A 21-year-old Portland man is arrested on a misdemeanor theft charge. A judge places him on probation, then orders him to go out to lunch.

No joke.

Under a new

program, judges can send young adults identified as gang members to meet with a local pastor for a sit-down meal as a condition of their probation.

The innovative idea is for the young men and women to "talk to someone outside of the gang lifestyle" and build a relationship, said Jim Hayden, a Multnomah County deputy district attorney.

"We really want to set this up as an opportunity" Hayden said, "not a punishment."

After months of planning, the program's first client met last week with Bishop William Marcus Pollard of Emmanuel Church of God in Christ United and the Rev. George Merriweather of Northeast Community Fellowship Foursquare Church.

Over a basket of chicken and plates of ribs and fish at Christopher's Gourmet Grill on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the two clergy members learned about the 21-year-old's background and struggles landing in and out of jail.

"We're not police. We're not probation officers," Pollard recounted telling the 21-year-old. "We're here to help you be successful." He didn't identify the young man, saying he was asked by organizers to keep names confidential.

Four judges -- including the county's presiding Judge Nan Waller and chief criminal Judge Julie Frantz -- have agreed to oversee the probation cases. Portland's Office of Violence Prevention has offered to pay a maximum of $50 for each meal, involving two mentors and one offender.

Church members come from the group dubbed 11:45, a community effort to mobilize Portland area churches to volunteer for one year, once a week for 45 minutes.

No proselytizing is permitted -- easing the initial uneasiness by the criminal justice system to pair with the faith-based community.

To qualify for the special probation, defendants must face only misdemeanor charges and be either among the Portland Police Bureau's 807 designated gang members or identify themselves as a gang members to jail officials. A condition of their probation is that they cannot associate with known gang members in public places.

Hayden said the idea developed about a year ago

to adults in the city to work with at-risk youths and launched a grass-roots group called Connected.

"It's time for us to get moms and dads off the couches and into the streets where their kids are," Canda said last May. "We, as adults, have to show our presence in the community, that we're able to mobilize, not just sit in meetings and tell everybody we feel bad about it ... but do what parents do and go out in the streets, and physically protect our kids, at all costs."

Hayden said the new program is aimed at young adults who aren't considered at highest risk, but have ties to gangs and have a chance to be turned away.

Often misdemeanor offenders who are aren't involved in violent crimes have no probation officers. "We want to get the kids when they're emerging," Hayden said.

"I'd been hearing a lot of these young men are missing male role models, and they need them," he said.

Organizers decided a meal would help break the ice, rather than simply requiring a meeting with a pastor or community member in an office.

Cate Wollam, senior trial attorney for Multnomah Defenders Inc., called the program "a great start.''

"We've got to do something,'' she said. Yet Wollam said she believes it should be extended to juveniles. She also wondered whether a formal sit-down meal may have the offenders worrying too much about which fork to use, and suggests a more casual meal may put offenders at ease.

Last Tuesday, the 21-year-old shared with Pollard that he was going to school for his high school equivalency degree and has a young daughter.

"He wasn't hard-core. He had goals," Pollard said. "We talked about his strengths, computers. Mainly, we just talked to him like homeboys."

Pollard gave the 21-year-old his card with his contact information. He made no promises, but said he'd work to connect him to resources for help finding a job.

Pollard said he's grateful that the county's judges have allowed the church leaders to help. "If we can save these young people, give them an opportunity ... some of them just need that someone to share, care and love them," he said.

Organizers expect to reach out to a handful of offenders each month, but say that could increase as the program develops.

"I think it's great the community stepped up," Waller said.

"It's simply lunch," Waller pointed out. But that lunch gives the young men and women contact with a community member who has some insight and wisdom to their struggles, she said.

"We all know what makes a difference sometimes is an offer of some help," Waller said. "We're incredibly grateful. We expect this to be lunch, and maybe it will lead to something else."

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