Prevention Works

Volunteers in Police Service: Celebrating a Decade of Service

The Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) program is pleased to announce that we will celebrate our 10^th anniversary this May!

The VIPS program was started as a part of USA Freedom Corps, initiated by President George W. Bush, to build on the countless acts of service, sacrifice, and generosity that followed September 11^th. With the support of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the International Association of Chiefs of Police launched the VIPS program in May of 2002

One core element of the VIPS website, www.policevolunteers.org, is the program database both for individuals looking to volunteer and for volunteer managers looking for new ideas. In its first month of existence, the database contained 74 registered programs in 29 states. Today there are more than 2,250 programs with 252,000 volunteers representing all 50 states and 19 international locations. In the last year, VIPS volunteers contributed more than 2 billion hours of volunteer service.

In recognition of our milestone year, we have set a goal to register 200 new programs during 2012. By offering a more comprehensive database of VIPS programs, we will present a more accurate and complete picture of law enforcement volunteerism and effectively direct potential volunteers to programs that fit their needs. You can help us by reaching out to your local law enforcement agency and encouraging them to register their program on the VIPS website.

Over the past 10 years, the roles volunteers play in law enforcement have expanded significantly. Volunteers support all types of law enforcement work from community events to investigations. Here are just a few examples:

• Pasadena, California, Police Department volunteers assisted more than 800 victims of identity theft in the last year.
• Numerous theft and drug arrests have been made thanks to Rolla, Missouri, Police Department volunteers’ work on tracking pawn tickets and purchases of methamphetamine ingredients.
• A volunteer with the Aurora, Colorado, Police Department has submitted 35 composite sketches to detectives, the first of which led officers to arrest a suspect charged with robbery and kidnapping within two weeks.

Read more about the many innovative ways law enforcement agencies engage volunteers to keep communities safe in Volunteers in Police Service Add Value While Budgets Decrease.

 To learn more about volunteering with law enforcement and to find opportunities in your area, visit www.policevolunteers.org.

Normally!

Normally, I would be writing on a crime prevention issue that would affect a large number of people, but today I’m writing about just one individual or a small group of individuals that make a huge difference. The people I’m talking about today are the Crime Prevention Officers or Crime Prevention Practitioners who work within your communities. They could be police officers, security officers or ordinary people who volunteer their time and to make a difference in the neighborhoods in which the live. For whatever reason they’ve become involved and they are the back bone of crime prevention all over the country. Speaking from experience, when I was a young patrolman, my Police Chief asked me to handle a neighborhood meeting. I told him “sure” but asked “what would I do.”  He said that you could just listen and listen I did. First it was the person having a problem with kids cutting through his property and another person was complaining about excessive noise coming from a nearby garage at all hours of the night. This started my lifelong adventure into crime prevention. I worked on the issues that were raised and then started a small neighborhood group, an early form of Neighborhood Watch. Back then there wasn’t any training on crime prevention and you had to fly by the seat of your pants. This was in the early 80’s about the same time the National Crime Prevention Council was formed and really put a face on crime prevention. Thirty years later and the rest is history. Recently the National Crime Prevention Association (NCPA) launched a new program just for all of these hard working individuals called the National Crime Prevention Specialist certification. Finally, a national certification program to recognize the training, education and hard work of a select few experts. No more just being a crime prevention person, now a program that shows everyone that we’re Certified Professionals in Crime Prevention. I would like to thank the NCPA and NCPC for developing this program because it gives long overdue recognition to an already valuable profession specialization.         

 

Ten years later, 9/11 Memories Last Forever

According to a new Washington Post poll, almost half of Washington-area residents say the attacks caused a lasting change in their lives, while 23 percent of Washingtonians say they avoid attending a public event out of fear of another attack.   What do you remember about the tragic events of September 11, 2001?   Like most people, you can probably recall every detail – where you were, what you were doing, etc.  You probably even remember the family and friends you called throughout the day.

