A forum sponsored last year by the Boston Foundation and MassINC explored how, and why, young people join gangs — and why they eventually leave them.
The event focused on the experiences of Paul Joyce, who once headed the Boston Police Department’s Youth Violence Strike Force and has written a book titled, “It Started with Hats: The Life Experiences of Boston’s Founding Street Gang Members.”
Joyce interviewed 30 former gang members for his book, many of whom he had personally arrested. While they trusted him, some talked of other Boston Police officers beating them or planting evidence during arrests…