Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Communities explore out-of-the-box mentorship programs to reduce gun violence

    Richmond's Operation Peacemaker Fellowship pairs mentors with young people at risk of violence, paying the youth a stipend if they meet particular goals toward a more stable and safe life. The mentors are former gang members and others with criminal records who earn the trust of their clients through their experiences and independence from the police. Other cities have adopted this model or similar approaches to preventing gun violence. One study said the Richmond program may have contributed to a significant decline in violence in that city.

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  • Lessons from a 'violence interrupter' as shootings continue to ravage Chicago

    Programs like UCAN Chicago use "violence interrupters" to mediate disputes before they turn violent and to connect people at risk of violence to the services that will give them a chance at a more stable, peaceful life. Decades after CeaseFire Chicago established this street-outreach approach to violence prevention, the work has been conducted mainly by former gang members and formerly incarcerated people with the credibility to reach the right people. Research on its effectiveness is mixed but promising, though the resources don't come close to meeting the need. This story profiles one Chicago worker.

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  • Alone in eviction court: Alabama looks to provide lawyers

    Legislation in cities like Cleveland, Louisville, New York City, provides legal representation for economically-disadvantaged people who are facing eviction. The city ordinances have drastically reduced evictions as well as the government costs associated with homelessness caused directly by evictions. A public awareness push - through social media, billboards, and door knocking - was also made in these cities to encourage people to show up to their eviction court dates.

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  • Evidence-based reentry resources key for sicker incarcerated population, researchers say

    Community health workers with North Carolina Formerly Incarcerated Transition Program (NC FIT) counsel people recently released from jails and prisons to help them get the care they need for mental and physical health problems. The program closes some but not all of the gaps left by the state's inadequate Medicaid coverage and prison health services. Banking on the trust that comes with shared experiences, the formerly incarcerated health workers can connect people with medication-assisted treatment for substance use, covid-related treatments, and mental health care, all common ailments post-incarceration.

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  • What happens when crime victims and offenders meet? Outagamie County is finding out.

    The Outagamie County Youth and Family Services agency makes restorative justice dialogue available to the victims of crimes committed by juveniles. After preparation with a trained mediator, the two parties meet to discuss the harm suffered by a victim and why a young person committed the offense. Both can be helped through a face-to-face conversation. The county is now considering expanding the program to adults.

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  • These Philadelphians Created an App to Prevent Gun Violence

    Philly Truce is a mobile app that lets people in crisis ask for help from volunteer conflict mediators without involving the police. The app connects people to social services and to volunteers who can help ensure that a personal conflict does not turn violent. Two Philadelphia men with a modest investment launched the app in May 2021. Hundreds already have used it to de-escalate disputes or to volunteer to join the effort to reduce violence. The founders hope to expand the project to other cities.

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  • Solidarité : des sans abri hébergés dans des entreprises

    Les Bureaux du Coeur est une association qui recrute des entreprises pour proposer leurs bureaux comme hébergement temporaire à des personnes en situation de précarité. Cela permet aux clients de se concentrer sur leur vie professionnelle et leur réinsertion.

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  • Don't Call the Police

    DontCallThePolice.com went online at the height of the 2020 social justice protests to give people a list of resources when they need help and might otherwise default to calling the police. The site is a directory of services in 80 cities, such as mental health care, substance use treatment, and services for youth and elders. The site averages about 20,000 visits per month as its existence becomes known. Information is crowdsourced.

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  • Anti-violence programs are working. But can they make a dent in Chicago's gun violence?

    Chicago is home to multiple street-outreach programs that target the people most likely to be shot or to shoot others, and that provide them with social services that keep them and others in their network safe. Programs like READI, CRED, and CP4P have shown strong results in studies of their ability to help people get access to education and jobs while avoiding arrest or injury. But community violence in Chicago is so entrenched that the existing programs lack the scale and structure to make meaningful reductions in Chicago's street violence.

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  • Taking Mental Health Crises Out of Police Hands

    Until Oakland joins the list of cities sending counselors and social workers on emergency calls concerning mental health crises, a grassroots program called Mental Health First is diverting a small number of emergencies from police involvement to a community-based response. Hundreds of volunteers, many with their own experiences with mental illness and crises, answer dozens of calls per month in which they de-escalate, counsel, and direct people to needed services – all without the threat that a misunderstood person could be harmed by police untrained in correctly handling such crises.

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