Ten years later the vivid images of that unforgettable day remain engrained in so many minds and influence the daily behavior of all of us more than we even realize.  As we remember the victims, survivors, and first responders of 9/11, a few of our National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) staff recall their own vivid memories of that fateful day.  As part of the National Sheriffs' Association’s (NSA) commemorative magazine issues, several NCPC employees were asked to share their memories.  I encourage you to read their responses here.

This month is also National Preparedness Month.  It is a time to take the lessons and emotions of 9/11 and commit to making hometown and homeland security a priority.  Every day NCPC works to improve our hometown security through our crime prevention resources and it works directly with local law enforcement across the country to find solutions to community crime problems.

To all of those who were first to respond, save lives, rescue people, or provide support on that day, we thank you.  To all those who tragically lost their lives and their loved ones who mourn them, we remember you this weekend.  And finally, to those who survived and all the rest of us who remember that tragic day, please take a stand. 

The tenth anniversary of 9/11 and National Preparedness Month is clearly a time to refocus Americans on being prepared, being vigilant, and working together to make our communities – and ultimately our Nation – safer and more secure.

So I ask you not only, what do you remember about the tragic events of September 11, 2001 but what are you doing to help make sure we never have another terrorist tragedy like it?

 

 

Director of Communications:  Michelle Boykins


How was your office affected directly?

 

The National Crime Prevention Council’s office at the time was on the 13th floor of a downtown building at the corner of Connecticut and K streets, NW.  It was a scary moment to see the plume of smoke from our office building and not know what was on fire.   At the same we are seeing the breaking news coverage of what was happening in New York.

 

I remember that as NCPC began evacuation procedures there were staff members who didn’t know how they were going to get home.  They weren’t even sure if they should trust public transportation.  At that point we didn’t know if there were more terrorist attacks still to come.

 

Several staff members who drove to work each day packed their cars with co-workers headed in the same direction or who needed a place to stay while we all figured out what to do next.  I packed four co-workers into my car and headed out of DC.  It took hours to get from DC to my home in Alexandria.  One co-worker stayed with me until evening because she was having trouble getting in touch with her family to have someone come get her.  We were all shaken to our core as we tried in vain to talk with family members and watched the events unfold through television news accounts.

 

How were you impacted on 9/11 or the days immediately after?

 

Professionally, our CEO, Jack Calhoun, gave an impassioned speech the next day when we returned to work.  NCPC staff began talking about what we could do in response to these terrorist attacks.  People were scared.  How could we, as an organization, help to reassure the public and help law enforcement in the aftermath of 9/11.  I am proud to say that NCPC was first out there with a public service advertising campaign called “United for a Stronger America” and we produced one of the first homeland security publications called the Citizens’ Preparedness Guide.

 

NCPC, with The White House, launched the USA campaign by releasing several TV spots and Internet web banners. Within eight months of the campaign launch the tracking data demonstrated that the campaign was making a difference in raising the awareness of community involvement in neighborhoods among adults.

    Nearly three in 10 adults over the age of 18 (29%) recognized the PSAs and reported they were significantly more likely to have taken action because they saw the advertisement.
    In addition, 37 percent reported they had worked to make themselves and their families safer, while 17 percent acted to make their communities safer.
    Lastly, 54 percent of the respondents said they did something to “make your neighborhood safer” and “would like to see something more done about it.”

 

 

How have the procedures at work changed specifically as a result of 9/11?

 

In the weeks following the events of 9/11, NCPC enacted policies that would help us evacuate in the event of any future attacks.  We also enhanced our staff phone tree list (including cell phone numbers and emergency contacts all in one document) and dedicated a phone line within the office that would always be updated in the case of emergencies.

 

I was then and remain proud of the NCPC response to 9/11.  As an agency we stood strong in the midst of chaos and helped people learn to take action.  In that moment, crime prevention translated to hometown safety and became part of homeland security.  Once again, we showed the public and worked with our partners to show them what role they could play in protecting their families, communities, and the nation.

 

Managing Director, Programs, Training & Multimedia Services: Judy Kirby

 

As we listened to reports of what was going on in New York City, we could see smoke out of the CEO’s office window.  The reports were that the State Department had been hit but it was difficult to tell what was happening.  Only later did we discover that it was the Pentagon.

