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

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 79 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • Fleeing Honduras and what's being done for those left behind

    Residents of Rivera Hernandez, Honduras are trying to improve their community in a district that’s under gang control. One such effort is a vocational school to train children and adults in electricity and solar energy. The city – subject to extreme poverty – has also received aid from the United States to fund community policing and day camps for a small number of children, although some of that money has bolstered corruption in the region.

    Read More

  • Ecuador legalized gangs. Murder rates plummeted.

    When faced with a rise in gang violence, Ecuador tried an approach that was in complete opposition to "zero tolerance," the methodology America has been attempting to use to tackle the problem. Rather than target gang members as wrongdoers, the country "allowed the gangs to remake themselves as cultural associations that could register with the government, which in turn allowed them to qualify for grants and benefit from social programming."

    Read More

  • 'Nobody was born bad'

    Chattanooga’s Violence Reduction Initiatives used a focused deterrence strategy to reduce crime. The initiative has led to a decrease in gang-involved homicides and shootings, working with individuals on probation to provide them with the social services they need to stop them from re-entering a life of crime. A core part of this method is to show communities that they’re not forgotten and that they’re cared for, and yet securing funding and consistent support for such programming has been challenging.

    Read More

  • Hope for the Future

    In Tennessee, reducing gun violence means intercepting it at the earliest level possible. By creating prevention programs for the state’s young population, they’re able to not only decrease rates of violence, but decrease prison populations and thus state costs as well. Programs like Youth ChalleNGe and various Family and Development Centers work with at-risk youth to provide them with the guidance, support, and empowerment they need.

    Read More

  • Cautiously Optimistic

    Small and large cities around the United States have their own ways of deterring gun violence, from heavier police presences, to community engagement efforts, to public health approaches. An ongoing and similar challenge for these cities is pinpointing where the most effective change is coming from. In cities like Chattanooga, Savannah, and Philadelphia, each one has seen some impact from their work, but without ongoing evaluations, proving and thus sustaining the successful programming is challenging.

    Read More

  • Former British intelligence specialists training network of spies to save Rhinos and Elephants 

    The illegal wildlife trade is consistently a big problem across Africa. To help tackle the issue of poachers, a company called Retarius uses counter-terrorist operations experience by training and mentoring locals involved in the prevention fight. The program is still growing and takes place in Malawi, Cameroon, Benin, and Zambia. In Malawi specifically, the training has resulted in 114 arrests made and 1000 kgs of ivory seized in 2018.

    Read More

  • In Sacramento, trying to stop a killing before it happens

    Sacramento is implementing a program developed in 2011 in Richmond, Calif., that showed success curtailing gun violence among young men caught up in gangs or potential shootings. They get numerous social services and mentoring from men previously incarcerated. Stipends are a controversial part of the program, but a review of the Richmond program in 2015 found most participants were still alive and had not suffered a gun related injury, or been arrested for gun-related activity.

    Read More

  • An Unlikely Bond Between Chicago Teens and Veterans Is Saving Lives in the City

    Teens exposed to gang violence in Chicago have gained guidance from veterans. The mentorship program, operated through the YMCA, has helped young people connect with adults who can relate to their experiences.

    Read More

  • Halting Violence In The Heartland

    A nonprofit in Omaha focuses on hospitals for its gang intervention work, making contact with gang members or potential gang members who have been injured through violence and may be ready to make a change in their lives. YouTurn connects them to services like housing, education and job programs and acts as a bridge between families, police and doctors. It also works to prevent violence that might occur in hospitals through revenge or retaliation by rival gangs.

    Read More

  • Would you give a job to this gangster?

    In El Salvador a nonprofit partners with employers to find jobs for gang members who want a way out of that life. It's a key component to helping people escape gang violence, although companies must work with churches and community groups to get the former gang members job training and to negotiate their separation with the gang leaders. They must also convince their fellow companies this is a viable solution, as well as their own employees, who will work with the former gang members.

    Read More