Byrd Barr Place’s Post

Are you a caregiver of youth involved in the juvenile justice system? Here's an opportunity to earn up to $160 while helping manage your stress! Participate in a study by clicking the link below for more information. Your contribution can make a difference. Link to study: https://lnkd.in/exHd-VCg

Thanks, Shantay, for sharing this key insight. Last week at the Cities United Convening, our colleagues unveiled some striking data on the financial cost of violence at the local level. The figures go beyond dollars—they represent lives altered and potentially unfulfilled. In Baltimore, we're not just looking at a staggering $2.4M per homicide but at a ripple of broken hearts and lifetimes of sorrow that follow. Each non-fatal shooting carries a $1.5M price tag, yet the hidden costs of trauma and fear can't be quantified. In Maryland, we must put a price on the communal grief, the shattered sense of safety, and the generational impact these events seed. These aren't just numbers; they're wake-up calls. We applaud Offices of Violence Prevention (OVPs) across the country who use this data to strengthen their sustainability arguments. This isn't solely a criminal justice issue—it's a public health crisis that demands a strategic, empathetic, and well-funded response. As we present these cost analyses, let's ensure we're not forgetting the immeasurable human cost. It's time to leverage this knowledge to advocate for comprehensive solutions that address not only the fiscal implications but also the profound emotional and societal toll. Through social capital building between all stakeholders, we can work towards a future where the cost of violence is not a common ledger entry but a rare exception. #transform2change #socialcapitalbuilders #knowyournetwork #citiesunited 

Specifically, the Frederick Douglass Act: · Seeks to promote situational awareness training—prevention—on how not to be a victim for both elementary and secondary students and faculty through the Frederick Douglass Human Trafficking Prevention Education Grants; · Authorizes survivors’ employment, housing, and education programs; · Authorizes a new $175 million over five years program for DOJ Housing Assistance Grants for victims of human trafficking; · Makes scalable programs through training of the trainers and collaboration with Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; · Encourages the usage of prevention efforts to include accessible, age-appropriate, and trauma-informed approaches for USAID beneficiaries and the further incorporation of counter-trafficking efforts across the development portfolio; · Streamlines statutory language for Tier 2 Watch List; · Reauthorizes the Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; and · Adds forced organ harvesting trafficking as part of the annual TIP Report to expose China and other countries for this crime.

All children and families deserve to live a purposeful and happy life with hope for the future. When families have what they need, when they need it, without stigma, children can thrive. When thinking about your vote in the Presidential primary and candidates for U.S. Representative, consider the positions of candidates and whether they support Prevent Child Abuse America’s Federal Policy Priorities (https://lnkd.in/e3nVz-de) Let’s vote for #PositiveChildhoodsNC! #CampaignforPositiveChildhoods #PreventionPolicy #FamilyFriendlyPolicy

Cal Wellness recognizes the profound importance of the Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's decision to take a #publichealth approach to #gunviolence prevention and call for increased #research funding to help us better understand and prevent gun violence in communities across California and the U.S., including community violence interventions that use evidence-informed strategies to reduce violence. We applaud this progress and urge decisionmakers to partner with people whose lives are affected by gun violence — and to surface solutions and support policies that will save lives. During this Gun Violence Prevention Month, we celebrate this especially momentous decision. Cal Wellness will continue to work with innovative organizations such as Hope and Heal Fund, The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention, Urban Peace Institute, YouthAlive!, Black and Brown Collective, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Advance Peace, Brotherhood Unified for Independent Leadership Through Discipline (BUILD) Program, and others to get closer to making it possible for everyone to live in safe, healthy communities free from gun violence. https://lnkd.in/gy8wQb-u

📢 Still time to sign up! Calling all teachers, carers, social workers, policymakers and health professionals. Our free online webinar tomorrow will focus on responding to child criminal exploitation; hear from @actnforchildren's Sharon Maciver and @CYCJScotland's Donna McEwan: https://buff.ly/3VZXkGj Published in March, Shattered Lives, Stolen Futures, the report of the Jay Review of Criminally Exploited Children commissioned by Action for Children, starkly set out how the lives of children and their families are being blighted by exploitation across the UK and that a new system of prevention, a legal code, and support is required, designed with the explicit purpose of tackling the criminal exploitation of children. This webinar will provide an opportunity to highlight some of the complex challenges around multi-agency partnerships being able to identify and respond to the criminal exploitation of children and how to bring together existing knowledge, policy and legislation to better support ways to meet the recommendations of the review to protect all children.

To become gainfully employed, returning citizens need vocational skills.

🕊️ Justice for Sonya Massey: A Call for Systemic Change 🕊️ Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old mother of three, was tragically shot in the face by police on July 6, 2024, in her Springfield, Illinois home after calling 911 to report a suspected intruder. Charges were filed against the officer on July 17, 2024, and he was fired the same day. Body cam footage, released on July 22, 2024, revealed the chaotic scene leading to her death. Justice requires more than charges—it requires systemic change. Key Facts: • Black individuals represent 27% of those killed by police, despite being only 13% of the population. • Gun violence is the number one killer of children and youth in the U.S. (Source: Brady: United Against Gun Violence). • The Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy declared firearm violence a public health epidemic on December 15, 2022, and provided an advisory in June 2024 setting national precedent. Relevance: • Constitutional Basis: Article IV, Section 4 grants states the authority to protect public safety and welfare. • Equal Protection Clause: The 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause mandates equal protection under the law for all citizens. • Public Health Crisis: Treating gun violence, including police violence, as a public health issue means states can take proactive measures to address and prevent violence through public health strategies. Actions Needed: 1. Divest funds from traditional policing. 2. Invest in community-led safety solutions. 3. Promote restorative justice practices. Empower Your Voice for Change: • Register to Vote: Ensure you are registered and know the deadlines. • Research Candidates: Make informed decisions about who will best represent your interests. • Vote Locally and Nationally: Local elections directly impact police accountability and community safety. • Reminder: All voting is local. While we can’t legislate away hate, we can create policies that foster vibrant, just, and healthy communities. Register to vote, educate yourself on the issues, and vote in both local and national elections to make a difference. Sources: NPR; Vera Institute of Justice Center for American Progress #JusticeForSonyaMassey #EndGunViolence #EndPoliceViolence #CommunitySafety #Vote

**🚨 The Fight Against Violence in Our Communities 🚨** Violence continues to plague impoverished communities across our nation, tearing apart families and limiting the potential of entire generations. It's time for us to take a stand—not just with words, but with comprehensive, actionable solutions. As we work together to address the root causes—poverty, lack of education, unemployment, and insufficient social services—we must recognize that prevention is key. It's about more than just law enforcement; it's about creating environments where our youth can thrive, where opportunities outweigh the temptations of crime, and where communities come together to uplift one another. We need programs that provide intervention, social services, and educational opportunities, supported by neighborhood alliances and economic development. It's on all of us to build a safer, brighter future for everyone. Join me in leading this crucial conversation. Together, we can be the change our communities desperately need. 💪🏽 #ViolencePrevention #CommunityEmpowerment #ThoughtLeader #SocialChange #SaferCommunities #LeadershipForChange