WEED & SEED - NCJRS · 2012. 1. 23. · Executive Office for Weed and Seed IN WEED & SEED sites The Weed and Seed Dive Program in St. Thomas page 13 01-Covers 1&4 4/13/01 9:11 AM

January/February 2001Volume IX, Number 1

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and SeedW

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The Weed and Seed DiveProgram in St. Thomas

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From the DirectorOver the past few months, I havereceived many inquiries about how thenew administration would affect thefuture of Weed and Seed. Our initia-tive has always been revered as one ofthe most successful bipartisan Federalinitiatives—created by PresidentGeorge Bush in 1990 and taken toremarkable heights over the past 10years. We have made significantprogress and experienced unlimitedsupport. This August, we will cele-brate a decade of Weed and Seed atour 2001 National Conference,appropriately titled Leave NoNeighborhood Behind.

Whether the new “hot topic” in crimi-nal justice is hate crimes, gun violence,substance abuse, truancy, elder justice,or victimization in the community,EOWS is called on more often thanever to educate Federal partners on

not onlythe prob-lems butthe solu-tions thatare experi-enced inAmerica’scommuni-ties. Whilethese issues

can be characterized by media asnational epidemics overnight by a single incident, the social ailments in-volved have been a part of daily lifefor many Weed and Seed communitiesfor a very long time.

Today, there are three times the num-ber of people living in State and Fed-eral prisons than in 1980. More than500,000 ex-offenders will reintegrateinto America’s communities in thenext year, posing a major challenge tocommunities that already have limitedresources. This issue of In-Sites maga-zine provides readers with an intro-duction to Weed and Seed reentryinitiatives, sharing stories from sitesthat are practicing innovative approach-es to address the needs of releasees.

EOWS celebrates the new look andutility of In-Sites through this intro-duction of the magazine. I want tothank our Training Division and theIn-Sites team for their hard work tomake In-Sites a publication you canbe proud of. Our In-Sites editor willwork with those of you who want tosubmit site stories to either the maga-zine or the EOWS Web site. We lookforward to your feedback.

Stephen Rickman Director, EOWS

Weed & Seed In-Sitesis a publication of the

U.S. Department of JusticeOffice of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and Seed

810 Seventh Street NW.Washington, DC 20531Phone: 202–616–1152

Fax: 202–616–1159www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows

Stephen Rickman, Director

Robert M. Samuels, Assistant Director

Nancy Ware, Director of Technical Assistance and Training

Cheryl Driscoll, Supervisory Grants Manager

Paul Casagrande, SpecialProjects Coordinator

Louise Lucas, DEFY Coordinator

Edison Aponte, Faith Baker, Eric Chin, Michael Connor,

Jonathan Faley, Sharron Fletcher,Robert Hendricks, Erin Holbert,

Dionne Johnson, KatherineMera, Andrew Press, Romia Ray,

Shannon Taitt, Geroma Void,Program Managers

Claude Thomas, Chief of Staff

Linda Hawkes, Administrative Officer/

Grant Specialist

Prince Cummings,Program Analyst

Penne Soltysik, Public Relations Specialist and

In-Sites Editor

Lisa Huff-Galloway, Secretary

Tracy DaCosta, Secretary, Trainingand Technical Assistance Division

Please send all submissions, comments, oraddress corrections to the above address.

In-Sites magazine is here! In 1999, the In-Sites newsletter team began a gradual redesign of a newsletterthat had seen little change since itslaunch in 1993. The publication wasexpanded by 8 pages, a 4-color coverwas designed, and new feature sec-tions were added. That year, In-Siteswas awarded an Honorable Mentionby the National Association ofGovernment Communicators inthe category Most Improved FederalPublication.

In 2000, EOWS Director StephenRickman directed that the newsletteradd more “usable resources.” He pro-jected a publication that would edu-cate readers on the intricate conceptsof Weed and Seed and give readers

cause to think about the vision ofWeed and Seed as a movement. By implementing gradual editorialchanges in each issue, the challengewas met. Every issue has receivedgreat reviews, more site representa-tives are becoming comfortable providing EOWS with stories and com-mentary, and each week, EOWSreceives an increasing number ofrequests for new subscriptions.

EOWS welcomes your comments and your contributions. Please visit In-Sites on the EOWS Web site atwww.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/publications.htm.

Penne SoltysikEditor, In-Sites magazine

[email protected]

On Cover: Advanced open water diverKatisha Ritter and rescue diver EvonetteNathaniel are graduates of the Weedand Seed Dive Program in St. Thomas,U.S. Virgin Islands.

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In T

his

Issu

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4 A Dream Realized

5 Reclaiming the Streets in Gainesville, Florida

7 Funding Assistance for Victims of Crime

9 Trinity Gardens Neighborhood Receives Official Recognition

13 Diving to New Depths

Reentry Initiatives6 A Challenge for Law Enforcement:

Tracking Ex-Offenders

8 Community Supports Seattle Reentry Project

12 Building Job Linkages for Ex-Offenders

14 New Program Helps Young Probationers and Their Families

DEFY10 Atlanta’s DEFY Youth Go

Door to Door

11 Camp DEFY Participants Express Thanks

Winners16 A “Nobel” Idea From Death Row

Changes Lives Around the World

17 Syracuse Youth Recognized by the Kennedy Center Alliance

Conflict ResolutionSeries: Part I18 “Working It Out” Through

Conflict Resolution

Departments20 Web Sight

21 Conference Corner

22 EOWS News

23 Resources

Inspiring aCommunityf i n d o u t m o r e —p a g e 4

January/February 2001 3

Succee ding Through Teamworkf i n d o u t m o r e —p a g e 1 4

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A Dream RealizedDaphne Sloan

W hen Sheila Jennings, a singlemother, moved to the CollegeHill Courts public housing

development a decade ago, the West-side community of Chattanooga,Tennessee, was in a serious state ofdecline. Like many inner cities in theearly 1990s, the Westside communitywas ridden with crime, drugs, and vio-lence. The closed elementary schoolthat sat empty in the heart of thecommunity for years was scheduledfor demolition.

In 1993, Jennings enrolled in a pro-gram administered by the Universityof Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC)School of Nursing called A D.A.R.E.to Parents. The program teaches par-ents about alcohol and other drugabuse and provides strategies for fos-tering community bonds that will dis-courage alcohol and other drug abuseby children. (D.A.R.E. stands forDrug Abuse Resistance Education.)Jennings believes her participation inA D.A.R.E. to Parents prompted her

with the problems in their neighbor-hood and the visions they had for itsrecovery. They realized that theyneeded to form partnerships to get

Also in 1996, the Westside Commu-nity Development Corporation(WCDC), a nonprofit corporation,raised $2.4 million from dozens ofpublic and private organizations andfrom College Hill Courts residents(who contributed $5,000) for the ren-ovation of the old James A. HenryElementary School. Jennings was theprimary driving force in the fundrais-ing initiative, which led to the trans-formation of the old school buildinginto the James A. Henry ResourceCenter, where residents can access ahost of social services.

While serving as chairperson of theWCDC Board of Directors, Jenningsand a few other College Hill Courtsresidents began preparing meals forthe monthly board meetings—firstfrom their homes, then from the commercial kitchen in the James A.Henry Resource Center. A WCDCboard member liked the food so muchshe suggested that Jennings seriouslyconsider going into the catering busi-ness. Jennings shared the idea withGwen Charles and Gwen Scott, admin-istrators of the A D.A.R.E. to Parents

In 1993, a Chattanooga Weed and Seed resident enrolled

herself in a community intervention course offered in her

inner-city neighborhood. The course inspired her to get

involved in her community. Today, the story of her success

and the catering business she runs inspires others in her

community to take chances, face challenges, and fulfill their

dreams.

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Sheila Jennings stands in front of Home Girls Catering, the business she cofoundedand now owns. Jennings’ success is an inspiration to her Chattanooga neighbors.

to get involved in other communityactivities, helped her meet othersingle parents with children, and, ulti-mately, sparked her interest in com-munity revitalization. Jennings andher neighbors turned to communitygroups and local nonprofit and civicorganizations, including the JuniorLeague of Chattanooga, to assist them

the financial backing and technicalexpertise necessary to transform theWestside neighborhood. In 1996, theWestside community applied for andreceived Official Recognition as aWeed and Seed site. The site strategyfocused on increasing local entrepre-neurship and job training.

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January/February 2001

Reclaiming the Streets inGainesville, FloridaLt. Ed Book

by a neighborhood crime watch groupto combat street-level drug dealers.The crime watch group began workby seeding innovative, effective, andwidespread practices in the target area,including removing literally tons ofrefuse from the area through neighbor-hood cleanups; coordinating a “PaintYour Heart Out” event to spruce upneighborhood homes; enhancing codeenforcement efforts for nuisance viola-tions such as unkempt lawns, aban-doned cars, and dilapidated housing;installing traffic “calming” devicessuch as speed humps that slow downcars and make neighbors feel moreneighborly; and increasing lightingalong alleys in the area. Coordinatorsalerted and involved the media, wel-coming them into the target area tomeet with police officers, residents,and city officials.

