YOU.

BRANDIS.

JOANNA, THANK YOU.

MORE THAN 80% OF HOMICIDES IN 2023 WERE ON CHICAGO'S SOUTH AND WEST SIDES.

ACCORDING TO CITY DATA.

>> A DEEPER LOOK SHOWS WEST GARFIELD PARK WITH 48 HOMICIDES IN NEARBY COMMUNITY AREAS.

NOT SO FAR BEHIND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE FOCUSING ON THESE AREAS TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THOSE MOST IMPACTED IN AN EFFORT TO STOP CYCLES OF VIOLENCE.

JOINING US NOW, OUR ADAM ALONSO CEO OF BUILT CHICAGO AND MICAH BATTLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BRIDGE TO FEED FREEDOM.

THANKS TO YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

ALONZO BUILDS PROGRAMS.

YOU WITH A LOT OF YOUTH.

GIVE US A SENSE OF WHY WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE SERVES TO REDUCE VIOLENCE AND HOMICIDE RATES IN WE'RE BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS, WERE BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS WERE GETTING TO KNOW YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR ENTIRE DEVELOPMENTAL SORT OF CONTINUE ON RIGHT.

>> AND THE MORE YOU HAVE TIME TO INTERACT AND ENGAGE AND LISTEN TO A YOUNG PERSON, YOU HELP THEM TO NAVIGATE SOME OF THE TOUGH PARTS OF LIFE OF JUST GROWING UP BEING A TEENAGER.

IF YOU THINK BACK TO OUR TIMES IS NOT AN EASY TIME AND YOUNG PEOPLE GOING UP TODAY REALLY NEED SOMEONE BY THEIR SIDE AS A MENTOR AND SO BUILD REALLY FOCUSES ITS WORK THINKING ABOUT HOW SOON COULD WE ACTUALLY MEET THEM?

WALK WITH THEM SIDE BY SIDE CONNECT WITH THEIR THEIR PARENTS, UNCLES, GRANDPARENTS, MAYBE IN THE FAMILY SO THAT IT'S A WHERE IS THE TEAM WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP THIS YOUNG PERSON BE THEIR BEST?

>> HOW DO YOU WORK WITH KIDS WHO MAY HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED SOME TRAUMA TO HELP THEM RECOVER?

SURE.

SO IT FIRST AND FOREMOST, JUST TO BE THERE TO LISTEN SEE HOW THEY'RE FEELING WHAT THEY'RE THINKING.

>> WE CONNECT OBVIOUSLY THROUGH OUR CLINICAL DEPARTMENT AS WELL.

FOR THOSE WHO NEED COUNSELING.

BUT SOMETIMES JUST SOMEONE TO LISTEN.

WE PROVIDE THEM A LOT OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES BECAUSE THAT CAN BE THERAPEUTIC AND OF ITSELF FOR USE.

ART AS A IS THAT THEY'RE PRETTY TOOL AS WELL.

AND OFTENTIMES WE FIND YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING THERE WITH A BRUSH OR PENCIL IN YOUR HEAD CAN ACTUALLY START TO UNLOCK SOME THINGS THAT THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT WITH ONE OF THE MENTORS WHO IS THERE IN OUR ROOM WITH THEM.

BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALSO TREAD LIGHTLY, RIGHT?

BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE THEM RELIVE ALL OF THE FEELINGS AND TRAUMA IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND ASKED SOMEONE TO OPEN UP AND SHARE EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED BECAUSE IT IS HARD.

AND SO YOU CAREFULLY WEIGHT, IT'S WHATEVER PERSON FEELS READY TO START TO SHARE YOU LITTLE BITS AT A TIME UNTIL THEY GAIN CONFIDENCE AND FEEL DIFFERENT AND BETTER AND ULTIMATELY WORK TOWARDS HEALING.

>> MICAH BATTLE.

YOU KNOW, ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM OF PEOPLE THAT YOU WORK YOU WORK WITH MANY FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE WHO ARE REENTERING THEIR COMMUNITIES.

GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING WHEN THEY COME HOME.

>> WELL, THEY'RE EXPERIENCING MANY DON'T FAMILIES AND CLEAN ENVIRONMENTS CAN GO BACK SOUTH BRIDGE TO FREEDOM IS THAT CATALYST FOR THE PLACE FOR SO WE PROVIDE HOUSING FOR MEN AND WOMEN WHO COME HOME FROM PRISON.

BUT THAT HOUSING COMPONENT COMES ANGER MANAGEMENT LICE DOWN DIRECTIONS, TRAUMA DRUG WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT RESUME WRITING AS I HEARD THEM SAYING, ALL WE ALSO DO ARE BECAUSE SOMETIMES EASIER TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO IN ART OR IN SPOKEN WORD OR JOURNALING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

8 OUT OF 10 HAVE ARE BEHIND BARS, DRUG ADDICTIONS TAKE WERE HIGH WHEN THEY COMMITTED THEIR CRIME OR THEY COMMIT CRIME TO GET SO THE REHABILITATION ART IS VERY IMPORTANT IN OUR REHABILITATION IN WITH THE PEOPLE.

