Charles A. Madden, Executive Director of the Wilmington HOPE Commission discusses the history of the HOPE Commission, supporting individuals beyond incarceration and seeking solutions for healthier communities in the City of Wilmington.

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New Castle County has awarded seven grants that were designed to promote economic development or job growth to community groups.

First State Community Loan Fund got $15,000 to develop a retail business incubator program.

Historic New Castle Alliance got $15,000 to install “Historic New Castle” signs to guide visitors to downtown parking lots.

Wilmington Hope Commission got $7,500 to establish an achievement center that would offer services to former inmates.

Claymont Renaissance Development Corp. got $7,500 to establish a sign-and-landscape reimbursement program to encourage businesses to improve their properties.

Theatrical Delights got $6,500 to develop a youth-run dinner theater and training center at the Rose Hill Community Center near New Castle.

Hockessin Business Association got $1,500 to expand its “Destination Hockessin” campaign by creating maps that highlight shopping, dining and other attractions.

The town of Bellefonte got $1,000 to improve the Bellefonte Arts Festival and make it a showcase for area businesses.

The one-time grants are part of the county’s “Sowing Seeds, Growing Jobs” program announced earlier this year. The recipients had to match the grants in order to receive them.

Read about the other award granteees here …

There was a bit of HOPE in the news this past weekend. Over the past few weeks, we have read story after story detailing the violence that has left many residents scared and disheartened while also continuing to perplex law enforcement, political and community leadership. Southbridge, Wilmington’s oldest community celebrated its 4^th Annual Southbridge Community Weekend. The festivities began Friday evening with a Luau for the Seniors. Saturday was filled with fellowship, unity, food, music and activities for the entire family. One of the many highlights of the day/weekend was the formal recognition of the 13 high school graduates of the class of 2012 (7 males and 6 females) from Southbridge. The weekend also included images of children enjoying moon bounces, live animals, games, live entertainment throughout Southbridge, food, health screenings, a friendly basketball tournament and finally a joint church service on Sunday to wrap up the weekend. There was a ton of pride and smiles on display as residents enjoyed this year’s community day. One long time resident (66 years) stated that this weekend was one of the best weekends the residents of Southbridge. The weekend was a huge success for the over 750 residents and volunteers who participated.

The Southbridge Community Weekend is a platform for the HOPE Commission along with our community partners to demonstrate the power of partnerships and to further reinforce the importance of unity and the need for individuals to take care for and be responsible to one another. One volunteer stated she chose to contribute to the day because it was about ‘being a part of something bigger than myself’. As we work to transform our neighborhoods, it is important to celebrate the victories and be reminded that the vast majority of the residents take pride in making a vibrant place to live. This is the true meaning of community.

Read more on the 4th Annual Southbridge Community Weekend here

Shortly after an opinion piece written by Executive Director, Charles A. Madden, in The News Journal’s Delaware Voices, the state commits resources to assist the city. Read about it here. What do you think about the strategy offered as a solution? Leave your comment on this post! Or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!

In recent weeks, Wilmington has witnessed an increase in gun violence. We have also witnessed a number of reactions to an increasingly troublesome epidemic. Reactions include organized rallies/marches, discussions of extending the operating hours of local community centers, demands for community policing strategies and gun buy-back programs as potential solutions. While I applaud these efforts led by community leaders and residents who are frustrated, fearful and overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation facing Wilmington, I am concerned that many of the solutions offer temporary relief and few address the underlying cause of the violence.The chief of Wilmington’s Police Department suggests the common thread in the recent violence remains unchanged; “drugs, firearms and repeat offenders with an extensive criminal history.” Ultimately, the success any effort will rest with our ability to balance traditional law enforcement tactics with community engagement practices, collaboration with social services and community-based agencies. Not long ago while attending a public safety meeting of the Wilmington City Council I learned that the average arrestee in Wilmington has 9 to 10 prior arrests. Ex-offenders with proven social support programs, employment and drug treatment, are less likely to re-offend. Perhaps its time we focus our attention on this identifiable segment of the population. Rehabilitating men who cycle through the criminal justice system must become a priority as more than 90 percent of them return to our community. Imagine the impact on families and communities where more than 60 percent of the men are incarcerated or on probation or parole. Our communities suffer from low educational attainment, lack of employment opportunities and economic development, homes headed by single-parents, poor health and abject poverty. The Wilmington communities to which these individuals return are ill-equipped to support successful reintegration. It is unreasonable to believe that communities lacking adequate resources and support systems can properly support men returning from prison. One of the most effective ways to reduce crime in our communities is to reduce the number of individuals who cycle in and out of the criminal justice system.Effective re-entry programming combines the energy and resources of law enforcement, social service agencies and most importantly organized community groups to reinforce and model pro-social behaviors. Concentrating our resources on high-risk offenders has proven to be a sound investment in reducing recidivism while reducing the costs of incarceration on the taxpayer. A study conducted by New York: Urban Institute reported that treating offenders saved taxpayers more than $1.5 billion 18 months later, with the largest savings due to reductions in crime.Marches and rallies allow individuals an opportunity to unify in reaction to an event(s), but we must harness that energy into action items resulting in sustainable solutions we can commit to as a collective. We cannot police our way out of violence and thus must place emphasis on engaging the residents of these communities in developing solutions. After all, the residents of these communities are most affected.We should start this process by engaging the very people most affected by violence. No, they will not come with lofty titles like executive director or consist of seasoned grant writers, or consultants, but they have a voice and perspective that is important to the process. They are the change agents we need. They must be included in the conversations that lead to actions on how we might begin to reestablish ‘normal’ behaviors’. I am convinced there is a cadre of caring residents in each neighborhood ready to act. I know some of them personally who with proper support are ready – in fact they have always been at the table ready to take action – we need to sit at ‘their’ table. Once developed this collective effort can become a powerful movement. We have to learn to listen carefully to one another and compromise – there is not one single answer to this problem and we all have a role to play – residents, community leaders, elected officials, businesses and law enforcement. Together, we can transform out ‘broken’ communities into vibrant neighborhoods.

