Overview of the Violence Prevention Initiative
Recognizing an Unsustainable Path…and a Call to Action
Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Harambee and Riverwest Neighborhoods are an epicenter for the revolving door of the criminal justice system. As a result, these neighborhoods draw a disproportionate amount of State and local law enforcement resources, yet we continue to see violence affecting generations of residents. Alarming figures:
- From 2000 – 2007 the Milwaukee area has seen a 42% increase in violence
- 54% of prison admissions come from Milwaukee
- While the Harambee/Riverwest Neighborhoods is only 16% of the City’s population, these neighborhoods account for 31% of Milwaukee’s prison admissions
- A vast majority of those admissions are not for significant offenses, but instead a buildup of minor offenses over time
- Most prison stays for this population are 1 – 3 years
- To maintain current levels of incarceration rates, the state will require an ADDITIONAL $1 – $2 billion dollars over the next few years
Moreover, these neighborhoods are beset by record waves of unemployment. These factors lead to the disruption of family systems which then deteriorates into dysfunctional or unhealthy youth choices and family functioning. If we want to break the cycles of criminal activity and improve the health of our community, we need to tackle the problem in a holistic manner by looking at and addressing a wide spectrum of root causes at key intervention points at the individual, family, and systems levels. With the Holton Youth + Family Center leveraging partner assets at various intervention points, we can make real, sustainable change.
A Unique Opportunity
The Holton Youth + Family Center Collaborative is comprised of the following entities:
- Above the Clouds
- District Attorney’s Community Prosecution Unit District #5
- Malaika Early Learning Center
- Milwaukee Police Department District #5
- Medical College of Wisconsin’s Violence Prevention Initative
- Running Rebels
- Safe & Sound
- Wisconsin Community Services
The collaborative came together in the summer of 2010 and was subsequently awarded one of two 5-year funding awards from the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Violence Prevention Initiative. Since award in the fall of 2010, the leadership of the Collaborative’s entities has been developing an operational design that will operate out of the Holton Youth + Family Center (HYFC). Located in the Harambee and Riverwest Neighborhoods, the HYFC will serve youth and families with the chief aim of preventing violence.
