Youth, Families & Communities

CJII is focusing on building skills and supports among young people, families, and communities to help prevent crime. Investing in efforts that prevent criminality is key to achieving public safety in the long term. Programs that support families and that prevent risky behavior in young people can encourage and support positive development and reduce the likelihood of involvement in the justice system. These efforts emphasize:

• Community-based and community-informed services available to young people and their families in the neighborhoods where they live
• Healthy family and youth development, including the role of families in preventing system involvement and in strengthening communities
• Targeted opportunities for disconnected youth, including supportive pathways to stable employment and education
• Holistic, comprehensive support delivered via coordination among community service providers and their links to youth and families
• Intervention prior to justice system involvement for low-, medium-, and high-risk young people

Alongside these efforts to prevent crime, CJII is focusing on enhancing efforts that cut across systems to improve public safety. These efforts include

• Creating a network of community navigators to connect individuals to the resources and services they need and to increase coordination among city agencies and community-based service providers.
• Acknowledging and addressing the effects of trauma to identify effective approaches to treating trauma in underserved groups.