While seeding efforts have focusedon the Highland Court Manor neigh-borhood, the benefits of the Weed andSeed strategy have filtered into sur-rounding areas, particularly the schools.A local resident started a tutoring pro-gram with the help of the Weed andSeed board, and Stephen Foster Ele-mentary School created an extended-day summer enrichment program(EDEP) that was funded and staffedwith Weed and Seed funds. EDEPcurriculum programs have been de-signed to stimulate young minds andfeature activities such as sailboat designclasses, nutrition workshops, andart projects. Educational field tripsinclude visits to the Florida Museumof Natural History, the Santa FeCommunity College Teaching Zoo,and the Fred Bear Archery Museum.

Gainesville has enjoyed smaller seed-ing projects on an equally success-ful scale. These projects include acommunity and school garden wherefamilies and students learn to cultivate

they sold drugs,” said Eleanor Loseke,who has lived in the neighborhood formore than 30 years.

In 1997, Gainesville was funded as anOfficially Recognized Weed and Seedsite after the Gainesville Police De-partment partnered with the AlachuaCounty School Board to form a Weedand Seed coalition. This team immedi-ately began weeding efforts in the tar-get area, a small neighborhood in thenortheastern portion of the city. InDecember 1998, an extensive street-level drug market operating in theheart of the Gainesville Weed and SeedHighland Court Manor neighborhoodwas eradicated by local law enforce-ment agents. The U.S. Attorney’sOffice, working with the local Weedand Seed residents, secured 13 Federalguilty pleas to conspiracy to distributecocaine. A focus on street-level crackdealing led agents to bigger dealersand more connections. Eventually, theoperation seized 2 1⁄ 2 kilos of crackcocaine, which would have been bro-ken down into 225,000 crack rocks tobe distributed in Gainesville.

The weeding strategies in HighlandCourt Manor were matched withequal enthusiasm on a different front

I n north central Florida, 85 milessouth of Georgia, the city ofGainesville has maintained a

strong commitment to a local Weedand Seed strategy that has helped con-vert a few crime-ridden neighborhoodsinto areas where people can live with-out fear for their safety.

Gainesville is home to approximately208,000 residents (44,000 of whomare students of the University ofFlorida). The population of the Weedand Seed target area is 9,400, accord-ing to the 1990 census. In 1996,before Weed and Seed was on thescene, more than 50 percent of blackmales between ages 16 and 26 wereunemployed, more than 3,000 moth-ers received Aid to Families WithDependent Children (AFDC), morethan 10,000 children lived in poverty(36 percent of families lived below thepoverty level), and the high schooldropout rate was 10 percent. Likemost cities its size, Gainesville’s great-est citywide crime problems were drugdealing and use, burglary, assault andbattery, loitering, and theft.

“There was a time . . . when drugdealers were actually stopping cars inboth lanes, making people wait while


Three dumpsters were needed to collect the trash at the 1999 Highland Court ManorCrime Watch Cleanup.

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A Challenge for Law Enforcement:Tracking Ex-OffendersCapt. Bob DeMoura

characteristics and the neighborhoodto which the inmate is returning.Community police officers examinethe ex-offender’s case history to deter-mine the number of arraignments,times on probation, adult incarcera-tions, and parole releases; number ofdisciplinary reports filed while incar-cerated; age at first arraignment; ageat latest release; marital status; familysupport and contact (before, during,and after incarceration); and educationlevel. The ex-offender risk assessment isalso based on whether the inmate washeld in a minimum security, maximumsecurity, or prerelease facility.

Finally, at the correctional facility(prior to the inmate’s release), a policeofficer meets with the soon-to-be ex-offender and a support person fromSpectrum, an organization that offerssupport services for inmates beingreleased from prison. The meeting isan opportunity to discuss the offend-er’s release date and reintegration intothe community. The meeting alsogives the police officer an opportunityto meet the inmate and see what he orshe looks like. Usually the officer whoattends this meeting is the officerwho works in the ex-offender’s neigh-borhood; this allows the officer tobecome familiar with the individualand learn his or her habits, friends,overall attitude, education level, andso on. The most important goal ofthe prerelease meeting is to establisha positive relationship between thecommunity policing officer and theinmate before his or her release.

Lowell Weed and Seed hopes that thisinteraction with inmates prior to theirrelease will reduce local recidivismrates by successfully reintegrating ex-offenders into the community whilemaintaining the quality of life andsafety of the community. The LowellPrisoner Reentry Initiative gives com-munity police officers the best oppor-tunity to serve the community.

While many law enforcement agencies have separate divi-

sions for community policing, the Lowell Police Department

in Massachusetts dissolved its community policing unit years

ago. Today, all officers, regardless of assignment or rank, are

expected to embrace the philosophies of community polic-

ing. It is no surprise that Lowell officers took a highly active

role in coordinating the Lowell Prisoner Reentry Initiative,

through which officers help ensure positive reintegration of

ex-offenders while protecting the community they serve.

L aw enforcement officers ensurethe safety of the citizens andbusiness owners living and

operating within a designated area.Weed and Seed community policeofficers go one step further by build-ing positive relationships between theresidents and business owners of thearea they serve. They also work withsupport services within the community,including local schools, churches, andsocial service organizations operated bycommunity groups and the city. Suchefforts have certainly made Lowell abetter place to live for everyone.

In years past, many people in theWeed and Seed target area lacked afeeling of community ownership; theywere afraid of their own streets. Thecommunity was ruled by individualswho were bringing the drug businessinto the neighborhood and bringingdown the quality of life. Throughlocal weeding efforts, these individualswere either incarcerated or forced tomove elsewhere, and Lowell Weedand Seed community residents madethe streets safer for themselves andtheir children. By taking ownership,residents set goals for a better future.

Many of the men and women arrest-ed in Lowell during early weedingefforts are nearing the end of theirincarceration—and are about to returnto a community much different fromthe one they once knew. Local lawenforcement must ensure that, onrelease, ex-offenders quickly learn thattheir “old ways” are not going to betolerated and that the streets as theyonce knew them are very differenttoday.

The Lowell Police Department teamedup with the Massachusetts Departmentof Corrections and Spectrum, a non-profit support group, to create theLowell Prisoner Reentry Initiative.The Initiative is designed to alleviatethe frustration brought on by the “lifein a turnstile” in which some offend-ers find themselves trapped—a circleof arrest, court appearance, jail orprison time, release, and arrest ona new charge or a technical parole violation.

When an inmate at an area prison isnearing his or her release date, prisonpersonnel contact representatives fromthe Lowell Prisoner Reentry Initiative.Officers study each ex-offender’s

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F unding and technical assistanceare available to communitiesthat want to improve or expand

their victim assistance efforts. TheVictims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA)established the Crime Victims Fund,which serves as a major funding sourcefor victim services throughout thecountry. Administered by the U.S.Department of Justice’s Office forVictims of Crime (OVC), the fund issupported not by tax dollars but byfines, penalty assessments, and bondforfeitures collected from convictedFederal offenders.


Funding Assistance for Victimsof CrimeRomia Ray

About 90 percent of VOCA fundinggoes directly to the States to supportvictim compensation and local victimassistance programs. Most States makeawards on a competitive basis, and anylocal agency that serves crime victimsis eligible to compete. Through VOCAfunding, community organizationshave been able to support law enforce-ment by providing victims with on-the-scene crisis intervention, informationand referral services, followup con-tacts, assistance with obtaining shelterand emergency finances, and help fil-ing victim compensation claims.

VOCA funding isn’t solely for crimi-nal justice agencies. It supports anygovernment or private nonprofitorganization that serves victims—survivors and families—of crimes thatinclude drunk driving, homicide,assault, child and spouse abuse, rob-bery, elder abuse, fraud, school vio-lence, and gang activity. VOCA fundsalso can be used to pay for technologythat fosters improved service deliveryto victims, such as computers for casemanagement systems.

OVC also operates a Training andTechnical Assistance Center (TTAC),which serves as a centralized access

Office for Victims of Crime

Advocating for the Fair Treatment of Crime Victims

“Crime victims from across the

Nation benefit from these programs

in real terms—through direct

financial and personal assistance

when they most need it. Over the

past 15 years, the Crime Victims

Fund has made a tremendous

impact on the services that States

are able to provide.”

—Kathryn Turman, Director, OVC

Coming in April . . . the Weed and Seed 2001 National Poster Contest! Visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/philly.htm for all EOWS National Conference news. Poster contest details will be posted soon!

1999 Weed andSeed NationalPoster ContestWinner

Byron Bumpers 15 years old

From: M.T.Blount HighSchoolPrichard, AL

1999 Weed andSeed NationalPoster ContestWinner

Sandy Valdivia 10 years old

From:Benavidez ElementarySchoolHouston, TX


point for OVC’s training and techni-cal assistance resources. ThroughTTAC, OVC provides expert, focusedsupport and mentoring in programmanagement, program evaluation, andpolicy/procedure development to im-prove services to crime victims. TTACalso ensures that training materialsdeveloped through OVC discretionarygrants are available to the victim serv-ices field and that expert trainers areavailable to present them. Finally,TTAC enables OVC to supply speak-ers who have expertise in a wide rangeof criminal justice- and victim-relatedtopics for conferences, focus groups,and other meetings.

Municipal officials interested in ex-panding their victim assistance serv-ices can visit the OVC Web site atwww.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc for contactinformation for their State VOCAoffices and application procedures.Anyone can call OVC at 202–307–5983for information about State victim compensation and victim assistanceagencies.

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Community Supports Seattle ReentryProject Kay Godefroy

T he Weed and Seed site inSeattle, Washington, receivedOfficial Recognition in 1994.

