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Hear from the Massachusetts Speaker of the House, Representative Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy), at the Chamber’s Government Affairs Forum.
04/09/2026
9:45am - 11:00am
Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston
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At the MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, we understand that tackling this layered issue requires a holistic and multilayered approach. One that includes improving the well-being of young people across the Commonwealth. This is critical to violence prevention – when young people have what they need to be safe and well in the world, our communities are safer. What does this mean in practice? This means ensuring that young people’s basic needs are met: access to supportive adults, stable housing, educational and recreational opportunities, and sufficient financial resources. Youth employment readiness is key to both financial stability and to giving young people an experience involving supportive adults, skill-building activities, and positive engagement with their communities. These are all protective factors that can help prevent youth from being impacted by violence.
Recent research further demonstrates and quantifies how employment access mitigates the human, societal, and economic costs of gun violence. A 2018 study called “Stopping a Bullet with a Summer Job”, found a direct link between summer employment and reduced rates of violence. Participation in a Chicago summer jobs program nearly halved the number of violent crime arrests among program participants. Similarly, enrollment in a New York City program reduced the likelihood that participating youth would be incarcerated in New York State prison or would die prematurely. The impact of these job programs extended beyond the summer, suggesting that participation did not just keep young people busy and away from risky situations during the summer months, but also led to longer-term positive outcomes. The Chicago program led to a 35% reduction in violent crime arrests one year after program completion. These results are clearly positive for the young people served and are also significant for our communities’ safety and economic wellbeing. According to the Vera Institute, the cost of incarceration in Massachusetts is $55,170 per inmate yearly. The cost of the summer programs noted here were $1,400 to $3,000 per participant. This small investment in youth brings great returns, on multiple levels.
Closer to home, we see similar benefits. A 2017 Brookings study of summer jobs programs in Boston, such as YouthWorks, noted the following: “Summer jobs programs are a vehicle to give young people a boost in the labor market and help them develop positive relationships with adults and peers; imagine new possibilities for themselves; and engage in positive, constructive activities during time that otherwise would likely be unstructured.”
Our guest blogs are written and produced by organizations within our membership. They are not intended to reflect the views nor opinions of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
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