>> SO OBVIOUSLY IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF WRAP AROUND SERVICES ARE NECESSARY.

THEY'RE MICAH, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT MIGHT LEAD TO RECIDIVISM FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE REENTERING?

WHAT IS SOME OF THE I'M SORRY.

I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT MIGHT LEAD TO RECIDIVISM.

>> WELL, DRUG TRAUMAS UNRESOLVED TRAUMAS THAT DIDN'T GET RESOLVED.

SO I LIKE I SAID, WE DO THE TRAUMA I'M NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND A JOB EDUCATION.

WE ALSO HAVE A GED PROGRAMS.

WE HAVE ONLINE COLLEGE COURSE.

AND WE ALSO APPRENTICESHIPS ARE LIKE CARPENTRY, ELECTRICITY, PLUMBING, BUT INVESTORS BECAUSE WE HAVE A COFFEE SHOP AND STAGE HANDS BECAUSE WE HAVE A THEATER AND WRITERS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.

EMPLOYMENT IS A BIG AREA AS WELL.

>> I'M ADAM BUILD IS IN THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD WERE JUST DISCUSSING THE BIG, BEAUTIFUL NEW BUILDING THAT YOU ALL HAVE.

BUT WEST GARFIELD PARK, WHICH IS A COMMUNITY AREA NOT TOO FAR.

THAT IS ACTUALLY THE AREA THAT IS MOST IMPACTED BY HOMICIDES LAST YEAR.

AND OF COURSE, WE COULD.

YOU KNOW, WE COULD ALSO TALK ABOUT THE MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT AUSTIN AS WELL.

BUT HOW DOES VIOLENCE AND HOMICIDES IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ONE COMMUNITY IMPACT IN NEIGHBORING BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER.

AND SO YOU HAVE.

>> PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING FROM ONE NEIGHBORHOOD TO ANOTHER AS HE WAS THERE TO COMMIT AN ACT OF VIOLENCE OR HIDING BACK AFTER THEY'VE DONE THAT RIGHT.

AND SO I KNOW THAT WE SEVERAL PROGRAMS, ALLOW ENTRY SCHOOLS AND IT REALLY TRY TO LAY DOWN SOME ROOTS THERE TO HELP SUPPORT FAMILIES AND YOUNG WELL, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT WERE AT ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE A COUPLE HOMICIDES THAT HAPPENED DURING A SCHOOL DAY.

AND YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE ACT OF TRAUMA AND NOW YOU'RE BEING LOCKED DOWN IN YOUR SCHOOL AND YOU CAN'T GO OUTSIDE AND THERE'S A LARGE POLICE PRESENCE.

THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT YOU HAVE TO REALLY WORK ON MOTHER EARLIER ON.

SO WITH ME COULD GET SOME.

THEY'RE COMING OUT FROM HAVING BEEN SPENT TIME INCARCERATED.

BUT AT NO POINT, DID ANYONE REALLY TRY TO HELP MANY GET SOME OF THE TRAUMA THAT THEY FELT RIGHT?

SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE FULL SPECTRUM FROM US, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THEM EARLY TO 13 YEARS AND BEYOND BECAUSE PICKING THEM UP AFTER THEY'VE HAD A LONG STINT PERHAPS AND THAT ALL THE TRAUMA THAT'S BUILT UP FROM BEING INCARCERATED ADDED ON TO THE FACT OF WHAT HAPPENED TO MAY BE GETTING TO THAT POINT OF INCARCERATION.

SO IT REALLY DOES TAKE ALL OF US WHO ARE TOGETHER REGARDLESS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

>> WE'VE GOT ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED TO SUPPORT YOUR WORK?

>> SOME OF THE RESOURCES IS ALWAYS FUNDING GRANT FUNDING DONATIONS, FUNDING, FUNDING, FUNDING AND NETWORKING IN WRAPAROUND SERVICES LIKE BUILD AND OTHER PLACES THAT LAY THEM GIVE RESOURCES OR HELP TO TRAIN THEM.

AND ALSO MEANT TOOLS.

WE NEED MENTORS AND CHURCHES TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME THEM AND NOT JUDGE.

WHEN THEY COME HOME TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM AND THEY AND, YOU INSTEAD OF BEEN MENACES TO SOCIETY TO BECOME CITIZENS IN SOCIETY BECAUSE THEY ARE RETURNING CITIZENS.

>> ALL RIGHT.

A LOT OF COMING FROM BOTH OF YOUR