Organizations such as Heartland Alliance approach violence prevention from multiple focus areas; health and wellness, safety and justice, and economic opportunities. With the summer upon us and the state reopening, many worry about the increased gun violence in our communities.
Read the full story from the Chicago Defender here.
As Biden told the nation, community violence intervention programs have led to a drop in violence of up to 60% in some communities. To hammer home his point, he cited the work of street outreach workers such as Chicago’s Eddie Bocanegra and DeVone Boggan of Richmond, California.
In the U.S., many people view incarceration as the punishment one receives for breaking the law. But a recently released study from the anti-poverty organization Heartland Alliance indicates that for the more than 3.3 million people with criminal records in Illinois, punishment continues well beyond time served. The report exposes hundreds of laws and restrictions that make it prohibitively difficult for people with criminal records to rebuild their lives after incarceration.
This week, Heartland Alliance and other human rights advocates launched a statewide effort called the Fully Free Campaign to end those laws and sanctions.
People with criminal records often times have greater difficulty finding jobs and applying for housing, but a new state wide initiative works to change that. Illinois non-profit Heartland Alliances is partnering with Live Free Illinois to launch the “Fully Free” campaign. There are 3.3 million people who face permanent punishment, meaning they have trouble overcoming the barriers that keep them from accessing the resources to get their lives back on track.
Read the full story, featuring Marlon Chamberlain, the Campaign Manager for Fully Free
The “Fully Free Campaign” is a statewide effort to end hundreds of Illinois laws and sanctions that make it harder for people with a criminal record to return to a life of normalcy.
The White House’s multipronged strategy would require the bureau to revoke the licenses of gun dealers found breaking the law, and encourage cities to use pandemic relief funds for community-led violence interventions.
Read the full story from The Trace and hear from READI Senior Director Eddie Bocanegra here.
Chicago’s violence made national news again, but this time there is a federal plan of action. With five dead and nearly 50 wounded just last weekend in Chicago, it’s statistics like those that have President Joe Biden unveiling a five-point plan to address what he calls an uptick in violent crime since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in major American cities. Hear from READI Chicago Senior Director Eddie Bocanegra about this meeting with Biden.
With gun violence on the rise, President Biden is talking about his plans to let states use funding from the COVID-19 aid package to help address it. Hear from experts, including READI Chicago Senior Director Eddie Bocanegra, about how to promote safer communities.
Listen to the full story from NPR’s All Things Considered here.
President Joe Biden unveiled a new plan to reduce gun violence, including tougher enforcement of federal gun laws and investing in community resources. WBEZ’s Reset checks in with three Chicago anti-violence groups who are training and deploying peacekeepers to Chicago neighborhoods experiencing the highest number of shootings this summer.
The Biden administration wades into the crime issue as Chicago’s chronic gun violence problem was dramatically underscored when 52 people were shot, seven fatally, over the last weekend. Among those meeting with Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland at the White House was Eddie Bocanegra, senior director of READI Chicago.