During the program’s early years, locallaw enforcement cracked down ondrug crimes and made numerousarrests. Today, many of these offendersare being paroled or released backinto the neighborhood—a neighbor-hood that now enjoys a higher qualityof life and is not tolerant of the drugactivities that once plagued its streets.

Under the new Weed and SeedOffender Reentry Pilot Project, sup-port and treatment services are provid-ed to people recently released from

TASC (Treatment Alternatives toStreet Crimes), a community organi-zation that receives private, Federal,State, and local funding to provideservices to drug-dependent adultfelony offenders. The TASC missionis to facilitate community-based treat-ment; decrease drug abuse, criminalactivity, and incarceration; and linkthe criminal justice and drug treat-ment systems.

Case managers from TASC of KingCounty, Washington, then manage theex-offender’s final assessment, aphase in which each participant isassigned a treatment plan with service

Seattle’s Offender Reentry Pilot Project provides support

and treatment services to ex-offenders who are returning to

the community, ensuring the health of the entire community.

incarceration who are returning to thecentral Weed and Seed community.The project’s goal is to welcome ex-offenders back to the communitywhile keeping them informed of cur-rent “community standards.” Theproject began in January 2001 witha carefully planned 4-phase approach,targeting a group of 20 inmates near-ing their release dates.

During the first phase, the prereleasephase, program staff join Departmentof Corrections staff to work with of-fenders who have expressed interestin committing to a reentry program.This prerelease work, which begins3 to 6 months before the inmate’srelease, assesses the ex-offender’sneeds for housing, health and treat-ment services, and employment train-ing and placement.

In the release/assessment phase, thenow ex-offender is introduced to

providers who are partners in the pro-gram. The treatment plan promotesrehabilitation—providing family serv-ices, job skills development, drug andalcohol abuse treatment, anger man-agement counseling, and more. Allparticipants must sign a contractagreeing to the stipulations of theproject and understand their respon-sibilities as they go through reentry.(The stipulations require that the par-ticipant agree to work with a casemanager, undergo drug treatment ifneeded, and locate employment andhousing.)

The Offender Reentry Advisory Com-mittee is committed to working withcase managers to find resources thatmeet ex-offender needs. Participantswill stay in the program approximately1 year. Those who adhere to theircontracts will be rewarded and pro-moted to the final stage—graduation!

Central Seattle Weed and Seed com-munity partners who provide programsupport include the U.S. Attorney’sOffice for the Western District ofWashington, the Washington InsuranceCouncil, the Seattle MetropolitanUrban League, the Seattle Neighbor-hood Group, the Seattle VocationalInstitute, Pioneer Human Services,the Central Area Motivation Program,New Hope Baptist Church, the SeattleHuman Services Department, theSeattle Police Department, KingCounty Councilmember LarryGossett, and Mid-Town Commons.These partners work together toensure that ex-offenders returning tothe community are given the supportthey need.

This pilot project gives Seattle Weedand Seed the opportunity to help thesegment of the community that hasspent the past several years behind bars.By reintegrating them, the health ofthe entire community is ensured. TheWeed and Seed Offender Reentry PilotProject is on the right track—and inSeattle, the community has the com-mitment, partnership, and determina-tion to help ex-offenders feel they,too, are on the right track.

Challenges to Reentry■ Balancing the ex-offender’s

need for a range of servicesagainst the community’s needfor accountability.

■ Assisting the ex-offender by identifying his or her needs, making appropriate referrals,and providing advocacy and support on his or her behalf.

■ Addressing the community’s concerns by monitoring the ex-offender’s progress and helpingto prevent him or her from“falling through the cracks”of community support services.

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Trinity Gardens Neighborhood ReceivesOfficial Recognition

T he morning rain did not keepthe more than 200 children,parents, residents, service pro-

viders, and local elected representa-tives from a recent ceremony at theJoseph Dotch Community Center inMobile, Alabama. The event markedtwo important Weed and Seed mile-stones: the Trinity Gardens Neighbor-hood received its newly issued certificatefor Official Recognition and residentsfrom the Martin Luther King, Jr., andMaysville neighborhoods receivedawards for their accomplishmentswithin the Weed and Seed strategy.EOWS Director Stephen Rickmanwas joined by city of Mobile MayorMichael Dow; Armand DeKyser, rep-resenting Senator Jeff Sessions; U.S.Attorney for the Southern District ofAlabama J. Don Foster; City CouncilPresident Clinton Johnson; and ChiefSamuel Cochran from the MobilePolice Department. Eric Day, LECCCoordinator, moderated the ceremony.

Students from the Brazier ElementarySchool offered a musical prelude, theROTC Honor Guard from BlountHigh School presented the flags, andQuintan Beasley led the assemblagein the Pledge of Allegiance. MayorDow presented a proclamation for theday, commending the dedication of

Trinity Gardens Civic Club and Bay Area Women and Explorers Post 402 advisersattend the Official Recognition ceremony for the Trinity Gardens Neighborhood.

neighborhood residents and local inno-vations, such as the teaming of socialworkers with police officers in everyprecinct, that have brought about posi-tive change in these communities.

U.S. Attorney Foster thanked the resi-dents and all of the Weed and Seedpartners for their remarkable effortsto make the neighborhoods safer.“Because of your commitment,”Foster told the audience, “we haveseen an overall 15-percent reductionin violent crime and drug-relatedcrime in the neighborhoods.”

“About 7 years ago, under the leader-ship of Jeff Sessions, planning forWeed and Seed began in Mobile. Ihave come to Mobile, Alabama, todayto join you in celebrating 6 years ofpeople coming together to create asafer community,” Rickman said.“Perhaps most important, these neigh-borhood improvement efforts haveprovided hope and opportunity toa younger generation of communityresidents who can participate in theAmerican dream and are America’spromise. But change in this communi-ty, like any other community, does nothappen overnight. . . . It takes time;it takes patience; it takes a committedgroup of leaders to stay the course. Ittakes sustained partnerships. It takesmutual trust. It requires compromiseand understanding. It also takes faith.Faith that we can succeed—faith inourselves, our neighborhoods, andour communities.”

Mobile residents and leaders of neigh-borhood associations receiving awardsincluded Wiley Butler, Levones Dubose,Lowell Friedman, Donald Jackson,Annie Kersh, Patricia Lucky, PatriciaMaddox, and Charles Stefan. PatriciaJackson, Director of Mobile Weedand Seed, helped coordinate theawards ceremony.

From left: Mobile Mayor Michael Dow; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District ofAlabama J. Don Foster; Armand DeKyser, representing Senator Jeff Sessions; andEOWS Director Stephen Rickman celebrate Trinity Garden’s Official Recognition.

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Atlanta’s DEFY Youth Go Door to Door Gloria Walker

Two New DEFY Tools Online!Visit the EOWS home page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows and click on “Publications”to access the latest DEFY resources added to our Web site.

What is DEFY? What are the requirements to become a DEFY site? What can DEFYfunds be used for? These and other questions are addressed in the Frequently AskedQuestions About Weed and Seed DEFY brochure, which provides a brief overview ofthe DEFY program, Weed and Seed’s role in implementing the program, and howyour site can get involved.

The DEFY Program Management Guide is a practical, hands-on tool that describes the phases of DEFY and theresponsibilities of each partner in the program. The Guide provides step-by-step instructions on planning andimplementing the program and contains sample forms and handbooks for staff and parents/guardians.

In Atlanta, Weed and Seed DEFY programmers cleaned

up with a Phase II event that educated and mobilized

residents for a good cause.

Mentor Russell Hawkins watches men-tee Raynell Cornell knock door to doorduring an Atlanta DEFY Phase II neigh-borhood event.

Officer James Crawford. Onlookersstopped and admired how proud theDEFY group appeared and sounded.Atlanta DEFY staff seek out opportu-nities to further strengthen the com-munity throughout the year.

Parents of Atlanta DEFY youth gaveDEFY staff very positive feedbackabout the day’s efforts. Most said theirkids came home talking about whatthey did with their day and the peoplethey met.

event on October 7, 2000. The associ-ation wanted the DEFY youth to serveas an example for Vine City residentsthat other inner-city youth are involvedin exciting, positive programs.

The youth were bused to the cleanupsite, courtesy of the Atlanta DEFY2000 military partner, the Naval AirStation–Atlanta, of Marietta, Georgia.Youth and adult volunteer mentorswore their DEFY shirts and DEFYpride. “We wanted to make a goodimpression on the kids of Vine City,especially because I’m told that themajority of them are not involved inany meaningful activities,” ChiefSheats said. He led the group intoformation and marched them throughthe community, chanting DEFYcadence and songs. “The communityknew we were there,” said Naval AirStation–Atlanta Coordinator Petty

I n Atlanta, Georgia, DEFY(Drug Education for Youth) isa big deal. If you were to go to

any of the four Weed and Seed com-munities and ask about the positivethings in residents’ lives, you wouldhear kids and parents talk affectionate-ly about DEFY and “Chief ” Sheats.

