One Detroit Violence Reduction Partnership Observes Second Chance Month by Hosting Community Roundtable

DETROIT - April is Second Chance month, a time to raise awareness of and find solutions to the barriers that exist for individuals who are returning from incarceration. The One Detroit Violence Reduction Partnership is committed to helping those with criminal convictions successfully rejoin the community, and our strategy is straightforward.  First, to identify the justice-impacted residents who are at most risk of re-offending and second, engage with this population to meet their most pressing needs.  The One Detroit Partnership has combined government and community resources to help encourage successful reentry for justice-impacted citizens.

“Second Chances are not limited to the month of April.  There are opportunities available year- round for individuals returning to their communities who are ready to take full advantage of their second chance,” said Dawn N. Ison, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, “We understand that every person who successfully reintegrates into the community helps make our community safer."

For nearly a year, the One Detroit Partnership has been engaging with justice-impacted residents through community roundtables.  The roundtables are made up of people who are currently on supervised release or probation who have been identified by the United States Probation Department and the Michigan Department of Corrections as being at moderate or severe risk of committing violent crimes.  So far, we have served over 160 justice-impacted individuals along with family members in seven community roundtables.   The first six roundtables all took place in Detroit’s 8^th and 9^th Police Precincts, which have also been the focus of One Detroit’s enforcement and prevention efforts.   Last week, we expanded with our first community roundtable in the 2^nd Precinct.  Plans are currently underway for a community roundtable in Flint.

The roundtables consist of a cohort of roughly 20-30 parolees or probationers along with accompanying family members. The roundtable begins with the cohort hearing from a panel of justice-impacted individuals who provide motivation and insight about how to take advantage of a second chance after a criminal conviction.  The panel is organized by returning citizens with messages crafted to reach the cohort and offer examples of successful reintegration into the community.  At the conclusion of the panel, the justice-impacted citizens and their family members are invited to participate in breakout sessions facilitated by staff from Black Family Development and Goodwill Industries to discuss any barriers that might be preventing successful reintegration to society.   Darryl Woods, CEO of Fighting the Good Fight is one of the organizers of the community roundtables. “The roundtables serve as a safe place for those who really want a second chance. They are filled with lifesaving information and resources,” stated Woods.