner-city areas (Bronx), characterized by rap music, graffiti art, and break dancing. MCing, DJing, spit boxing, fashion, slang and style are also important elements of hip hop. The term has since come to be a synonym for hip hop music and rap to mainstream audiences.

Welcome to Death Row clip.wmv

Gangsta rap’s rise to power (Xenon Pictures)

Rise to Power

1986 – 100:1 crack cocaine law goes into effect • Dope dealers become dope boyz

The underground economy exposed High profile Mafia Don John Gotti rises to

power Snoop goes on trial for murder

• Street ‘Cred’ - violence sells

Salvatore Lo Piccolo: “The B.O.A.B.” Arrested November 5, 2007

BBC News –November 7, 2007(newsbbc.co.uk)

Mafia Ten Commandments

No one can present himself directly to another of our friends. There must be a third person to do it.

Never look at the wives of friends. Never be seen with cops. Don't go to pubs and clubs. Always being available for Cosa Nostra-

even if your wife is about to give birth.

Mafia Ten Commandments Appointments must absolutely be

respected. Wives must be treated with respect. When asked for any information, the

answer must be the truth. Money cannot be appropriated if it

belongs to others or to other families People who can't be in: anyone who

behaves badly / has no moral values.

T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E.

The Hate U Gave Little Infants F $%#! Everybody

Value Identification-

1) What do you value?2) How can I tell?

‘Re’ Habilitation (Thing of the Past)Middle Class Values (The Script)

Family Education Career Spirituality Security Freedom Health Property

• What made AA successful

The Client’s True (Hidden) Hip- Hop Values (Habilitation) Tennis Shoes Clothes Cars Rims Music Sex (risky) Jewelry (fronts) Being ‘cool’ Women / Men Tattoos

Props Fads Welfare Crime ‘Hit a Lick’ prison Slang Respect / ‘Props’ Quick money Working a ‘job’ Hustle Gangs

The Client is being “Played”

No matter how far down the economic scale the client might be, no one likes to be taken advantage of

Clients’ values are all depreciating

• Beer /Wine / Spirit Companies• Car Dealers• Check Cashing establishments• Designers / Jewelers • Phil Knight• Hospitals (Interns)• Human Service Workers• Treatment Providers• Drug Lords (not to be confused with dealers)• The criminal justice system

– Police, prisons, courts, etc• Rappers

ALL TO THE TUNE OF over 100 BILLION PER YEARTHE CLIENTS ARE BIGGER THAN EXXON

Slangvalue depreciating

Vocabulary testThe difference between words and

languageGame recognizes game

What do you get for $150.00?

FUBU the Original Design Idea

Neighborhood friends Daymond John, Carl Brown, Alexander Martin, and Keith Perrin established FUBU in 1992. John took out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother’s home in Queens, New York.

King baby is still sleepin’! The client’s world is OK

King Baby’s Bubble:• Lookin’ good.

• Sumin’ ta drink.

• Sumin’ ta smoke.

• Sumin’ ta hustle.

• Sumin’ ta sex with.

• Some money to flash.

• Some boyz to hang wit.

• Car to drive.

• Music to blast.My worldz all right

• Soldier? In whoz army?

Adopted from: King Baby, Tom Cunningham Hazelden books

We can see your valuesYou are only telling yourself

Who are you trying to impress and what can they do for you? Who is not impressed?

You respect the streets more than the court?

Dress Code

What is your net worth?

It costs $27,272.00 to house a prisoner for one year in a federal prison.

To net the same amount you would have to be earning aprox. $35,565.00 per year.

Question: Are you worth more behind bars, than on the street?

60 billion for 2.2 million Prisoners -2006

Your Hip Hop Stars Behind Bars

Poverty is not caused by lack of money

Poor Financially Poor skills Poor self discipline Poor impulse control Poor focus ability Poor delayed grat. ability Poor ability to reason Poor education Poor financial

management The art of the Hustle

What are you investing in?

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3rdyear

6th year

10thyear

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Pos. Values

Hip HopValues

More Blacks and Hispanics Live in Prison Cells Than in College Dorms

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON Sep 27, 2007 (AP)

Beer, wine and spirit companies know the MATHEMATICS OF ADDICTION

Beer, wine and spirit companies know the MATHEMATICS OF ADDICTION

•ADDICTION = Q/F

The Constitution of the United States of America

This is the rule book for the competition for goods and services. There is not enough to go around, period.

The R&R Tool Box

Know your roll / Know your goal• Environmental control – Create dissonance

• Experience, knowledge, recommendations when asked.

• Create dissonance hold up the mirror

Know when to step in Relationship – a dance, not a wrestling

match

The R&R Tool Box

Let the client take ownership

• Let the client fill out all paperwork

• Progress notes, court reports, urine slips, discharge summaries

• They can write what they want (so can you)

• Takes away the secrecy

• Gives the client ‘buy in’

The R&R Tool Box

Use unscripted questions• Is this the way you envisioned it?

• Rating scale questions followed by follow up questions

• The one thing that really gets on my nerves about this whole process is__

• Who are you good for?

• We all have emotions it’s when they have us we are in trouble. When was the last time they had you?

The R&R Tool Box

Learn the art of the deal• Treat me like the dope man and not a dope

Keep a job handy Keep greeting cards handy Call at odd hours Focus on the difference between

problems and trouble

The R&R Tool Box

Stay behavior focused• You can act your way into right thinking

quicker that you can think your way into right acting

Look out for the wind up Vocabulary Test

• The importance of language

Rounding out the tool box

Avoiding the ‘No Win’ situation Fighting the right war at the right time

• Right vs. Wrong / Success vs. Failure

The client has to L.I./E. • Learn Intellect over Emotion 

The importance of discipline• The ability to do what is in your best interest

when you don’t feel like it

T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E: for real The belief that whatever damage I may do to others is

OK because others have damaged me. I want what I want now and I don't care what I have to do to get it, or who I damage or destroy in the process. I feel no remorse, and regard conscience as a sign of weakness. I don't consider the future because I know I have none. When I die I will leave behind little copies of myself who will have to struggle with the thug lifestyle I've left behind. I will be mourned by none and forgotten by all, because it was easier to be a thug than a husband, father, brother, employer, employee, or friend.

T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E: for real

You can wrap thug life in all the bulls@#@! nickel slick sounding acronyms you want; it's still the way of the loser. Suburbanites, can ‘play’ thug life and go home to mommy and daddy when they get tired of it. Where will you be and where will your kids go when the thug lifestyle gets tired of you?