Jesus Saves: Escaping Gang Violence in El Salvador

In co-sponsorship with the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, the Prisons and Justice Initiative presented “Jesus Saves: Escaping Gang Violence in El Salvador.” In El Salvador, gang violence plagues communities. Wars between prominent gangs, such as MS-13 and 18th Street, have exacerbated homicide rates across country. With the understanding that gang membership is usually for life, members often face little hope of escaping this perpetual cycle of violence. Journalist and Pulitzer Grantee Danny Gold examines how “The Only Way Out Is Through Jesus.” In this Guardian video feature, Gold reports on how evangelical churches help gang members escape by becoming born-again Christians. Marc Howard, Director of Georgetown’s Prisons and Justice Initiative, joined Gold in conversation to discuss this work.