The Peace Alliance campaign includes a domestic component, and this has been recently strengthened substantially with a bi-partisan bill worked up by the experts in anti-gang campaigns. Note that this bill includes mention of Non-Violent Communication (NVC) training, the very thing Peace House and TPF have been involved in, including by providing NVC courses at Peace Hosue. Two of the present TPF STeering Committee members are graduates of just such an NVC course. Either Peace House or TPF could be part of the local council envisaged for reducing gang violence locally, working in partnership with the Tulsa County Police Department (TCDP).
The Youth PROMISE Act
The Youth PROMISE Act, introduced into the U.S. House by Bobby Scott (D-VA-03) and Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE) and in the Senate by Robert Casey (D-PA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), implements the best policy recommendations from crime policy makers, researchers, practitioners, analysts, and law enforcement officials from across the political spectrum concerning evidence and research-based strategies to reduce gang violence and crime. The Youth PROMISE Act is a bold plan for addressing youth violence in all sectors of society by delivering funding to programs on the ground effectively doing the work of youth violence prevention.
* The legislation calls for hundreds of millions of dollars to fund prevention programs, which could include many of the organizations we have worked with and promoted over the years, including Tariq Khamisa Foundation, Barrios Unidos, Challenge Day, our friends doing restorative justice work, NVC training and so many others.
* Under the Act, communities facing the greatest youth gang and crime challenges will each form a local council called a Promise Coordinating Council ("PCC") which will:
o Include representatives from law enforcement, court services, schools, social service organizations, health and mental health providers and community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations.
o Develop a comprehensive plan for implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies that target young people at risk for gang involvement in addition to those who have already become a part of the cycle of violence in an effort to empower them toward productive and law-abiding alternatives.
* This legislation is the first step toward building a metrically driven culture of violence prevention and reduction. It builds local structures for decision making and oversight that must document measurable impact in the communities. Through this legislation we will finally see a set of best practices translated from the field in an institutionalized manner that will allow for effective replication around the country.
* This will save lives AND money.
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/696/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email...
H.R. 1064 / S. 435
The Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education (Youth PROMISE) Act
This Youth PROMISE Act implements the advice we heard over the last year from over 50 crime policy makers, researchers, practitioners analysts, and law enforcement officials from across the political spectrum concerning evidence- and research-based strategies to reduce gang violence and crime. Under the Youth PROMISE Act, communities facing the greatest youth gang and crime challenges will form a local council. This council will include representatives from law enforcement, court services, schools, social service, health and mental health providers, and community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations. The council will develop a comprehensive plan for implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies. These strategies will be targeted at young people who are at-risk of becoming involved, or involved in, gangs or the criminal justice system to redirect them toward productive and law-abiding alternatives.
May 4, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC – This week, the Youth PROMISE Act (H.R. 1064/S. 435), introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Mike Castle (R-DE) and in the United States Senate by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), receives a major boost from localities, juvenile justice advocates and Hollywood.
The Youth PROMISE Act has been endorsed by localities throughout the country, including the City of Los Angeles, California; the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the County of Santa Fe, New Mexico; the City of Pasadena, California; the City of Newport News, Virginia; the City of Norfolk, Virginia; and the City of Hampton, Virginia. Resolutions endorsing the Youth PROMISE Act are also currently pending before the City of Portsmouth, VA and the City of Richmond, VA and several mayors from around the country have written letters of support.
These important endorsements precede a week of events on Capitol Hill in support of the Youth PROMISE Act.
On Wednesday, May 6, 2009 at 6:00 p.m., Representatives Bobby Scott and Mike Castle will host a screening of the film “Crips & Bloods: Made in America” in the South Orientation Theatre at the Capitol Visitor Center. Also attending the screening will be the film’s director, Stacy Peralta, producers Baron Davis and Cash Warren, and Los Angeles City Councilmember Tony Cárdenas. Because space is limited, RSVP for the screening is required. Please call Representative Scott’s Washington Office at (202) 225-8351 to RSVP.
On Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 10:00 a.m., Representative Scott will speak at a forum in support of the Youth PROMISE Act, hosted by a coalition of advocate organizations, on Capitol Hill (location TBD).
For more information on the Youth PROMISE Act, please visit:
http://www.bobbyscott.house.gov/ypa.
# # #
http://www.bobbyscott.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&ta...