Title: Weed & Seed In-Sites: January/February 2001
Series: In-Sites 
Author: Executive Office of Weed and Seed
Published: April 2001
Subject: community policing, victim services, drug abuse prevention and
education
43 pages
90,112 bytes

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U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Justice Programs
Executive Office for Weed and Seed

Weed & Seed In-Sites

January/February 2001
Volume IX, Number I

The Weed and Seed Dive Program in St. Thomas

----------------------------

Weed & Seed In-Sites is a publication of the 

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Executive Office for Weed and Seed
810 Seventh Street NW.
Washington, DC 20531
Phone: 202-616-1152 
Fax: 202-616-1159
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows

Stephen Rickman, Director 

Robert M. Samuels, Assistant Director

Nancy Ware, Director of Technical Assistance and Training

Cheryl Driscoll, Supervisory Grants Manager

Paul Casagrande, Special Projects Coordinator

Louise Lucas, DEFY Coordinator

Edison Aponte, Faith Baker, Eric Chin, Michael Connor, Jonathan Faley,
Sharron Fletcher, Robert Hendricks, Erin Holbert, Dionne Johnson, Katherine
Mera, Andrew Press, Romia Gore, Shannon Taitt, Geroma Void, Program
Managers

Claude Thomas, Chief of Staff

Linda Hawkes, Administrative Officer/Grant Specialist

Prince Cummings, Program Analyst

Romia Gore, Public Relations Specialist and In-Sites Editor

Lisa Huff-Galloway, Secretary

Tracy DaCosta, Secretary, Training and Technical Assistance Division

Please send all submissions, comments, or address corrections to the above
address.

----------------------------

On Cover: Advanced open water diver Katisha Ritter and rescue diver
Evonette Nathaniel are graduates of the Weed and Seed Dive Program in St.
Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

----------------------------

From the Director

Over the past few months, I have received many inquiries about how the new
administration would affect the future of Weed and Seed. Our initiative has
always been revered as one of the most successful bipartisan Federal initiatives-
-created by President George Bush in 1990 and taken to remarkable heights
over the past 10 years. We have made significant progress and experienced
unlimited support. This August, we will celebrate a decade of Weed and Seed
at our 2001 National Conference, appropriately titled Leave No Neighborhood
Behind. 

Whether the new "hot topic" in criminal justice is hate crimes, gun violence,
substance abuse, truancy, elder justice, or victimization in the community,
EOWS is called on more often than ever to educate Federal partners on not
only the problems but the solutions that are experienced in America's
communities. While these issues can be characterized by media as national
epidemics overnight by a single incident, the social ailments involved have been
a part of daily life for many Weed and Seed communities for a very long time. 

Today, there are three times the number of people living in State and Federal
prisons than in 1980. More than 500,000 ex-offenders will reintegrate into
America's communities in the next year, posing a major challenge to
communities that already have limited resources. This issue of In-Sites magazine
provides readers with an introduction to Weed and Seed reentry initiatives,
sharing stories from sites that are practicing innovative approaches to address
the needs of releasees.

EOWS celebrates the new look and utility of In-Sites through this introduction
of the magazine. I want to thank our Training Division and the In-Sites team for
their hard work to make In-Sites a publication you can be proud of. Our
In-Sites editor will work with those of you who want to submit site stories to
either the magazine or the EOWS Web site. We look forward to your
feedback.

Stephen Rickman 
Director, EOWS

----------------------------

In-Sites magazine is here! In 1999, the In-Sites newsletter team began a
gradual redesign of a newsletter that had seen little change since its launch in
1993. The publication was expanded by 8 pages, a 4-color cover was
designed, and new feature sections were added. That year, In-Sites was
awarded an Honorable Mention by the National Association of Government
Communicators in the category Most Improved Federal Publication.

In 2000, EOWS Director Stephen Rickman directed that the newsletter add
more "usable resources." He projected a publication that would educate
readers on the intricate concepts of Weed and Seed and give readers cause to
think about the vision of Weed and Seed as a movement. By implementing
gradual editorial changes in each issue, the challenge was met. Every issue has
received great reviews, more site representatives are becoming comfortable 
providing EOWS with stories and commentary, and each week, EOWS
receives an increasing number of requests for new subscriptions. 

EOWS welcomes your comments and your contributions. Please visit 
In-Sites on the EOWS Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/publications.htm.