The 2000 class represents AtlantaWeed and Seed’s fifth year of partici-pation in DEFY and is sponsored bythe U.S. Attorney’s Office in conjunc-tion with the U.S. Naval Air Station–Atlanta and the city of Atlanta. Talk ofAtlanta’s DEFY program has spreadinto other communities as well, somuch so that the Vine City CivicAssociation and Community invitedRichard “Chief” Sheats, CommunityRelations Specialist/DEFY Coordi-nator, to bring DEFY youngsters tothe Vine City Millennium Cleanup

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Camp DEFY Participants Express ThanksAl Overbaugh

S hayla and Shyla Dameron are11-year-old twins who live inthe Des Moines, Iowa, Enter-

prise Community (EC)/Weed andSeed neighborhood and attend sixthgrade at Meredith Middle School.Shayla looks forward to attending col-lege. Shyla knows already that she wantsto be a lawyer. Both girls participated inthis summer’s DEFY (Drug Educationfor Youth) camp, funded in part by theEC/Weed and Seed program.

Weed and Seed funds have helped tofinance the Des Moines DEFY PhaseI Summer Training Camp for the past3 years. In 2000—the summer theDameron twins participated—42campers attended the week-long resi-dential program. Counselors and men-tors came from the Iowa NationalGuard, Employee and Family Resources(EFR), and the local U.S. Attorney’s

Office. The curriculum includeda number of team-building, goal-setting, and self-esteem building activ-ities. Campers also played games andwent swimming every day and tookfield trips to the Des Moines FireStation, Saylorville Lake and VisitorCenter, and the Jordan House His-torical Site in West Des Moines. ANational Guard helicopter and other

Des Moines Weed and Seed has fostered a strong commit-

ment to promoting youth services since its inception in 1996.

This commitment produces a very successful DEFY program.

Here, two gifted twins share with In-Sites readers thoughts on

their first DEFY experience and give thanks to their mentors.

military equipment were on displayfor the kids. The week ended with arecognition ceremony attended bycamp participants and their parentsat which Don C. Nickerson, U.S.Attorney for the Southern Districtof Iowa, was the keynote speaker.

DEFY Phase II began in August2000. During Phase II, mentors meetmonthly with the same group of kidsto provide mentoring, reinforce lifeskills taught at summer camp, andhave fun.

The Dameron sisters wrote the fol-lowing letters describing their summercamp experiences:

Dear DEFY Staff:

I would like to thank everyone for

taking their time to teach us to

become leaders, not followers. I

also want to thank the staff for

teaching us to use teamwork and

to have manners.

While I was at Camp DEFY I

learned to work with people

instead of being at home lying

on the couch sleeping and

being lazy. So thank you

everyone for helping me to

become a better person.

Sincerely,

Shyla Dameron

Camp DEFY is a truly remarkable program for young people who

don’t have as many things as otheryoung people. Camp DEFY is a

program that teaches young children like me about self-control,

self-discipline, and teamwork.Throughout the week at Camp

DEFY, I learned these threegreat things. But there is another thing I forgot

about, and that is having fun. Ilearned to have fun, but there is a

line where you need to be more serious. I really hope that in the

near future younger kids like me can have as much fun at Camp

DEFY as I had.Thank you,

Shayla Dameron


DEFY

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WEED & SEEDINsites

E ach State, in partnership withthe Federal Government, offersvarying programs to prepare

inmates for release. However, it is thesuccess of programs similar to Texas’sProject RIO (Re-Integration of Offen-ders) that has sparked Federal fundingof local initiatives nationwide. Evalua-tion of such programs has revealedthat progressive reentry initiatives,fueled by services at the local level,go the distance in providing solutionsto core problems often overlooked incorrectional prerelease programming.Mental and physical illness, child sup-port responsibilities, lack of legal iden-tification, homelessness, and lack ofsufficient aftercare support and moni-toring all work against ex-offendersafter their release and contribute tothe staggering statistic that, based onpast trends, 2 out of 5 inmates releasedthis year will be reincarcerated within3 years.

The chances of inmates returning to alife of crime depend on many things,including their ability to locate pro-ductive work after they are released.Studies have demonstrated that an ex-offender who obtains employment isthree times more likely to stay out ofprison than one who remains unem-ployed. Ex-offenders who find immedi-ate employment benefit not only fromfinancial stability but also increased self-esteem. A few points should be consid-ered when attempting to establisheffective offender job linkages.

Give ’em Credit!Federal tax incentives, especially forsmall business owners, go a long wayin making ex-offenders more attractiveto potential employers. The WorkOpportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is aFederal tax credit that encouragesemployers to hire specific groups ofjob seekers with barriers to employ-ment, including economically disad-vantaged ex-felons trying to findwork. Under WOTC, employers canreduce their Federal income tax liabili-ty by as much as $2,100 per qualified

new worker. Last year, in the State ofIllinois alone, more than 23,419 indi-viduals went from welfare public assis-tance rolls to meaningful employmentthrough WOTC.

Building Strong BondsMany employers carry insurance toprotect themselves against employeedishonesty, theft, or embezzlement.However, many insurance companiesrefuse to cover individuals they considerto be high risk, including ex-offenders.

In 1966, the U.S. Department of Laborcreated the Federal Bonding Programto help increase the employability ofthese applicants through provision offree fidelity bonding insurance. Thebond program is a business insurancepolicy that protects the employer incase of money or property loss due toemployee dishonesty. The bond insur-ance is issued free of charge to theemployer for a period of 6 months.If the worker demonstrates job hon-esty during the 6 months of FederalBonding Program coverage, thatworker can become bondable for lifeunder commercial bonding madeavailable to the employer for purchase.Approximately 40,000 applicants haveobtained jobs under this bonding pro-gram, and 99 percent have proved tobe honest employees.

Know and Promote TheirRights!Although reentry program directorsand case managers cannot always rep-resent their clients as legal counsel,they should be able to identify whensomeone’s rights have been violated.Under Title VII of the Civil RightsAct, the Equal Employment Opportu-nity Commission (EEOC) prohibitsdecisions made by employers based onan individual’s prior conviction record.The employer must, by Federal law,consider the nature and gravity of theoffense(s), the time that has passedsince the conviction and/or comple-tion of the sentence, and the natureof the job held or sought.

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Building Job Linkages for Ex-OffendersPenne Soltysik

Many job seekers recently releasedfrom jail or prison are afraid that ifthey reveal their criminal records theywill automatically be turned away bypotential employers. Case managersof reentry participants should maketheir clients aware that employers areallowed to ask applicants about theirconviction histories but not theirarrest records. If an applicant fails todisclose this information or misrepre-sents his or her past, he or she canlegally be fired.

A Bad RapFelix Lopez, Senior Staff Attorney forthe Legal Action Center (LAC), pre-sented legal considerations for reentryprogramming at the EOWS ReentryInitiative Meeting in Las Vegas lastfall. According to Lopez, 87 percentof the ex-offenders referred to LAChad errors on their rap sheets. He sug-gested that by reviewing a rap sheettogether, the individual and the casemanager both become familiar withwhat a prospective employer mightsee. If, during an interview, the appli-cant cannot remember details of his orher convictions, the employer natural-ly may assume the individual is beingdishonest and is not to be trusted.During rap sheet review, inaccuraciescan be discovered, and the channelsfor correction can be considered (seethe In-Sites Resources section).

Reentry programming for any commu-nity must build on existing resources inthe community. In large cities in partic-ular, organizations have developed localprojects for ex-offenders in an uncoor-dinated and unsystematic way, reducingtheir effectiveness. However, programsthat built partnerships for prereleasecare as well as postrelease support andmonitoring were up to 90 percent successful in helping ex-offenders over-come their challenges. Weed and Seedis built on these types of partnerships.In the next year, In-Sites will report onthe successes and the obstacles met bythe Weed and Seed Prisoner ReentryInitiative.

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Diving to New DepthsAdrien Huggins and Luis Magras

T o introduce children to themarine environment, the VirginIslands Housing Authority

Police partnered with the St. ThomasDiving Club to create the Weed andSeed Dive Program. The ongoing pro-gram provides free dive classes toyouth living in the Weed and Seed tar-get area. These classes were made pos-sible by a Community DevelopmentBlock Grant, the St. Thomas DivingClub, the U.S. Department of Plan-ning and Natural Resources, and theU.S. Department of Housing andUrban Development.

Dive program planners wanted to in-volve local residents—especially youngpeople—in a hobby popular withpolice officers from the Weed andSeed target area: scuba diving! MasterDive Instructor Wayne Bryan wasasked to help start a dive program forthe kids in the target area. Bryan con-tacted the St. Thomas Diving ClubCourse Director, Bill Letts. Introduc-tions followed, things started to hap-pen, and before long, the Weed andSeed Dive Program was a reality.

Community interest grew immediate-ly. Weed and Seed Coordinator ZeldaWilliams and Weed and Seed Admin-istrative Secretary Petra Phipps were

quick to give the program their fullsupport. The next step was targetingpotential students for the program.

Seven young people between 12 and18 years of age participated in the firstWeed and Seed Dive Program, whichcommenced on March 18, 2000. Toqualify, the youngsters had to be com-fortable in the water, possess basicswimming skills, be in good health(especially their respiratory and circu-latory systems), and maintain a matureattitude, good judgment, and self- discipline to follow guidelines and

Weed and Seed target area on St.Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

The students learned the basics ofconfined (in a swimming pool) andopen water dives and basic knowledgeand dive skills under an instructor’ssupervision and guidance. All studentsbecame PADI (Professional Associa-tion of Dive Instructors) Scuba Cer-tified. (PADI is the world’s mostrespected and sought-after diver train-ing organization.) The St. ThomasDiving Club, where the lessonswere held, is an authorized five-star

Not far from the world-renowned beaches of St. Thomas,

U.S. Virgin Islands, sits the Bovoni Weed and Seed target

area. Scuba diving was a pastime Weed and Seed residents

most often observed from afar . . . until a few partners put

their heads together to transform local youth into certified

divers.

principles required for safe diving. Allstudents came from the Estate BovoniHousing community located in the

Instructor Development Course (IDC)facility. The students also gained ex-tensive knowledge in medic first aidand CPR training, enabling each toacquire an additional Medic First Aidcard and Rescue Diver CertificationCard.

