Boston Public Health Commission's Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Project

The Boston CVIPI project will be led by the Boston Public Health Commission’s Violence Prevention Division, which partners with Boston communities to address and prevent multiple forms of violence and related trauma. Using a Transformative Justice approach, we will work at three levels—engaging returning citizens in healing services in prison and the community, engaging families/caregivers, and reconnecting returning citizens.

The target population will be people returning to Boston neighborhoods after incarceration for violent crimes and their families/caregivers. The age range of participants will vary because we are targeting juvenile offenders who may be incarcerated for long periods of time, along with family members and caregivers. The project defines high-risk as individuals returning to the community after incarceration as youthful offenders for violent crimes. Target neighborhoods are Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury, where the majority of the city’s Black residents and Latino residents live.

Activities/Objectives: Conduct needs assessment and planning process. Engage 220 returning citizens in prison and the community. Engage 60 family members/caregivers of those who are incarcerated or are returning citizens. Expand the Caregivers Initiative, a program for women caregivers in the community who are dealing with the issues related to having a child reentering the home and community from incarceration. Engage returning citizens and families with resident structures in their communities.