Romia Gore
Editor, In-Sites magazine
gorer@ojp.usdoj.gov

----------------------------

In This Issue

Inspiring a Community

A Dream Realized
Reclaiming the Streets in Gainesville, Florida
Funding Assistance for Victims of Crime
Trinity Gardens Neighborhood Receives Official Recognition
Diving to New Depths

Reentry Initiatives

A Challenge for Law Enforcement: Tracking Ex-Offenders
Community Supports Seattle Reentry Project 
Building Job Linkages for Ex-Offenders
New Program Helps Young Probationers and Their Families

DEFY

Atlanta's DEFY Youth Go Door to Door 
Camp DEFY Participants Express Thanks 

Winners

A "Nobel" Idea From Death Row Changes Lives Around the World
Syracuse Youth Recognized by the Kennedy Center Alliance

Conflict Resolution Series: Part I

"Working It Out" Through Conflict Resolution 

Departments

Web Sight
Conference Corner
EOWS News
Resources

Succeeding Through Teamwork

----------------------------

A Dream Realized
Daphne Sloan

----------------------------

Sheila Jennings stands in front of Home Girls Catering, the business she
cofounded and now owns. Jennings' success is an inspiration to her
Chattanooga neighbors.

----------------------------

When Sheila Jennings, a single mother, moved to the College Hill Courts public
housing development a decade ago, the Westside community of Chattanooga,
Tennessee, was in a serious state of decline. Like many inner cities in the early
1990s, the Westside community was ridden with crime, drugs, and violence.
The closed elementary school that sat empty in the heart of the community for
years was scheduled for demolition.

In 1993, Jennings enrolled in a program administered by the University of
Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) School of Nursing called A D.A.R.E. to
Parents. The program teaches parents about alcohol and other drug abuse and
provides strategies for fostering community bonds that will discourage alcohol
and other drug abuse by children. (D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance
Education.) Jennings believes her participation in A D.A.R.E. to Parents
prompted her to get involved in other community activities, helped her meet
other single parents with children, and, ultimately, sparked her interest in
community revitalization. Jennings and her neighbors turned to community
groups and local nonprofit and civic organizations, including the Junior League
of Chattanooga, to assist them with the problems in their neighborhood and the
visions they had for its recovery. They realized that they needed to form
partnerships to get the financial backing and technical expertise necessary to
transform the Westside neighborhood. In 1996, the Westside community
applied for and received Official Recognition as a Weed and Seed site. The site
strategy focused on increasing local entrepreneurship and job training.

----------------------------

In 1993, a Chattanooga Weed and Seed resident enrolled herself in a
community intervention course offered in her inner-city neighborhood. The
course inspired her to get involved in her community. Today, the story of her
success and the catering business she runs inspires others in her community to
take chances, face challenges, and fulfill their dreams.

----------------------------

Also in 1996, the Westside Community Development Corporation (WCDC), a
nonprofit corporation, raised $2.4 million from dozens of public and private
organizations and from College Hill Courts residents (who contributed $5,000)
for the renovation of the old James A. Henry Elementary School. Jennings was
the primary driving force in the fundraising initiative, which led to the
transformation of the old school building into the James A. Henry Resource
Center, where residents can access a host of social services.

While serving as chairperson of the WCDC Board of Directors, Jennings and a
few other College Hill Courts residents began preparing meals for the monthly
board meetings--first from their homes, then from the commercial kitchen in the
James A. Henry Resource Center. A WCDC board member liked the food so
much she suggested that Jennings seriously consider going into the catering
business. Jennings shared the idea with Gwen Charles and Gwen Scott,
administrators of the A D.A.R.E. to Parents program; and before they knew it,
the women were in business.

The business began small, catering lunches for public agencies and nonprofit
groups. In October 1996, the business adopted its current name, Home Girls
Catering, and received an invitation to exhibit at the annual fundraiser of the
Junior League of Chattanooga. At the event, Home Girls sold triple chocolate
cheesecakes and almost 1,000 loaves of poundcake, which put the business's
baked goods on the proverbial map and gave Home Girls an opportunity to
broaden its customer base.

In 1999, Jennings became the sole owner of the business. Since then, she has
hired three other public housing residents as a cook, a cashier, and a cashier
trainee. 

Hard work, dedication, and holding steadfast to her dreams has paid off for
Jennings. Home Girls caters affairs ranging from business lunches to elaborate
evening receptions. The company also provides breakfast, snacks, and lunches
for the children and staff of the Siskin/Westside Child Development Center
daycare, located in the James A. Henry Resource Center.