To date, there are seven graduates ofthe program:

Alston Venzen—Open Water Diver

Kevin Breezie—Advanced OpenWater Diver

Katisha Ritter—Advanced OpenWater Diver

Edgar January, Jr.—Advanced OpenWater Diver

Simon Lettsome—RescueDiver/Medic First Aid and CPR

Rescue diver Alliston Ritter examines his species identification card as EvonetteNathaniel and Katisha Ritter dive in the background.



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New Program Helps YoungProbationers and Their FamiliesNorma Rabago

The Weed and Seed site in San Antonio, Texas, offers a

value-based approach to recidivism prevention. The Value

Based Violence Prevention Initiative offers young offenders a

productive alternative to incarceration while providing them

treatment and broader horizons.

L ike so many other young adults,20-year-old Roy Elizardo of SanAntonio, Texas, wanted to bet-

ter himself, but he didn’t have the jobskills or education to make it happen.Determined to break bad habits andmake better choices, he started tofocus on serving the community andparticipating in physical and spiritualtraining provided to him by theChristian Boot Camp (CBC).

“Now that I have the opportunity tomake better decisions, I put all myeffort into it so that I can prove topeople that I can change and that Iam willing to change,” Elizardo said.

CBC is a faith-based, 32-day training,rehabilitation, and restorative justiceprogram for young offenders that is acomponent of San Antonio FightingBack (SAFB) of United Way’s ValueBased Violence Prevention Initiative(VBI), which began in 1999.

Funded primarily through EOWS andadministered by the National Congressfor Community Economic Develop-ment (NCCED), VBI is designed tohelp young probationers ages 18 to29 stay out of jail and on the righttrack. San Antonio Weed and Seedalso uses a portion of its dollars tofund the voluntary program, whichcan accommodate up to 50 probation-ers at a time.

“[SAFB] decided to be part of VBIbecause it is a one-stop-shop approach

Bootcampers use teamwork to move barrels during the Christian Boot Camp.

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to crime and recidivism prevention,”said Beverly Watts Davis, SAFBExecutive Director.

VBI comprises Love DemonstratedMinistries, Inc. (a faith-based organi-zation), Bexar County OpportunitiesIndustrialization Center, Inc. (BCOIC,a citywide job-training program), EliteCounseling Services and Alamo Re-covery Center (substance abuse andfamily counseling services), and BexarCounty Adult Probation (probationcounselors). Private funds were usedto help fund the boot camp compo-nent of the program. BCOIC wasfunded through SAFB’s mini-grant

program. The counseling programsand treatment services were fundedby Bexar County’s Treatment Alter-natives to Incarceration program.

“For the first time, all of these organi-zations are coming together to helpthe young offender stay on the righttrack,” Watts Davis said. “But the pro-gram isn’t just helping the probation-er; it’s also helping family members.Parents and siblings of participants areeligible to receive family counseling inan effort to create stability within thefamily structure.”

A Targeted PopulationAll of the ex-offenders in the programhave either a drug or alcohol problemor an offense related to substance abuse;this is a requirement to participate inthe program. Treatment is providedby Bexar County’s Treatment Alter-natives to Incarceration program.

“The local probation officers andjudges love the program,” Watts Davissaid. “They have agreed to serve asmentors and are planning a 3-dayretreat with the individuals who did

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not go through the residential bootcamp.”

The key ingredients for a probationerto complete the program successfullyare a desire to make permanent changesand a belief in oneself.

Charles Flowers, a former Air Forcetraining instructor, left his 12-yearmilitary career to develop the 32-dayresidential CBC program for youthages 13 to 19. CBC was launched insummer 1995. The program remainsfree to all participants, funded throughprivate donations to the camp.

Using his military skills and convic-tions of faith, Flowers fashioned theprogram to challenge individuals innew ways. A typical day for a CBCparticipant begins at 8 a.m. with anopen-rank uniform and shoe inspec-tion. The schedule proceeds with aworkout followed by a 2-mile run.Campers then participate in commu-nity service projects that may includecleaning up vacant lots or repaintinga senior citizen’s home. Participantsreturn to camp late in the day forwhat Flowers considers the mostimportant part of the training: thenondenominational church servicethat emphasizes God’s love for them.The day ends at 8 p.m. and partici-pants return home.

“It isn’t the inspection; it isn’t thephysical training or community servicethat changes people,” Flowers said.“It’s God’s love that changes people.”

After joining the VBI collaborative,Flowers agreed to conduct bootcamps for young-adult probationersbetween the ages of 17 and 29 whohave felony convictions or have beencharged with misdemeanor crimes.Flowers now runs two types of camps:a summer residential program and anonresidential program that preservesthe key components of the residentialprogram. The summer program is foryouth ages 13 to 19 and is still fundedonly by donations. During the rest of the year, Flowers conducts campsonly for VBI participants as part ofthe collaborative.

A young mother and summer job participant receives her certificate of completionand a bag filled with school supplies during the Summer Youth Job Activity’s gradua-tion ceremony.

Through physical exercise, communityservice, and spiritual training, CBCmembers learn to make responsibledecisions without being influenced bytheir peers.

“We give young people the opportu-nity to open their hearts and mindsso that when they leave here, they willknow the difference between right andwrong,” Flowers said.

camp because he is now leading a better life for himself and his infantdaughter.

“The program taught me to workhard and help people who are in thesame situation I was in,” Elizardosaid.

Now that Elizardo has the tools tostay focused, he is eager to start work-ing toward a degree in electronics.“I’m happy that I am doing some-thing with my life and not just wastingmy time,” Elizardo said.

“Out of five cities nationwide selected toadopt the VBI program, San Antonio isthe only city that chose to work withthe criminal justice system,” said JorgeCuellar, a Bexar County probationofficer. “Those selected to be in theprogram have unique needs,” Cuellarsaid. “They need intervention, andthis is what we provide for them.”

From October 1999 to December2000, 116 individuals were referredto VBI, and of these, only 18 reof-fended. A complete progress reportwill be developed to further evaluatethe program in April 2001.

“Typically, what happens is a young

offender on probation violates pro-

bation. If he or she fits the criteria,

he or she is offered participation in

the program as an alternative to

going to jail.” —Beverly Watts Davis,

Executive Director of SAFB

Elizardo said that he was nervous yetexcited about enrolling in a programthat requires rigorous physical andspiritual training. Elizardo said he isthankful that he completed the boot


Reentry Initiatives

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Win

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A “Nobel” Idea From Death RowChanges Lives Around the World

I n 1971, Stanley “Tookie”Williams, now 46, cofoundedthe Crips, one of the Nation’s

largest and arguably most violentstreet gangs. For 10 years he was agang leader in South Central LosAngeles, but since 1981, Williams hasbeen living on death row at Califor-nia’s San Quentin State Prison. Thisyear, Williams was nominated for the2001 Nobel Peace Prize for his writ-ing, peer mentoring, and computer lit-eracy efforts targeting at-risk youth.

Not far from San Quentin, BarbaraBecnel, an economist and policy ana-lyst turned journalist, directs the activi-ties of Neighborhood House in NorthRichmond, California—a community-based organization that is one of theservice providers for Weed and Seed,Contra Costa County.

Becnel first met Williams in 1993while researching the evolution ofgang warfare. “I was told he hatedjournalists and that he probablywouldn’t talk to me,” said Becnel,“but that I should try. So I wrote tohim. We exchanged a lot of lettersbefore we actually met.”

Initially, Becnel sought out Williamsas a source for a book she was work-ing on about the history of SouthCentral Los Angeles’ black street

gangs; soon, they were coauthoringchildren’s books that send a messageto children about the importance ofstaying away from gangs and drugs.During weekly 15-minute phone con-versations and periodic prison visits,Becnel compiled Williams’s stories andmessages to use in their children’sbook collaborations. Life in Prison,released in September 1998, made itto the Young Adult Library ServicesAssociation’s list of “Quick Picks” forReluctant Young Readers. Prior tothat, Williams and Becnel collaboratedon an eight-book series for elementaryschool youth called Tookie Speaks OutAgainst Gang Violence.

Williams and Becnel went on to foundthe Internet Project for Street Peace,a Web-based afterschool program thatteaches violence prevention along withhands-on computer training. Theproject gives youth in impoverishedNorth Richmond (an area familiarwith drug and gang violence) the op-portunity to communicate via e-mailand Internet chat rooms with youthin South Africa and Switzerland aboutkeeping peace by not joining gangsor doing drugs. Other countries andother sites in the United States haveexpressed interest in setting up similaronline exchanges for their youth.

