New Program to Stem Chicago's Violence Epidemic Starts in Jail

Mississippians who receive earned probation for crimes that do not carry a death sentence or involve deadly weapons will now have access to high-school equivalency education, alcohol and drug counseling, re-entry and employment services—and perhaps, most importantly, "Thinking for a Change," an evidence-based cognitive behavioral-therapy program.

Connecticut is attempting to reduce prison recidivism by changing parole practices. Changes to the system are allowing parole officers to foster relationships with parolees and counsel them as people, not as cases.

Transitional housing centers like Huma-Faith and Halal House provide accommodations for formerly incarcerated people, specifically Muslim men. These houses are safe spaces that provide necessary resources like a shower and a warm bed, as well as work opportunities, group talk sessions, and regular drug and alcohol screening to help people put their best selves forward. These houses are also Muslim-centric, meaning people can rebuild their lives while freely practicing their religion.

In some states, cash bail has been eliminated and this measure has seen significant results including lower jail populations, lower re-offense rates for people released on bonds and less jail time for those accused of low-level crimes. These results in states with bail reform laws suggest that bail reform works and serves as inspiration for other states looking to enact similar policies.

A growing number of programs are working to interrupt cycles of trauma and harm with currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. Beyond Violence uses curriculum co-designed by women currently incarcerated and uses peer co-facilitation to address the aggression and violence women have experienced personally, as well as been perpetrators of. The curriculum, which also highlights the impact of individuals’ communities, relationships, and social structures, improves mental health and facilitates long-term healing.

White Mountain Restorative Justice offers juvenile and adult court diversion and victim-offender mediation programs. WMRJ aims to guide first-time low-level offenders through restorative justice processes to hold offenders accountable, repair the harm caused by crime, and prevent reoffences.

Once deemed youthful “superpredators” condemned to spend their entire adult lives in prison, the peer counselors in Philadelphia’s Life After Life support group help other formerly incarcerated people transition back to freedom. Of the more than 100 former “juvenile lifers” who returned to Philadelphia after the Supreme Court deemed them eligible for a second chance, none has been convicted of a new crime or serious parole violation – a key metric that encourages Pennsylvania to continue whittling down its record-high population of juvenile-life-without-parole inmates.

When a man goes to prison, a child loses their father and this can have detrimental effects. It is especially troubling considering the number of men incarcerated. F.A.C.T is a parenting program that helps teach incarcerated fathers to be better parents while also helping to facilitate their involvement in their children's lives.

The state of Connecticut is partnering with the Vera Institute of Justice to creating a new model of incarceration for young people ages 18 to 25. That state has created four integration centers to help inmates transition back to the community and opened a unit for young male prisoners who are mentored by those serving life sentences. They engage in circle-based conversations daily to promote communication and curtail conflict within the correctional center.

Healing trauma has never been an easy process but programs like Healing Hurt People help to promote recovery in traumatized, angry young men. This program, in partnership with local medical services, aims to provide therapy in place of violence, which would only cause more trauma down the road. Those who stick with the program have found great success in overcoming their pasts.