 

One of my staff members had been out at a meeting and called me to say they were announcing on the Metro that the United States had been attacked by terrorists and to ask what should she do.  And none of us really knew the answer to that.  It was an unprecedented event and people were frightened. But we did know that Washington, DC, was a likely target.  As more information came in, the CEO sent people home.  I rode home with four other people from the office because we were being cautioned against using the Metro.  The city was gridlocked.  It took over 2 hours just to get across the bridge to Virginia.

 

But as people went home and watched the devastating footage of planes flying into the World Trade Center towers and people jumping to their deaths, many became resolved that the terrorists would not win.  They would not ruin our country, our patriotism, or our economy.  They would not make us shrink in fear.  And so we returned to work the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that.  Reports of heroism emerged and flags spontaneously appeared wherever there was a place – on houses, overpasses, bridges, office windows.

 

In the days and months following, NCPC did put in place policies that would help us evacuate or shelter in place should this occur again.  And NCPC worked with the White House to get out the first guide to help people prepare – the Citizens’ Preparedness Guide.  And we recovered and tried to heal – as a nation, as individuals.

 

Senior Training Manager, Programs, Training & Multimedia Services: Sarita Coletrane

 

How was your office affected directly?

 

Because the office at that time was located in downtown Washington, DC, there was a sense of panic as well as deep sadness and disbelief.  Many of the employees were watching the televisions in the various conference rooms, waiting for direction from the President and CEO as to whether the office would be closed.  After the initial attacks, there were a lot of incorrect accounts of fires on the Mall area near the monument and White House, the Capitol being attacked, and so forth.  It was difficult to make the initial decision to close the office because there was a question on whether the employees would be safe.  The office did eventually close but many employees, myself included, left before the decision was made.

 

How were you impacted on 9/11 or the days immediately after?

 

At the time, my husband was a detective with the Prince Georges County Police Department and I had two other immediate family members who were law enforcement, including a sister-in-law with the Capitol Police.  She was greatly affected that day because initially it was reported that the plane that hit the Pentagon was aimed toward the Capitol.   All of my family members were placed on high alert, especially around the military facilities.  We also realized that, as a family, we needed to come up with a family plan for making sure our children were taken care of because of the family members’ respective jobs.

 

How have the procedures at work changed specifically as a result of 9/11?

 

NCPC instituted a more comprehensive evacuation plan as well as bought emergency kits for the entire staff.  We had several meetings about that day and what happened and were asked for suggestions on what the agency could do to better protect its employees.  There was also a list of employees who drove to work and who were willing to take employees home in the event of an emergency.  A telephone tree was developed as a result of these meetings for this type of circumstance.

 

Because Metro eventually stopped operation (I found out that a few of my co-workers and I was on the last train that ran out of the city) we decided to come up with our own plan in case this happened again.  We alerted our respective families of all of our phone numbers (there were about six or seven of us that got together on this plan), a plan to go to the only person who lived in Washington, DC, and a back-up hotel in case we couldn’t get to our co-worker’s home.  There were several other employees who did this as well with their own groups.

 

And any additional comments you may have.

 

I really appreciated the fact that our senior staff members did take this situation seriously and really made the effort to ensure that future planning occurred and that staff safety was taken into consideration.  I also think the employees were willing to help each other out as evidenced by driving people home or those who had homes in DC, willing to open themselves up and offer their services to their co-workers.

 

 

President and CEO, NCPC: Ann M. Harkins

 

Personal Memories

 

We were on vacation in New England.  I can still see the ocean on one of the most sparkling, beautiful mornings of a lifetime.  When we left Block Island on an 8 a.m. ferry, all was right with the world; when we flipped on the radio at about 9:15 on the other side, the world had changed forever.

 

It was not too long since I left the Justice Department and, after the immediate shock and denial, I kept asking, “What can I do to help?” on the long ride home to West Virginia.  One of the hardest parts of that ride was that cell service was out.  I had a brief conversation with my brother and then almost no contact.  Most of my husband’s family lives abroad and it was very painful for them not to be able to reach us.

