Cover Story

continued from cover

Grantees Use Policy Advocacy To Address Root Causes of Violence

Commonweal Juvenile Justice Program

An example of this challenge, said David Steinhart, director of Commonweal’s Juvenile Justice Program (JJP), is Proposition 21, the Juvenile Crime Initiative that won overwhelming public support in California’s March election. Commonweal’s JJP tracks, analyzes and disseminates legislative and budget information on gun control and violence prevention from a public health perspective.

"The [Proposition 21] vote was almost schizophrenic," Steinhart said. "Surveys consistently show that the public supports sound crime prevention strategies, but that wasn’t reflected at the ballot box."

Noting that the proposed $80 billion state general budget includes $5 billion for corrections and only $250 million for violence prevention, Steinhart said advocates need to resume the momentum generated among lawmakers for violence prevention before passage of Proposition 21. The $250 million targeted for violence prevention is a significant increase over the $100 million designated in 1995, an increase Steinhart credited to the VPI and its participants.

Commonweal’s JJP "keeps politicians in touch with public sentiment that wants sound crime prevention strategies," Steinhart said. The organization also communicates state governmental actions and proposals on violence prevention to opinion leaders around the state.

California Council of Churches

One approach being taken to raise awareness among the public is personalization of the issue.

"When you talk about youth violence in the abstract, you get a much different response than when you talk about specific kids and families," said Scott Anderson, executive director of the California Council of Churches, which offers education and training in youth violence prevention programs to its 3,800 congregations. "People feel powerless when they’re confronted by faceless crime, and all they know is to join support for a punitive approach."

The council is one of several TCWF grantees that bring people together to discuss alternatives, look at "best practices" and get involved on a personal level. One tool the organization uses is an interfaith, intergenerational study guide, "Creating a Caring Community," designed to help participants develop or join after-school programs. (The guide is available on the council’s website. See website list.) Twenty-five training workshops are in progress around the state this fall.

"Research consistently confirms that most youth-related crimes occur during late-afternoon, after-school hours," Anderson said. "We’re providing educational materials and a best-practices publication to policymakers, opinion leaders and the general public in an effort to encourage legislators to be more flexible in funding after-school programs in all areas, including those that are faith- and community-based."

Based in Sacramento, the California Council of Churches facilitates access to state legislative resources for other TCWF grantees, linking constituencies to move the violence prevention agenda, Anderson said.

Berkeley Media Studies Group

Acknowledging that news media play a large role in shaping public opinion and policy, Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) works with journalists to help them put reports of crime into context and approach coverage from a public health perspective, said Lori Dorfman, director of BMSG.

Dorfman and her colleagues developed a video that juxtaposes actual television news stories about violence with the same stories reshot to include a public health perspective. BMSG uses the video in workshops to help television journalists in Northern and Southern California add more information and perspective to their reports on violence.

"Reporters ask questions—that’s their job," Dorfman said. "But when it comes to violence, are they asking the right questions? Imagine how we might understand violence differently if reporters asked: ‘How often does this happen in this community? Did the victim and perpetrator know one another? How was the weapon obtained? Was alcohol involved?’ "

In addition to the workshops, BMSG has also produced a handbook for journalists and helps connect reporters to good data sources.

California Child, Youth and Family Coalition

"Contrary to media reports, youth are concerned and engaged in large numbers when it comes to violence prevention," said Kate Fogle, executive director of California Child, Youth and Family Coalition (CCYFC). The agency, based in Sacramento, gives a voice to youth by providing opportunities for them to explore and act on issues with plenty of support from adults.

"We can’t do youth violence prevention without youth," Fogle said. "Adults can’t really know the experiences of a young person in California in 2000. Young people can give us that perspective. Given support and opportunities in a safe setting, they can make important contributions to policy development."

A one-day training in August, planned and implemented by youth, drew more than 100 young people and adults who developed action plans in violence prevention, as well as in other issues affecting the health of adolescents. Teen-produced publications provide further opportunities for youth perspectives to be interjected into policy considerations.

"We’re finding more success in communicating and broadening policymakers’ understanding of the needs of youth," Fogle said. "We need to keep working to show how all the pieces fit together to develop a more global approach to policy that creates a healthy environment for youth to prevent violence."

Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice

The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) in San Francisco is focusing on "reform of the entire criminal justice system in an effort to reduce institutionalization, so we can reinvest resources in things that will better benefit society," said Dan Macallair, the center’s vice president.

In that effort, CJCJ develops and disseminates data to help leaders and policymakers at state and local levels make informed decisions on violence prevention issues. For example, studies on racial demographics of youth in California’s juvenile justice system and a state-by-state analysis of juvenile incarceration trends and crime rates received national attention upon release this year.

"Working with other VPI partners broadens our reach and enables more people to have access to information that can influence violence prevention policy," Macallair said.

CJCJ relies on new technology as a valuable communication tool and has compiled a wealth of information, statistics and resources on its website.

Legal Community Against Violence

Barrie Becker, executive director of Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV) in San Francisco, said providing policymakers with information and finding commonalities among opposing views is a key to success in preventing gun violence. LCAV assists cities and counties by providing research and examples of legally correct firearms ordinances and giving free legal assistance when challenges arise.

"When we give city and county policymakers the right tools and clearly lay out their options, they’re ready to run," she said. "We’ve done the legal research to help them get past the constant threat of litigation and the pro- and anti-gun arguments to focus on safety issues that affect everyone.

"There can be agreements that require responsible manufacture, transfer and use of firearms, and that’s where the discussion needs to start," she added. "It’s about saving lives."

In the past two years, more than 30 local firearms ordinances have been adopted, bringing the total to more than 100 statewide, she said. "State law usually follows local law, so it’s important to keep providing education and resources at the community level," Becker said.