We want to thank everyone for their support of H.B.9. We were able to get the bill through the Senate. We are one step closer to removing the five year grace period that would allow an ex felon to vote. Next stop…the House! Please check the website regularly as we will need your support. Join our email list to receive updates on the bill’s progress.

In Delaware, individuals who have a felony conviction face significant barriers to being able to exercise their right to vote.

Even once court fines and restitution are paid off, and a felon is discharged from probation, he/she must wait an ADDITIONAL five years before being able to vote. The five year waiting period essentially acts as a civic penalty and excludes thousands of people from voting in Delaware. Delaware is one of only 11 states that limits voting rights for people with a felony conviction.

House Bill 9 seeks to remove the 5 year waiting period so that individuals who have served their time, completed their probation, and paid their fines can once again regain their right to vote. This bill would not change the lifetime voting ban for those convicted of murder, manslaughter, sexual felonies, bribery, or abuse of office.

According to the ACLU, 74% of those affected by felony disfranchisement laws nationally are currently living in their communities, working, supporting families, and paying taxes. Prohibiting individuals from voting even after they have completed their sentence & their probation and taken care of their financial responsibilities is an unjust policy that erects another barrier to successful ex-offender reentry into the community.

The effort to eliminate voter disenfranchisement has been supported by a number of U.S. Presidents from both political parties, including Presidents George W. Bush, Carter, Clinton, and Ford.

Please act now, and tell your State Senator that you support civic involvement by people who have paid their debt to society.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP

2.Not sure who your state Senator is?  Find out HERE.  You will need your 9 digit zip code (look it up HERE).

1. Forward this email to your civically minded friends, neighbors, and colleagues and ask them to TAKE ACTION.

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Each year, over 1,200 individuals are released from Delaware’s prisons into three Wilmington zip codes: *19801, 19802 and 19805. This is about nine percent of the city’s African- American adult male population, and about 18 percent of the Delaware state prison popula- tion. In these three zip codes, more than 50 percent of men 18 and older—7,200 men out of 14,000—are on probation.

Click here to learn more about the conference

Conference Agenda

DOING WHAT WORKS:

TESTED STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING RECIDIVISM

February 24, 2012
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
The Chase Center On The Riverfront
Christina Ballroom
800 South Madison Street Wilmington, DE 19801

97% OF DELAWARE’S PRISONERS RETURN TO THEIR COMMUNITIES

Each year, over 1,200 individuals are released from Delaware’s prisons into three Wilmington zip codes: *19801, 19802 and 19805. This is about nine percent of the city’s African- American adult male population, and about 18 percent of the Delaware state prison popula- tion. In these three zip codes, more than 50 percent of men 18 and older—7,200 men out of 14,000—are on probation.

Goals

• Provide state, federal, and executive level judicial and criminal justice leaders with information on evidence-based reentry policies and practices.
• Encourage formal and informal interagency collaborations among community-based organizations, the judiciary, the state, and their federal counterparts.
• Build relationships and trust among system stakeholders.

Objectives

The Reentry Forum will:

• Provide key decision makers with information from nation- ally renowned experts who will share best practices in reentry. They will focus on evidence-based practices that have been proven to reduce recidivism.
• Understand the fundamentals of reentry policy and practice (i.e., evidence-based practice and its relationship to recidivism reduction) and the relationship of evidence-based practices to the pretrial and sentencing phases.
• Identify barriers to alignment, coordination, and collaboration among system stakeholders and begin to identify strategies for overcoming the barriers.