 

Later, sadly, I would learn that people I knew and had worked with died at the Pentagon and in New York.

 

Deputy Sergeant at Arms (DSAA)

 

As I look back on it, the most inexplicable part of this story is that about a week after 9/11, I was in the final interviews to become Deputy Sergeant at Arms in the Senate (DSAA). Then Sergeant at Arms and Chair of the Capitol Police Board, Alfonso Lenhardt (MG, USA, Retired), my predecessor at the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) had immediately after 9/11 identified security measures to be taken to secure the Capitol Complex.  He created a multi-disciplinary task force to start that process.  During 9/11, Al Lenhardt had just been appointed Senate Sergeant-at-Arms.  He is now U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania.

 

Our hope, when I started the DSAA job in October, was that Al Lenhardt would focus on Security and I would deal with the many other aspects of the Sergeant at Arms’ responsibilities – Doorkeepers in the Senate Chamber, computer services and security, telecommunications, facilities management, finance, human resources, interaction with Senate offices, press galleries, and operations from vehicles to printing.

 

As it happened, my first day as DSAA, October 15, 2001, was the day the anthrax letter was opened in Senator Daschle’s office in the Hart Senate Office Building.  Those plans for our division of labor were quickly changed.  We were “all anthrax all the time” – immediately thrown into the incident command in response to the greatest bio-terrorist attack of our time, which shortly thereafter included another letter; this time to my former boss, Senator Patrick Leahy.

 

Ruefully, I often joke that my first day lasted about 3½ months.  That inter-agency team did an extraordinary job and the Hart Building re-opened in January 2002.

 

The anthrax attack also had Constitutional implications.  Fully one-half of the U.S. Senate was displaced.  It was an extraordinary time for the Senate community, which came together admirably with the help and support of the Senate bipartisan leadership, the Office of the Secretary of the Senate Jeri Thomson, the Rules Committee, the Architect of the Capitol, the Attending Physicians Office, the Capitol Police, the Senate Chaplain, and many others.  Indispensable partners in the incident response were the House Leadership, the House Sergeant at Arms Office, the U.S. Army and Navy, the EPA, the Coast Guard, CDC, the Public Health Service, and many other unsung heroes on the inter-agency team. The team continued to enhance security measures on the Capitol complex while responding to the anthrax incident. 

 

And, whether or not we used the term in the midst of crisis response and management, Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED) principles – surveillance, access control, territorial reinforcement – were central to our work.

 

Although I was not in the Capitol in September, the fact that we were already enhancing CPTED-type security measures certainly supported the anthrax incident response.  The incredible Sergeant at Arms office staff had the Senate staff whose offices were in the Hart Building up and running in temporary office space over one long weekend.

 

I also had the honor of coordinating two Homeland Security Summits in conjunction with Senator Rockefeller’s Office in West Virginia in 2003 and 2006.  Those summits underscored the lessons of planning, practice, and coordinating across agency lines. West Virginia continues its preparedness work through statewide and regional summits in that spirit.

 

Lessons

 

Prevention is the first prong of preparedness.

 

Leaders must remain calm in the face of a crisis because the tone one sets can affect thousands of people.

 

Live every day to the fullest because the world literally can change in an instant.

 

NCPC was proud to develop the Citizens’ Preparedness Guide in conjunction with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the White House immediately after September 11th.  We continue to participate in Citizen Corps activities, which consists of local branches of FEMA that help coordinate volunteer activities and make communities safer from disasters and acts of terrorism.

 

In 2007, with vital support from Congressman Hal Rogers, working with BJA and Citizens Corps, NCPC pulled together and convened the first National Watch Groups Summit. The purpose of the Summit was twofold: to give Watch Groups a national perspective on crime prevention and homeland security and to gather information from participants about what makes a Watch Group successful. Over time, the traditional idea of Neighborhood Watch evolved to include other types of Watches—Block Watch, Business Watch, Farm Watch, Waterways Watch, and others.

