For his first official visit since being appointed to lead the U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney General Merrick Garland demonstrated his commitment to community safety and evidence-based violence interventions with a trip to READI Chicago.
Garland joined Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin at St. Agatha’s church in North Lawndale to hear from researchers, READI leadership and staff, participants, and community members about the effects of gun violence in our communities. Following two mass shootings within blocks of the church the night before, it was impossible to ignore the gravity of Chicago’s gun violence crisis.
“We’re here today because the other half of this project [in addition to law enforcement] is relationships with the community,” Garland said at the beginning of the meeting, as quoted in USA Today’s coverage of the event. “We can’t hope to solve this problem without some of both.”
In this spirit, attendees demonstrated the ways READI combines evidence, relationships, and heart. Monica Bhatt of the University of Chicago Crime and Inclusive Economy labs gave an overview of the randomized control trial evaluating READI’s effectiveness at reducing shootings and homicides—so far, her team is seeing a 32% reduction in these kinds of violence for men who participate in READI Chicago, and a reduction of almost twice that for men who have relationships with READI prior to joining.
Staff from North Lawndale Employment Network and UCAN—the two community-based organizations that deliver READI programming in North Lawndale—talked with Garland and Durbin about what exactly they do to make those relationships so special, as well as how loss impacts the community. Still, they’re seeing hope.
“I have to think twice about if it’s safe to help my grandma with the groceries, and that isn’t right,” said one READI participant to the Attorney General. “I’m glad the country is paying attention to what’s happening, and to things that are working—like READI Chicago.”