Becnel has traveled to Switzerland andSouth Africa to meet with countryleaders to set up “technology hubs”for the Internet Project for StreetPeace. The project has also attractedreturn visits to the United States frominternationally known leaders. In1999, Winnie Mandela, an apartheidactivist and the former wife of SouthAfrican President Nelson Mandela,visited North Richmond to meet withyouth who participate in the InternetProject for Street Peace at the LauraHunter Center in North Richmond(one of many programs designed andoperated by Neighborhood House).

Mandela also met with Williams for2 hours at San Quentin, a visit shelater called the main reason for andthe highlight of her trip from SouthAfrica.

“This is a dream come true,” saidWilliams. “This is a historical eventfor me. She’s showing she appreciateswhat’s going on.”

Joanna Flanders Thomas, who trav-eled with Mandela and works withinmates at South Africa’s PollsmoorPrison, commented, “The fact that hehas authored books while on deathrow is an inspiration to many inmateswho have often felt a sense of hope-lessness and despair at the prospectof a long-term sentence.... It is proofthat success and personal triumph arepossible, even while on death row.”

Each year, the Nobel Foundationawards the Nobel Peace Prize to thosewho, during the preceding year, “haveconferred the greatest benefit on man-kind.” The nomination of Williams forthis prestigious award could not havebeen accomplished without the deter-mination and dedication of Becnel.She has worked tirelessly to increasethe number of programs that Neigh-borhood House sponsors and hasattracted more than $1 million dollarsin funding but has never forgottenWilliams’ plight and has supported hisantiviolence and outreach efforts.

Becnel is one of the local Weed andSeed site’s key service providers anda Steering Committee member (asChairperson of the Youth Council, amandated Workforce Investment Actpolicymaking body for youth programs).Becnel’s contributions to not only theContra Costa Weed and Seed site butto people across the world (includingTookie Williams) are immeasurable.North Richmond is honored to haveboth Williams and Becnel as commu-nity members.

Barbara Becnel is interviewed by anNBC reporter.

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Syracuse Youth Recognized by theKennedy Center Alliance

Franklin Magnet School of the Arts, apublic school in Syracuse’s northsideWeed and Seed neighborhood, is oneof only five schools in the countryselected for this national award. Theaward recognizes schools for an out-standing job in making the arts anessential part of the education of theirstudents. Students at Franklin MagnetSchool of the Arts have participated inSyracuse Weed and Seed’s PreventionThrough the Arts Special EmphasisInitiative, which includes programsthat focus on community educationand beautification through art.

Through Weed and Seed funding andsupport, students at the school havedesigned and painted two multistorymurals to brighten up the neighbor-hood. A Summer School for the Artswas held in 1999 in cooperation withother neighborhood summer youthprograms. A school-community part-nership was formed with the OpenHand International Mask and PuppetMuseum. Syracuse Weed and Seed hashelped support the school’s yearlycommunity showcase, a large-scaleoriginal performance. The productionof “North Side Story,” an original playcreated by the school in partnershipwith neighborhood seniors and otherresidents, featured all of the students

Cheryl Driscoll, EOWS Supervisory Grants Manager, presents the Weed and SeedDirector‘s Award to Franklin Magnet School of the Arts Principal Dominick Sabatino.

A Franklin Magnet School of the Artsstudent performs for the KennedyCenter Alliance for Arts EducationNetwork.

as well as community members withdiverse cultural backgrounds. The 21⁄ 2-hour production that was presentedat the Civic Center chronicled the history and growth of the northsideneighborhood, an area that has beenhome to many immigrant/refugeepopulations.

In addition, Syracuse Weed and Seedparticipates in the Visual Voices artproject, an innovative program createdby Michael Yonas (see “Visual Voices:Uniting Youth” on page 9 of the In-Sites Millennium Issue 2000). The program was originally funded throughEOWS and has continued with studentsat Franklin through a separate grantreceived from the Syracuse/OnondagaDrug and Alcohol Abuse Commission.

The Syracuse Weed and Seed commu-nity is very proud of the commitmentand contributions of all of its resi-dents. Planning the Special Emphasisinitiative and focusing on preventionthrough the arts programming haveprovided target-area youth the oppor-tunity to stay on the right track whileexpressing themselves creatively.Syracuse Weed and Seed is lookingforward to seeing what the studentswill come up with in the coming year!

T he Syracuse, New York, Weedand Seed Community Partner-ship is delighted to announce

that a key partner in its Youth Leader-ship Development Committee has beenawarded a Creative Ticket NationalSchools of Distinction Award from theKennedy Center Alliance for ArtsEducation Network.

On November 3, 2000, 25 studentsfrom the Franklin Magnet Schoolof the Arts traveled to Washington,D.C., to perform at the national con-ference of the Kennedy Center Alliancefor Arts Education Network, an orga-nization that brings together educa-tors, school administrators, parents,cultural leaders, and citizens fromacross the Nation, reaching morethan 2 million people per year. CherylDriscoll, EOWS Supervisory GrantsManager, attended the event and pre-sented Syracuse Weed and Seed withan EOWS Director’s Award for Ex-cellence in Arts Programming toacknowledge the talents of the Franklinstudents. On December 14, 2000,Syracuse Weed and Seed CoordinatorNancy Kronen and Steering Commit-tee Chairperson John Edwards present-ed EOWS Certificates of Appreciationto each Franklin student who partici-pated in the Washington performance.

Winners

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EOWS has offered an overview of dispute resolution, or con-

flict resolution, at many conference training sessions. Each

Weed and Seed strategy is founded on partnership, and dif-

ferences may arise between community stakeholders who

disagree on what is best for their community. The resolution

to these differences can have an extremely powerful impact

on the site as a whole. In-Sites offers this introduction as Part

I of a four-part series on conflict resolution.

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“Working It Out” Through ConflictResolutionKathleen Severens

C onflict is everywhere. It is partof life—in the family, the school,the workplace, and the com-

munity. People have individual values,backgrounds, and perspectives; whenbrought together, disputes and dis-agreements may surface . . . some-times easily.

The way differences are resolved is whatis most important and has a lastingeffect. When heated arguments orintense personality clashes arise, it isbest to know how to deal with themconstructively. When conflict is trulyunderstood and resolved effectively, itcan serve as an incredible learning tooland valuable opportunity for strength-ening the underlying relationship.

Both adults and youth can learn skillsfor settling disputes peacefully. Weedand Seed sites across the country areincorporating conflict resolution intotheir strategy development processes.In addition, they are enhancing theirprevention and intervention plans bytaking advantage of EOWS’s ConflictResolution Special Emphasis Initiative.This initiative offers the opportunityto establish, expand, or enhance con-flict resolution and mediation pro-grams and to forge new communitypartnerships. Depending on the needs

and desires of the particular site, theseprograms may

■ Teach young people and adultstechniques for solving conflict ina positive way.

■ Teach youth, adults, and staff howto be mediators themselves.

■ Establish conflict resolution ormediation programs in schools,youth centers, and Safe Havens.

■ Provide Weed and Seed area resi-dents access to existing conflict reso-lution, mediation, and collaborativeproblem-solving services and train-ing in the community.

All types of neighborhood disputes canbe mediated. In the past few years, theuse of conflict resolution skills andinterventions has greatly expanded.Traditionally in Weed and Seed com-munities, conflict resolution tacticshave been applied to gang disputes.Today, new focus areas include parentand teen mediation, truancy media-tion, race and ethnicity study circles,community problem solving, victim-offender dialogues, family group conferencing, youth and police part-nerships, and community mediationand community policing partnerships.

Once a site identifies its problem areas,conflict resolution strategies can betailored to local needs.

Resources for conflict resolution arebecoming more readily availablethroughout the country. Today thereare well over 500 community media-tion programs in the United Statesand more than 30 State offices of dis-pute resolution. In addition, a growingnumber of universities and collegeshave dispute resolution programs,many of which work in partnershipwith community organizations. Typi-cally, these dispute resolution pro-grams offer some or all of the follow-ing services: individual and group casehandling, conflict resolution and medi-ation training, community educationand outreach, and dispute resolutionreferral and systems design. Sitesshould research the resources in theircommunity. Chances are, local re-sources are available.

For example, Ocala Weed and Seedstaff learned that the Martin LutherKing, Jr. (MLK) Institute for Non-violence at the Miami Dade Commu-nity College offers conflict resolutiontraining services that could be a valu-able resource. When a law enforcementofficer was involved in a shooting inthe Weed and Seed site, the need forconflict resolution services escalated.By leveraging funds from the FloridaCommission on Human Relationsand securing support from the U.S.Department of Justice’s CommunityRelations Service, Ocala Weed andSeed staff and the Ocala Police De-partment were able to hire the MLKInstitute to train the entire Ocalapolice force through the Institute’sLaw Enforcement Nonviolent ConflictReconciliation Program. Police per-sonnel responded well to the trainingand found their new conflict resolu-tion skills to be a valuable additional


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program; and before they knew it, thewomen were in business.

The business began small, cateringlunches for public agencies and non-profit groups. In October 1996, thebusiness adopted its current name,Home Girls Catering, and receivedan invitation to exhibit at the annualfundraiser of the Junior League ofChattanooga. At the event, HomeGirls sold triple chocolate cheesecakesand almost 1,000 loaves of pound-cake, which put the business’s bakedgoods on the proverbial map and gaveHome Girls an opportunity to broad-en its customer base.

In 1999, Jennings became the soleowner of the business. Since then, shehas hired three other public housingresidents as a cook, a cashier, and acashier trainee.