Jennings still lives in College Hill Courts, where she stays close to    the
developments in her community. Through her efforts, the neighborhood now
has the Community 2000 Neighborhood Association, which provides
leadership-training opportunities for Westside residents.

Following her example, other West-side residents have adopted the belief that
community involvement brings them closer to realizing personal dreams.
Napoleon Jackson, owner of Beginning to End, and Michael Ellis, owner of
Metro Paint Company, Inc., have begun traveling the road of self-actualization.
Jackson, who has a landscape and lawn care business, graduated from the local
community college in December 2000. His first contract was the Westside
Grove Street Community Park, located in the heart of the Westside community.
Ellis is Westside's resident painter, having won a contract to paint units in the
Chattanooga Housing Authority that are located in the Westside community. He
began a painting training class in May 2000 and graduated six residents in
August. All six became employees in his business.

Westside Weed and Seed plans to provide educational opportunities for youth
and nurture them in entrepreneurship. Each entrepreneur gives back to the
community and the Weed and Seed program by sharing his or her dreams,
goals, and accomplishments with local youth and other residents. By witnessing
the achievements of their neighbors firsthand, residents are motivated to build
their own success stories.

"Many people who live in housing projects feel there are certain boundaries
they cannot cross. They just need to see that it can be done," Jennings said.

----------------------------

Reclaiming the Streets in Gainesville, Florida
Lt. Ed Book

In north central Florida, 85 miles south of Georgia, the city of Gainesville has
maintained a strong commitment to a local Weed and Seed strategy that has
helped convert a few crime-ridden neighborhoods into areas where people can
live without fear for their safety.

Gainesville is home to approximately 208,000 residents (44,000 of whom are
students of the University of Florida). The population of the Weed and Seed
target area is 9,400, according to the 1990 census. In 1996, before Weed and
Seed was on the scene, more than 50 percent of black males between ages 16
and 26 were unemployed, more than 3,000 mothers received Aid to Families
With Dependent Children (AFDC), more than 10,000 children lived in poverty
(36 percent of families lived below the poverty level), and the high school
dropout rate was 10 percent. Like most cities its size, Gainesville's greatest
citywide crime problems were drug dealing and use, burglary, assault and
battery, loitering, and theft.

"There was a time . . . when drug dealers were actually stopping cars in both
lanes, making people wait while they sold drugs," said Eleanor Loseke, who
has lived in the neighborhood for more than 30 years. 

----------------------------

Three dumpsters were needed to collect the trash at the 1999 Highland Court
Manor Crime Watch Cleanup.

----------------------------

In 1997, Gainesville was funded as an Officially Recognized Weed and Seed
site after the Gainesville Police Department partnered with the Alachua County
School Board to form a Weed and Seed coalition. This team immediately
began weeding efforts in the target area, a small neighborhood in the
northeastern portion of the city. In December 1998, an extensive street-level
drug market operating in the heart of the Gainesville Weed and Seed Highland
Court Manor neighborhood was eradicated by local law enforcement agents.
The U.S. Attorney's Office, working with the local Weed and Seed residents,
secured 13 Federal guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. A focus on
street-level crack dealing led agents to bigger dealers and more connections.
Eventually, the operation seized 2  kilos of crack cocaine, which would have
been broken down into 225,000 crack rocks to be distributed in Gainesville. 

The weeding strategies in Highland Court Manor were matched with equal
enthusiasm on a different front by a neighborhood crime watch group to combat
street-level drug dealers. The crime watch group began work by seeding
innovative, effective, and widespread practices in the target area, including
removing literally tons of refuse from the area through neighborhood cleanups;
coordinating a "Paint Your Heart Out" event to spruce up neighborhood homes;
enhancing code enforcement efforts for nuisance violations such as unkempt
lawns, abandoned cars, and dilapidated housing; installing traffic "calming"
devices such as speed humps that slow down cars and make neighbors feel
more neighborly; and increasing lighting along alleys in the area. Coordinators
alerted and involved the media, welcoming them into the target area to meet
with police officers, residents, and city officials.

While seeding efforts have focused on the Highland Court Manor
neighborhood, the benefits of the Weed and Seed strategy have filtered into
surrounding areas, particularly the schools. A local resident started a tutoring
program with the help of the Weed and Seed board, and Stephen Foster
Elementary School created an extended- day summer enrichment program
(EDEP) that was funded and staffed with Weed and Seed funds. EDEP
curriculum programs have been designed to stimulate young minds and feature
activities such as sailboat design classes, nutrition workshops, and art projects.
Educational field trips include visits to the Florida Museum of Natural History,
the Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo, and the Fred Bear Archery
Museum.