 

Since then, NCPC has continued to have emergency and continuity of operations procedures in place.  We have had tabletop exercises to refine those procedures.

 

The tenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy is a good reminder to all Americans to revisit those practices and procedures, and ensure that emergency equipment, plans and procedures for their offices and homes are up to date. Citizens are encouraged to visit the NCPC website for free information on programs and downloadable resources available to them regarding disaster preparedness.

 

Going back to the key principle that prevention is the first prong of preparedness, here’s how we look at it at NCPC:

 

o   Basic Crime Prevention principles -- watching out and helping out, paying attention to your surroundings, employing CPTED principles, engaging the community in partnership with law enforcement, staying on top of trends, basing work on research, sharing best practices and lessons learned – are the same whether you are preventing an assault, a water main break, drug trafficking, or a terrorist attack.

o   Crime prevention measures already in place, such as Neighborhood Watch and community policing, can be expanded to include homeland security measures.

o   Terrorist activities are criminal acts; therefore, terrorism prevention is crime prevention.

 

NCPC believes that an aware, alert, and informed citizenry may be America’s strongest defense against terrorism.  Americans like the vender in Times Square have proven that.  The general public remains an enormous and largely untapped reservoir of information that could be vital to the nation’s security.  That is why NCPC continues to serve as an affiliate member of Citizen Corps and participates in its conference calls to cross-promote crime prevention and homeland security.

 

NCPC is extremely excited to recognize its own Celebrate Safe Communities initiative in which local communities step up to help fill the crime prevention gaps that have unfortunately occurred from recent law enforcement budget cuts.  With the year-round CSC events, we look forward to partnering with the Department of Homeland Security, specifically during Crime Prevention Month in October, to bring awareness to the importance of civilians partaking in the success of our country’s national security measures.  Crime prevention will always remain “everyone’s business.”

 

When Charities Aren’t so Charitable

The tornados of 2011, Japan, Hurricane Katrina, 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and Haiti: these are examples of moments when our world is halted by devastation. We can’t imagine how this happened, why it happened, and how it feels to be a victim of the disaster. Our hearts go out, and we want to help in any way that we can. Sure, we could take the time to go and physically help with the rescue and rebuild, but that requires taking time off work, finances for travel, and sometimes specialized training. One way that we can help from home is through making a donation. Often people give food, clothing, water, and money. Thankfully, many charities and organizations exist for the sole purpose of assisting those affected by natural disasters. But what happens when the charity doesn’t do what it says it will?

First, some tips on how to avoid fraudulent charities:

• Don’t open unsolicited emails. If you do happen to open an email, don’t click on any links or pictures.
• Go directly to the organization’s website, instead of doing transactions via email.
• Never give out personal or financial information over the telephone. Always request physical information or emails with instructions on how to donate to the organization.
• If you are questioning the legitimacy of an organization, do a little research to make sure that they are who they say they are. GuideStar.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging nonprofit transparency, meaning making nonprofits’ organizational budgets and staffing open to the public. “Non-profit and charitable organizations associated with disaster relief efforts should be encouraged to be transparent. The availability of information and public disclosure about charities’ operations can help stimulate oversight by donors, the media, academia, and private organizations” (Bryant, 2006).
• Though it may seem heartless, don’t always trust people that claim to be individual victims of the disaster. By donating through a trusted organization, you may not be helping that specific solicitor, but you will know that your money is going where you intended it. U.S. News & World Report wrote an article called “How to Donate Wisely,” where they mention that “online or in person, the high-pressure pitch is the scammer’s hallmark” (2010).

We know hearts are in the right place when trying to donate money to victims of disasters, but that doesn’t always mean those accepting the money have the same heart. If you feel like you have been a victim of a charity scam, report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud. If you would like to report suspicious email or internet activity, go to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). IC3’s suggestion for finding out more information about charity schemes is to go to www.lookstogoodtobetrue.com. Lastly, visit NCPC for more information and resources on how to avoid charity and other types of fraud and identity theft. 