Hard work, dedication, and holdingsteadfast to her dreams has paid offfor Jennings. Home Girls caters affairsranging from business lunches to elab-orate evening receptions. The companyalso provides breakfast, snacks, andlunches for the children and staff of theSiskin/Westside Child DevelopmentCenter daycare, located in the JamesA. Henry Resource Center.

Jennings still lives in College HillCourts, where she stays close to

the developments in her community.Through her efforts, the neighborhoodnow has the Community 2000 Neigh-borhood Association, which providesleadership-training opportunities forWestside residents.

Following her example, other West-side residents have adopted the beliefthat community involvement bringsthem closer to realizing personaldreams. Napoleon Jackson, owner ofBeginning to End, and Michael Ellis,owner of Metro Paint Company, Inc.,have begun traveling the road of self-actualization. Jackson, who has a land-scape and lawn care business, graduatedfrom the local community college inDecember 2000. His first contractwas the Westside Grove Street Com-munity Park, located in the heart ofthe Westside community. Ellis is West-side’s resident painter, having won acontract to paint units in the Chattan-ooga Housing Authority that arelocated in the Westside community.He began a painting training class inMay 2000 and graduated six residentsin August. All six became employeesin his business.

Westside Weed and Seed plans to pro-vide educational opportunities foryouth and nurture them in entrepre-neurship. Each entrepreneur givesback to the community and the Weed

and Seed program by sharing his orher dreams, goals, and accomplish-ments with local youth and other resi-dents. By witnessing the achievementsof their neighbors firsthand, residentsare motivated to build their own suc-cess stories.

“Many people who live in housingprojects feel there are certain bound-aries they cannot cross. They justneed to see that it can be done,”Jennings said.

A Dream Realizedcontinued from page 4

Reclaiming the Streets in Gainesville, Floridacontinued from page 5

and grow fruits and vegetables. Thegarden is one component of a familynutrition program that is offered toparents and students at schools in theWeed and Seed areas.

The Gainesville neighborhoods, schools,art programs, and community groupsall agree that Weed and Seed has madea positive difference in northeastGainesville.

“We go out walking at night and sayhi to each other. Nobody would evereven think of doing that before,” said15-year resident Kim Mobley.

Today, the Highland Court Manorand nearby Pine Forest neighbor-hoods are much safer, much cleaner,and much more livable—in large partdue to the tremendous cooperative

work of landlords, local police, theAlachua County School Board, and,mostly, the committed residents inthe target area. Gainesville Weed andSeed now enters its fourth year offunding and is excited about contin-uing efforts to rebuild other cityneighborhoods.

A Westside community resident bakescakes at Home Girls Catering.

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strategy in responding to conflict andviolence. Both Maj. Guy Howie andSite Coordinator Bill Patten think allWeed and Seed sites could benefitfrom this type of training.

The Ocala experience is one of manypossible scenarios for applying com-munity dispute resolution. In themonths ahead, In-Sites will be high-lighting how sites are taking advantage

of local and State dispute resolutionresources to develop their communi-ty’s capacity to respond effectively andconstructively to area problems andcrime.

“Working It Out” Through Conflict Resolutioncontinued from page 18

Readjustment to the community is adifficult process not only for an ex-offender but for neighbors, businessowners, and police officers as well.While major cities such as New York orChicago may offer a laundry list ofservices from which ex-offenders maypick and choose, many smaller, morerural communities must look to nation-al groups for support. For the victimadvocate, the prisoner awaiting release,the community police officer,Web Sightresearched online resources to help sup-port successful reintegration. Here area few to get readers started.

News, research, and funding resourcesare all available at the Recovery RoadWeb site. If it ties in with addiction,recovery, or treatment, chances areyou’ll find what you’re looking forat www.reroad.com. The Web siteis maintained and updated daily byjointogether.org, a project of theBoston University School of PublicHealth that serves as a nationalresource for communities working to reduce substance abuse and gunviolence.

The American Probation andParole Association (APPA) is theonly professional organizationdevoted solely to the needs of

probation, parole, andcommunity correctionsprofessionals. The APPAWeb site has informationand resources regarding

advancements in the field of com-munity corrections. Web users canlearn more about APPA’s efforts tosupport rural communities andnational training opportunities byclicking on www.appa-net.org.

Many Weed and Seed sites areinvolved with local Volunteers of

America (VOA) chapters. VOA isa national, nonprofit, spiritually basedorganization that provides localhuman service programs and opportu-nities for individual and communityinvolvement. A goal of VOA is toteach ex-offenders how to live withinthe law and to successfully make thetransition back into the community.VOA operates 66 correctional pro-grams, 53 of which are residential pro-grams. In 1997, VOA served morethan 19,000 individuals in correctionalprograms in 18 States. To locate aVOA program in your area, visitwww.voa.org.

The Legal Action Center (LAC) isthe only nonprofit law firm and policyorganization in the United States thatfights to protect the legal rights ofand improve public policies and serv-ices for people with histories of alco-holism or other drug addictions,people with HIV and AIDS, and peo-ple with arrest or conviction records.In 1999, the center provided legal

assistance to 5,507 individuals. Thecenter’s lawyers and policy experts inNew York City and Washington, D.C.,take legal action to fight discrimina-tion against and protect the privacyrights of the people they serve. Theyalso promote alternatives to incarcera-tion for people whose alcohol or drugproblems entangle them in the crimi-nal justice system. To request anannual report or to learn more aboutLAC services, publications, andvideos, visit www.lac.org.

Whether you’re a seasoned treatmentcounselor looking for updated refer-ence manuals or someone interestedin learning more about treatmentapproaches, www.treatment.org ofthe Treatment Improvement Ex-change (TIE) is a must! Sponsoredby the Division of State and Commu-nity Assistance of the Center forSubstance Abuse Treatment (CSAT),TIE provides an information exchangebetween CSAT staff and State andlocal alcohol and substance abuseagencies. The Web site offers informa-tion exchange services and covers spe-cial topics in criminal justice, publichealth, rural issues, and more.

Web Sight editors have spottedsome impressive Web pages outthere—created and maintained byWeed and Seed sites! In the pastyear, many sites have become morecomfortable with this new technol-ogy. Visit the EOWS Web site forlinks to Weed and Seed sites acrossthe country (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/neighborhoods.htm). Checkout these efforts—they serve asgreat sample Web sites!

sight

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in-progress initiatives in their Weedand Seed target areas. Additionally,the meeting provided the U.S.Department of Justice’s Office ofJustice Programs the opportunity tolearn about the challenges to reentryprogramming from field experts.

The Weed and Seed Reentry Initiativecomes on the heels of recent statisticsreporting that in the next year a pro-posed 500,000 inmates will be released,making reintegration support a priori-ty for many Federal agencies. At thesame time, these agencies have alsorenewed their commitment to theNation to ensure public safety. TheEOWS Web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows) will feature updates andresource links for this Weed and Seedinitiative and other federally supportedreentry projects.

Weed and Seed SiteAccreditationThe first of six Weed and Seed Ac-creditation Series trainings took placein Los Angeles, California, in January2001. Approximately 170 representa-tives from law enforcement, site coor-dination, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices,and the Weed and Seed communityattended the intensive 4-day training.

The Weed and Seed movement hasexperienced enormous growth in thepast decade. As the success of the initiative spreads, more communities

are competing for Weed and SeedOfficial Recognition and funding.EOWS expects this growth to contin-ue in years to come. To prepare for it,EOWS is focusing on training teamsin sites that are currently recognizedand funded. The accreditation ofexisting sites ensures that everyone ispositioned to move with Weed andSeed into the next decade. Photos ofthe Los Angeles training are postedon the EOWS Web site.

Leave No NeighborhoodBehindThe Weed and Seed 2001 NationalConference has a title—the headlineabove! The title for what will prove tobe the largest Weed and Seed confer-ence ever was developed from severalproposals and thus EOWS cannotcredit one submission as the name-contest winner. It will be difficult tomatch the success of the last nationalconference, but EOWS is on track—celebrating 10 years of neighborhoodrenewal is bound to generate a lot ofenergy and enthusiasm. Informationon the conference program, theAnnual Poster Contest, exhibiting,and more is coming soon! Stay tunedto www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/philly.htm for more information as the pro-gram develops.

The Weed and SeedPilot PrisonerReentry InitiativeEOWS brought together rep-resentatives from seven Weedand Seed sites that participatein the Weed and Seed PrisonerReentry Initiative for trainingand peer-to-peer networkingin Las Vegas, Nevada, Novem-ber 8–9, 2000. Site coordi-nators; professionals fromtreatment, adjudication,

corrections, and law enforcement;and personnel from churches andcommunity-based organizationsshared with one another the chal-lenges of reentry programming fromthe viewpoints of the ex-offender, theprogram coordinator, the case manag-er, and the community. Communityleaders from areas outside of Weedand Seed who are practiced in han-dling prisoner aftercare also attended.

The meeting gave professionals froma variety of fields the opportunity to exchange information on theircommunity needs and program missions and to discuss planned or

CONFERENCECORNER

“Good Morning Weed and Seeders!”On January 29, 2001, EOWS DirectorStephen Rickman greeted more than250 Drug Education for Youth (DEFY)partners with typical enthusiasm inPhoenix, Arizona, for the DEFY 2001Train-the-Trainer workshop. EOWS con-ducted the workshop to prepare sitesto host DEFY programs in 2001. In hiswelcome statement, Rickman remindedattendees that if children can be pre-vented from using drugs by the ageof 21, prevention efforts have been successful.

