Gun Violence
The Center for Court Innovation seeks to reduce gun violence through a number of violence interruption and prevention projects. For example, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the Center has tested a public health approach to violence, adopting a model originally piloted in Chicago. In Brownsville, Brooklyn, the Center has started a program that brings together law enforcement and key community players to communicate a focused message to parolees that violence is unacceptable. The Center seeks to bring the lessons from these initiatives to other New York City neighborhoods, including the South Bronx.
Save Our Streets S.O.S.
Save Our Streets seeks to end shootings in Crown Heights. Trained outreach workers—hired for their street credibility, their knowledge of the neighborhood, and the positive changes they have made in their own lives—work evenings and nights to mediate street conflicts before they escalate into violence. The program also organizes marches and vigils whenever a shooting occurs in Brooklyn’s 77th precinct. For more information, see the S.O.S. blog. The youth organizing arm of S.O.S., (YO S.O.S.) aims to empower young people, ages 14-17, to become community leaders and organizers. Through a combination of experiential workshops and service learning opportunities, YO S.O.S. participants develop concrete leadership skills and real-world work experience. For more information, see the YO S.O.S. blog.