Celebrating Safely

Studies have shown that adolescent and young adult drinking patterns vary throughout the year, but that behavior peaks during holidays, such as St. Patrick’s Day (Martell et al., 2006). We know that drinking at a moderate to heavy rate can lead to serious consequences such as date rape, violence, robbery, trouble with the law, and even death. One aspect of drinking that isn’t as commonly considered a risky decision is the type of alcohol being consumed. In this instance, we’re talking about caffeine and alcohol, which primarily happens in two ways:

1) mixing the two separate ingredients together to make a beverage, or

2) beverages where the two substances are pre-mixed, called caffeinated alcoholic beverages. While this sounds harmless, it is quite the opposite.

An article from the journal Contemporary Drug Problems suggests that consumption of caffeine with alcohol may reduce the felt effects of the alcohol, resulting in the consumer drinking more than intended (Kuhns, Clodfelter, Bersot, 2010). Risks associated with overconsumption of alcohol include losing consciousness, alcohol poisoning (as demonstrated here), behavioral changes, and increased vulnerability for becoming a victim of crime. Kuhns et al.  (2010) suggest that there is a link between caffeine consumption in general, but also when mixed with alcohol leading to aggressive behavior and victimization.   “About 1 million violent crimes occurred in 2002 in which the victims perceived the offender to have been drinking at the time of the offense” (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010). Caffeine and alcohol may promote aggressive or violent behavior, but also may lead to situations where the consumer is the victim. Examples of this could be robbery and sexual assault. Three additional articles (Reisig et al., 2008; Miller, 2008a, 2008b) suggest that those likely to combine the substances are more likely to take advantage of someone sexually or engaging in and instigating physical altercations (as cited in Kuhns et al., 2010). While these situations are not 100 percent preventable, not over consuming alcohol can reduce your risks of falling victim to these crimes.

If you are of a legal drinking age and choose to celebrate a special occasion or holiday by drinking alcohol, BE CAREFUL. Taking certain precautions will help reduce your risks of alcohol-related problems:

• Plan ahead: Have a designated driver or plan to take a taxi home.
• Keep track of how much you consume. Maintaining a low level of alcohol can prevent you from making risky decisions and actions.
• Stay with the group you came with, and don’t leave with people you don’t know.  This can help prevent the likelihood of assault or abduction. Offer a ride or call a cab for a friend trying to drive drunk.  Not only will you ensure they won’t get in an accident but also they won’t be breaking the law.
• Intervene or report the incident if you witness an uncomfortable interaction between people that have been drinking. Your intervention could lead to the prevention of physical or sexual assault.

While you may not choose to drink, you can make sure that those who do, do it safely.  To learn more about caffeinated alcoholic beverages and their dangerous side effects, check out the Center for Disease Control fact sheet.

Lock Up Your Things-Everywhere

Recently at my gym there have been a number of things stolen—wallets, IPods, purses, laptops, etc. It got me thinking that a lot of us tend to always give people the benefit of the doubt and normally don’t think of the worst case scenarios. Honestly, wouldn’t you rather assume that your things will remain safely in your locker throughout your workout than to worry about them being stolen? The reality is, at least for now, that locking your things up is the safest bet.

When thinking of crime prevention (or specifically how to keep your things safely yours) always remember the three elements that must be present in order for a crime to happen: desire, ability, and opportunity. If just one of those three elements is removed, the crime simply cannot occur. In regards to the gym situation, the easiest element to remove from the equation is opportunity. If you lock up your things in your locker instead of just throwing them in there and shutting the door, hoping they will still be there when you get back, you completely remove the opportunity for the crime to happen. Removing the opportunity for a crime is one of the easiest things you can do. Why just leave it to chance? Remove the opportunity—lock them up.

Now this does not just apply to the gym. It applies to anywhere you may leave your things unattended (car, amusement park, office, etc). It may seem like common sense, but sometimes even the most cautious of us forget. Walking through my gym locker room, I noticed only a handful of lockers actually had locks on them.  While some were empty, a number of brave souls left their purses, laptop bags, and other personal belongings in an unlocked locker. Sometimes in order for us to remember to practice daily crime prevention, a crime has to happen to remind us that crime prevention is everybody’s business. Lock up your things—wherever you are.
For more information on how to keep your things safe visit http://www.ncpc.org/topics/violent-crime-and-personal-safety

Dating: A New Crime Prevention Strategy?