The 3-day workshop provided atten-dees with training on DEFY administra-tive and operational matters, includingDEFY Phase I (Summer Training Camp),DEFY Phase II (Mentoring Program),and a review of the application processfor DEFY funding. Presentations wereoffered on liability insurance, programevaluation, procedures for screeningworkers, and the psychology of work-ing with at-risk youth.

The popular DEFY program, whichbegan in three pilot sites in 1996, isnow reaching more that 2,600 at-riskchildren in 90 Weed and Seed sitesnationwide. In-Sites will provide read-ers with news and reports from sitesas they plan for DEFY 2001.

D R U G E D U C A T I O N F O R Y O U T H

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WEED & SEEDINsites

EOWS NEWSWeed & Seed

22

FBI’s Executive FellowshipProgramMany sites aren’t aware of the FBI’sExecutive Fellowship Program, creat-ed in 1994 as an extension of the SafeStreets Program. The program solicitsnominations from police departmentsacross the country for management-level police officers to take a 6-monthassignment at FBI Headquarters inWashington, D.C. There they actas consultants to the FBI in mattersrelated to the Safe Streets Program.EOWS provides funding to the fellow-ship program to allow these personnelthe opportunity to work onsite atEOWS as part of their fellowships.Under the direction of Andrew Press,fellows help track asset forfeiture ac-tivities in Weed and Seed sites. InNovember 2000, site representativesattending the Weed and Seed PrisonerReentry Initiative meeting in LasVegas, Nevada, met Lt. Kevin York,a visiting fellow from the New YorkPolice Department. Sites will havethe opportunity at future trainings tomeet Lt. C.D. Dye, who joined theFBI Executive Fellowship Programin January 2001. Lt. Dye, from theVirginia State Police, specializes innarcotics enforcement in rural com-munities. In-Sites will feature a col-umn in future issues for fellows tooffer perspectives on their experiences.

The Weed and SeedPoster ContestYes, it’s that time! The popular Weedand Seed Poster Contest will onceagain coincide with the Weed andSeed National Conference. Sites willbe sent information as it becomesavailable.

WelcomeIn recent months, the EOWS staffroster has grown, allowing for someinternal reorganization. This expan-sion and reorganization mirrors thegrowth of the Weed and Seed move-ment, which today is embraced bymore than 250 communities—atremendous increase from the 36 sitesEOWS managed in 1991! As Weedand Seed has grown, EOWS hasundertaken new initiatives and focusareas to accommodate the interestsof all Weed and Seed communities.

In January 2001, the Office of Com-munity Dispute Resolution (CDR),established by the U.S. Departmentof Justice to promote the use of com-munity dispute resolution as a crimeprevention tool, was moved to EOWS.Under the direction of KathleenSeverens, this Special Emphasis areawill afford EOWS the resources totrain and educate communities onapproaches to resolving disputes in-volving schools, police, courts, andcommunities. Sites can reach CDRdirectly by calling 202–514–8827.

CDR will be providing In-Sites readerswith a column on Weed and Seed con-flict resolution in each forthcomingissue. Sites with effective approaches,commentary, or questions regardingdispute resolution are encouraged tocall CDR.

Cheryl Driscoll, Supervisory GrantsManager for EOWS, recently joinedthe EOWS Training and TechnicalAssistance Division on special detailto help coordinate the Weed and Seed2001 National Conference. The man-agement of EOWS program staff andactivities is now under the direction ofDeputy Director Bob Samuels.

FarewellAfter a career in Federal service,EOWS Program Manager MeredithNielsen has left the Office of JusticePrograms to serve as Deputy DrugPolicy Advisor to the Governor of theVirgin Islands. Nielsen, originally fromthe Virgin Islands, will reside perma-nently in St. Thomas. Over the yearsNielsen worked with many sites onmany initiatives, most recently Seed-Tech, NCCED, and Kids House.

Weed and Seed Application Kits and Program Guides for FY 2001 are now available!Deadlines for Grants Management System (GMS) online application (and GMSFaxline submissions) for grant funds and the paper submission (postmark date)are as follows:

■ Competitive Funding submissions: May 31, 2001.

■ Continuation Funding for sites in Group A: April 30, 2001; for sites in GroupB: June 29, 2001. (Please see application kit for description of groups.)

Visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm for details and further instruction. CallEOWS at 202–616–1152 for assistance.

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Resou

rces

For More InformationSeattle, Washington206–615–[email protected]

Kay GodefroyExecutive Director, Seattle

Neighborhood GroupSeattle, Washington206–323–[email protected]/seattle/spd/

commnty/weedseed/ws.htm

Page 10: Atlanta’s DEFY YouthGo Door to Door James CrawfordPetty Officer, Naval Air

Station–Atlanta770–919–6132

Richard “Chief” Sheets Community Resource SpecialistU.S. Attorney’s Office for the

Northern District of GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia404–581–[email protected]

Carrie SmithChief, Naval Air Station–Atlanta770–919–6561

Gloria WalkerWeed and Seed DEFY CoordinatorU.S. Attorney’s Office for the

Northern District of GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia404–581–6074 [email protected]

Page 11: Camp DEFY ParticipantsExpress ThanksAl OverbaughLECC CoordinatorU.S. Attorney’s Office for the

Southern District of IowaDes Moines, Iowa515–284–6283

Page 12: Building Job Linkages forEx-OffendersU.S. Department of LaborFederal Bonding Program1–800–233–2258

Legal Action Centerwww.lac.org

Contact these organizations for moreinformation on articles featured in In-Sites, or visit the EOWS Web site forrelated links at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/publications.htm.

Page 4: A Dream RealizedDaphne SloanCoordinator, Westside Community

Development CorporationChattanooga Weed and SeedChattanooga, Tennessee 423–266–6510

Page 5: Reclaiming the Streets inGainesville, FloridaEd BookLieutenant, Gainesville Police

DepartmentGainesville, Florida352–334–2400

Keith KamegOfficer/Weed and Seed CoordinatorGainesville Police DepartmentGainesville, Florida352–334–2425

Page 6: A Challenge for LawEnforcement: Tracking Ex-OffendersRobert DeMouraCaptain, Lowell Police DepartmentLowell, Massachusetts978–970–[email protected]

Cristi LemonSite Coordinator, Lowell Weed

and SeedLowell, Massachusetts978–446–[email protected]

Page 7: Funding Assistance forVictims of CrimeRomia RayProgram ManagerExecutive Office for Weed and SeedU.S. Department of JusticeWashington, D.C.202–307–[email protected]/ovc

Page 8: Community SupportsSeattle Reentry Project Eric ClaySeed Coordinator, SE. and Central

Seattle Weed and Seed

Page 13: Diving to New DepthsAdrien Huggins and Luis Magras OfficersVirgin Islands Housing AuthoritySt. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands340–714–2098

Page 14: New Program HelpsYoung Probationers and TheirFamiliesNorma RabagoSan Antonio Fighting Back of

United Way2803 E. Commerce StreetSan Antonio, Texas210–271–[email protected]

Page 16: A “Nobel” Idea FromDeath Row Changes Lives Aroundthe WorldSuzanne Linford Site Coordinator, Contra Costa

County Weed and SeedMartinez, California925–313–[email protected]

Page 17: Syracuse Youth Recognizedby the Kennedy Center AllianceNancy Kronen Project CoordinatorSyracuse Weed and Seed Community

PartnershipSyracuse, New York315–474–1939, ext. [email protected]

Syracuse City School DistrictFranklin Magnet School of the Arts428 S. Alvord StreetSyracuse, New York315–435–4550Fax: 315–435–[email protected]

Page 18: “Working It Out”Through Conflict ResolutionKathleen SeverensDirector, Community Dispute

Resolution Office of Justice Programs U.S. Department of JusticeWashington, D.C.202–514–[email protected]/cdr

02-Covers 2 & 3 4/13/01 9:12 AM Page 2

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and Seed

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

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Return Service Requested

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Diving to New Depthscontinued from page 13

Alliston Ritter—RescueDiver/Medic First Aid and CPR

Evonette Nathaniel—RescueDiver/Medic First Aid and CPR

The students also assisted with com-munity projects, including a dive beachcleanup initiative, in which debris andforeign objects were removed fromthe ocean floor at Bolongo Beach onSt. Thomas.

Dive program staff encourage studentsto take advantage of all the skills andinformation they’ve acquired. St.Thomas’s main economy is based ontourism, so the demand for divinginstructors and leaders of other water-related activities is great. Three of thestudents are now employed part timeat the St. Thomas Diving Club. Inaddition, program graduates are rolemodels for other young people in thecommunity.

Upcoming classes are planned to cer-tify new students and to advance cur-rent divers.

Above: Weed and Seed target area resident Alliston Ritter is a certified rescue diverthanks to the Weed and Seed Dive Program.

Left: Weed and Seed Dive Program students prepare for a pool dive under an instruc-tor‘s supervision and guidance.

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Documents

WEED & SEED - NCJRS · 2012. 1. 23. · Executive Office for Weed and Seed IN WEED & SEED sites The Weed and Seed Dive Program in St. Thomas page 13 01-Covers 1&4 4/13/01 9:11 AM