Community-Based Intervention Programs May Be Beneficiaries of Youth PROMISE ACT

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Recently, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) hosted a congressional briefing on the 2011 documentary film “The Interrupters.”
Sponsored by the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office, the briefing featured statements from Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and a panel discussion featuring Alex Kotlowitz, the producer of “The Interrupters” and author of the book “There Are No Children Here.”

“The Interrupters” focused on Chicago’s CeaseFire movement, a grassroots project in which members of communities seek to reduce acts of youth violence through localized, concentrated intervention programs.

CeaseFire employs “violence interrupters,” community members who work with youth in high-violence areas, to pinpoint and prevent potential crimes before they transpire. Two “violence interrupters,” Cobe Williams and Ameena Matthews, were present at the ACLU’S briefing in Washington, D.C.

The event drew the attention of a diverse group of attendees, including high school principals, public health officials, law professors and congressional staff. Congressman Scott hailed the Youth PROMISE Act -- proposed legislation that would provide funding for comprehensive, community-based intervention programs, such as CeaseFire -- as a potential means of curbing street gang activity and juvenile delinquency. The Youth PROMISE Act -- officially titled the Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education Act -- would provide funding for evidence-based practices regarding the prevention of juvenile delinquency and gang activity. The bipartisan-sponsored bill would also amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 by creating a Youth PROMISE advisory panel to aid the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Youth Promise Act draws star power

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A campaign to get federal funding for youth violence prevention programs in urban centers is gathering steam in the entertainment industry.  Media mogul Russell Simmons has joined the movement to support the Youth Promise Act, H.R. 1064, pending in Congress. Simmons writes about it in his blog for the Huffington Post:

“Every year in America, 600,000 youth are confined in a jail or prison... With the White House ready to address this growing issue, we need a proven cost-effective way of reducing youth violence.”

The Youth Promise Act would amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.  Some provisions include:

Local oversight and control of funds. Custom tailored plans created for each community. Creation of a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices

Celebrities, sports figures, gang experts and politicians are joining the cause on Facebook,  Twitter, and YouTube.  They released a video last week.  Supporters include NFL star and civil rights activist Jim Brown, actress Robin Wright, Baron Davis of the NBA, and Congressional sponsor Bobby Scott (D- Virginia).  On his website Scott says, "The Youth PROMISE Act represents a paradigm shift in the way we address juvenile crime policy in America.  Instead of doing what is politically expedient, we have the opportunity to both reduce crime and save money."