Tell Congress to Support Youth Violence Prevention

On any given day, an average of 70,000 youths are held in juvenile detention and correctional facilities. Homicide is the leading cause of death for African Americans 10-24 years old. Youth violence and incarceration rates in this country have reached a crisis level. We need a solution now.

The Youth PROMISE Act (Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education) is bipartisan legislation that will give our communities the support and funding they need to effectively address youth violence issues.

Tell Congress you support the Youth PROMISE Act.

This legislation breaks the cycle of violence by getting at its root causes. Violence prevention and intervention strategies are far more cost-effective than traditional, more punitive approaches. By focusing on these strategies, this bill ensures we are funding programs that save lives and give every young person the opportunity to meet his or her potential.

Incarceration diminishes the future potential of young people by saddling them with education, housing, and employment hurdles for the rest of their lives. The Youth PROMISE Act will help engage and divert at-risk youth proactively -- before they slip into cycles of violence, incarceration and despair.

The Youth PROMISE Act will be a beacon of hope and real possibility for youth and communities across the country and in many cases, save lives. This is the year, let's make this happen. Write Congress today!
Dear [Member of Congress],

I am a constituent urging you to co-sponsor the Youth PROMISE Act. This bipartisan piece of legislation will be a real game-changer in the lives of young people across the nation who are dealing with violence. I am requesting of all my Members of Congress to support this bill. It is H.R.1318 in the House, and S.1307 in the Senate.

The Youth PROMISE Act implements the best policy recommendations from crime policy makers, researchers, practitioners, analysts, and law enforcement officials from across the political spectrum concerning evidence and research-based strategies to reduce gang violence and youth crime.

This Act resonates across the political spectrum because it is community-based, accountable, and replicable. Local leaders who know their communities best determine which youth and gang violence programs should be given initial funding. Then, the selected programs must prove they are working in order to receive additional funding, and they are given resources to do so. Finally, those programs that show themselves to be effective best practices can continue, and some may serve as models that can be adapted for use in other communities across the country.

The United States now has the highest average incarceration rate of any nation in the world and the cost of incarceration in our country has risen to over $65 billion a year. All the credible research and evidence shows that a continuum of evidenced-based prevention and intervention programs for at-risk youth will greatly reduce crime and save much more than they cost. We must engage youth in positive ways through education, after school programs, as well as family and community support to keep kids away from the dangers of gangs and other violent activities.

The Youth PROMISE Act will help engage and divert at-risk youth proactively -- before they slip into cycles of violence, incarceration and despair. And, these community-based practices have been shown to reduce rates of violence more effectively and at a substantially lower cost than criminal enforcement and incarceration.

[Your comments here]

The challenges of violence in our communities demand our full resources and attention. I ask you to support this legislation as a big step towards creating a lasting peace and security in our communities. Sign on in support today!

Sincerely,
[Your name here]
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