A new report has found that teens in serious dating relationships are less likely to commit crime than peers who date casually. But before we ask our crime prevention officers to become matchmakers, let’s examine why those relationships may reduce crime. The authors of the study believe the key reason is the connection and sense of responsibility to another person that develops in a committed dating relationship. In these romantic relationships, young people can develop empathy and concern for their significant other’s well-being. They have a sense of generosity and a desire to help and support that other person. Young people are also prompted to think about the effects of their actions on others.

It is these attributes, then, not merely the presence of a girlfriend or boyfriend, that serve as a deterrent for committing crime. The good news for crime prevention practitioners is that these qualities are not just nurtured by committed dating relationships. They can be developed when youth have committed relationships with family members, mentors, teachers, coaches, faith leaders, and other caring adults in their lives. In your work with young people, continue to provide opportunities for youth to connect with others in positive ways through sports, clubs, job training programs, volunteering, or tutoring or mentorship programs. Make a list of what opportunities for youth exist in your community, and keep it handy. You never know when you may be able to match a young person with a great opportunity.

Your Teens, Whose Responsibility?

Mathmatica Policy Research Inc. was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to initiate a long-term study of the effects of abstinence-only education programs.  The first findings were published this year with striking results (PDF).  The study found that teens in abstinence programs were just as likely to engage in the same risky behaviors at the same rates as teens not enrolled in them.  For example, only 49 percent of teens in these programs remained abstinent.  Forty-nine percent of teens not enrolled in these programs remained abstinent.  Of those who didn’t, 16 percent had one partner, 11 percent had two partners, and 8 percent had three partners.  These numbers exactly match the numbers for teens not in abstinence programs.

This study shines some light on a problem that our nation regards as being very serious. If confronting risky behaviors by calling for abstinence produces such poor results, how do we know what is actually best for our youth?

Answering this question can be tricky because you first must define what ‘best’ means.  For now, let’s assume that ‘best’ means that should our teens engage in risky behaviors, they are educated enough to ensure their safety.  Then we have to identify what behaviors they are taking that would be putting them in danger, and compare these results with things that we might actually be able to influence. 

For example, we now know that there is no difference between the actions taken by teens in abstinence programs vs. teens not in these programs in almost every area from abstinence to protection.  Whether this is because the programs are bad, or it is the fault of the students, we don’t really know.  So abstinence may still be a worthy cause to promote because it appeals to the ideals and morals that some teens hold, but obviously not to others.  What may be best for our teens is for adults to realize that some teens are going to engage in adult activities. Adults should attempt to instill morals and values in teens, but leave teens with a fall back position so that they can have the knowledge they need to at least protect themselves. 

Another perspective from which to approach the problem is to identify the things that adults are trying to prevent that seem to be violations of traditional morality.  Traditional morality suggests this is indecent, lewd, or dangerous behavior.  However, contemporary reality suggests that teens will indulge in this behavior even when we attempt to instill traditional values.  Perhaps the better idea would be to accept the contemporary reality no matter how much we do not like to hear about it, and minimize the dangers of risky behaviors by teaching teens how to protect themselves. 

We know for sure that these programs have not produced the results that we would like to see.  This is why it’s important for parents to take responsibility and talk with their teens about what the parents see as important, rather than just what teens hear from society or institutions. Parents don’t really know what society or schools are telling their teens about various behaviors.  I would also recommend that no matter what you think is important, realize that your child’s safety is paramount.  This goes for all behaviors ranging from sex to drugs, crime or alcohol.  So in your conversations be honest.  Treat your teens like people.  Show them you care.  Talk about their options, especially those that you feel are important.  Try not to get mad when teens are honest as they are not likely to be honest again if you do.  Give teens the knowledge they need to protect themselves.  Caring involvement in their lives is often all it takes for teens to make the best choices, or at least be safe when they don’t.

