The Minority Youth Violence Prevention Initiative seeks to address the violence that continues to plague minority communities, despite a national decline in overall crime. The nine initial implementation sites sought to address youth violence and reduce disparities in access to public health resources through a variety of means.
Programs were based in local hospitals, schools, law enforcement agencies, and/or community organizations. The report highlights common implementation challenges, including engaging families, allocating scarce resources, building capacity, and providing culturally-responsive and trauma-informed programming. It concludes with recommendations for future violence prevention programs working with law enforcement, schools, and public health agencies.
The initiative was created through a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Center for Court Innovation conducted evaluations and provided assistance and coordination across the nine sites.
The 2014 implementation sites included in the study were located in Binghamton, N.Y.; Cabarrus County, N.C.; Chatham County, Ga.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dekalb County, Ga.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Oakland, Calif.; Sacramento, Calif.; and West Palm Beach, Fla.