America Behind Bars - Part 4

As part of our America Behind Bars series, we have been discussing the increasing number of Americans flowing in and out of our prisons; many find themselves back behind bars within three years of being released. What is there to say about these repeat offenders? It is that prison time alone isn’t enough to keep convicts out of trouble. However, faith-based initiatives and institutions across the country seem to be making a difference. They combine church and state, which inevitably makes them controversial, but let’s look at the results.

In 1997, Prison Fellowships introduced its own faith-based initiative, the InnerChange Freedom Initiative for prison inmates, with support from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (under then-Gov. George W. Bush), as part of a new rehabilitation program chartered by the state legislature. So how is this program different from other rehabilitation programs?

The most effective rehab programs include academic and vocational training, cognitive skills programs, and drug abuse treatment, according to a 2003 University of Pennsylvania study. The difference between InnerChange and other programs is that InnerChange inmates participate in Bible study groups and support groups to help improve their relationship and communication skills. They also get regular mentoring and a Bible education.

The study evaluated a group of 177 inmates participating in the Texas InnerChange program. We can see a difference between the two approaches in the numbers. The study compared the InnerChange inmates with those who met the criteria but didn’t enter the program. A total of 17.3 percent of InnerChange inmates were arrested within two years of release, compared with 35 percent from a group from the general inmate population. Eight percent of InnerChange inmates and 20.3 percent from the matching group were incarcerated within the same time frame. Of course, the program is entirely voluntary and around 25 percent of those in the study either quit or were pulled out by prison staff. Still, the recidivism rate for those in the program is low when compared to similar programs.

However, the organization, which has expanded its programs into Arkansas, Minnesota, Kansas, and Iowa, has taken a hit since its loss in a lawsuit brought to court by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) against its Iowa facility. AU had claimed that the programs violate the establishment clause in state and federal constitutions. The Associated Press recently reported that Iowa Gov.Chet Culver cancelled further state funding past June 30 to comply with the court’s decision. There has been no word yet on whether Prison Fellowships will continue operating that facility. Private donations will certainly play a large role in that decision.

The question here is not just whether faith-based initiatives should have access to taxpayer money, but also how to reconcile this controversial state funding with what we want as a society: to turn our languishing, tax-guzzling inmates into productive (and taxpaying) citizens. The debate is between our church and state clause in the Constitution and another one of our founding principles: the Puritan work ethic. However we choose to rehabilitate inmates, America would gain more from investing in human capital than from shuffling its citizens in and out of prisons.   

Faith-based Prison Programs Face Legal Battles

Many of the millions of people in the United States who consider themselves to be members of a community of faith seek to live out their faith by making their neighborhoods better and safer places to live. They work to prevent crime from happening by participating in a wide variety of efforts, including focusing on the situations of offenders and prisoners by offering prison ministries and reentry programs that seek to break the cycle of crime and incarceration.  The people who are involved in these programs come from different faith traditions, but they have something in common: they want to prevent the suffering caused by crime and to provide healing where crime has occurred.

Some of these programs have recently been causing controversy due to the sources of their funding. Federally funded religion-based rehabilitation programs in prisons are facing several legal challenges.  While the primary stated aim of most faith-based prison programs is to reduce recidivism after release, critics charge that they blur the legal line separating church and state. The federal Bureau of Prisons has cancelled its solicitation for private service providers willing to operate pilot pre-release programs that would offer counseling according to a single faith. A recent article in the New York Times highlights this issue, and The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy offers some interesting background on the legal battles these programs are facing.   

Crime finds less opportunity wherever religious communities weave networks with criminal justice organizations and they work together to make good things happen. The faith community provides an enormous resource of highly motivated volunteers and professionals who work to prevent crime by offering mentoring and education programs. Organizations looking to apply for federal funding should read the White House Guidance to Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering with the Federal Government before applying, to make sure a federal funding partner is the best resource for the kind of work they want to do. Although faith-based organizations are eligible to receive federal funding for their programs, these latest legal issues highlight the fact that these partnerships must operate carefully and responsibly.