Gainesville has enjoyed smaller seeding projects on an equally successful scale.
These projects include a community and school garden where families and
students learn to cultivate and grow fruits and vegetables. The garden is one
component of a family nutrition program that is offered to parents and students
at schools in the Weed and Seed areas.

The Gainesville neighborhoods, schools, art programs, and community groups
all agree that Weed and Seed has made a positive difference in northeast
Gainesville.

"We go out walking at night and say hi to each other. Nobody would ever even
think of doing that before," said 15-year resident Kim Mobley.

Today, the Highland Court Manor and nearby Pine Forest neighborhoods are
much safer, much cleaner, and much more livable--in large part due to the
tremendous cooperative work of landlords, local police, the Alachua County
School Board, and, mostly, the committed residents in the target area.
Gainesville Weed and Seed now enters its fourth year of funding and is excited
about continuing efforts to rebuild other city neighborhoods.

----------------------------

Reentry Initiatives

A Challenge for Law Enforcement: Tracking Ex-Offenders
Capt. Bob DeMoura

Law enforcement officers ensure the safety of the citizens and business owners
living and operating within a designated area. Weed and Seed community
police officers go one step further by building positive relationships between the
residents and business owners of the area they serve. They also work with
support services within the community, including local schools, churches, and
social service organizations operated by community groups and the city. Such
efforts have certainly made Lowell a better place to live for everyone.

In years past, many people in the Weed and Seed target area lacked a feeling
of community ownership; they were afraid of their own streets. The community
was ruled by individuals who were bringing the drug business into the
neighborhood and bringing down the quality of life. Through local weeding
efforts, these individuals were either incarcerated or forced to move elsewhere,
and Lowell Weed and Seed community residents made the streets safer for
themselves and their children. By taking ownership, residents set goals for a
better future.

----------------------------

While many law enforcement agencies have separate divisions for community
policing, the Lowell Police Department in Massachusetts dissolved its
community policing unit years ago. Today, all officers, regardless of assignment
or rank, are expected to embrace the philosophies of community policing. It is
no surprise that Lowell officers took a highly active role in coordinating the
Lowell Prisoner Reentry Initiative, through which officers help ensure positive
reintegration of ex-offenders while protecting the community they serve.

----------------------------

Many of the men and women arrested in Lowell during early weeding efforts
are nearing the end of their incarceration and are about to return to a
community much different from the one they once knew. Local law enforcement
must ensure that, on release, ex-offenders quickly learn that their "old ways" are
not going to be tolerated and that the streets as they once knew them are very
different today.

The Lowell Police Department teamed up with the Massachusetts Department
of Corrections and Spectrum, a nonprofit support group, to create the Lowell
Prisoner Reentry Initiative. The Initiative is designed to alleviate the frustration
brought on by the "life in a turnstile" in which some offenders find themselves
trapped--a circle of arrest, court appearance, jail or prison time, release, and
arrest on a new charge or a technical parole violation. 

When an inmate at an area prison is nearing his or her release date, prison
personnel contact representatives from the Lowell Prisoner Reentry Initiative.
Officers study each ex-offender's characteristics and the neighborhood to which
the inmate is returning. Community police officers examine the ex-offender's
case history to determine the number of arraignments, times on probation, adult
incarcerations, and parole releases; number of disciplinary reports filed while
incarcerated; age at first arraignment; age at latest release; marital status; family
support and contact (before, during, and after incarceration); and education
level. The ex-offender risk assessment is also based on whether the inmate was
held in a minimum security, maximum security, or prerelease facility.

Finally, at the correctional facility (prior to the inmate's release), a police officer
meets with the soon-to-be ex-offender and a support person from Spectrum,
an organization that offers support services for inmates being released from
prison. The meeting is an opportunity to discuss the offender's release date and
reintegration into the community. The meeting also gives the police officer an
opportunity to meet the inmate and see what he or she looks like. Usually the
officer who attends this meeting is the officer who works in the ex-offender's
neighborhood; this allows the officer to become familiar with the individual and
learn his or her habits, friends, overall attitude, education level, and so on. The
most important goal of the prerelease meeting is to establish a positive
relationship between the community policing officer and the inmate before his or
her release.

Lowell Weed and Seed hopes that this interaction with inmates prior to their
release will reduce local recidivism rates by successfully reintegrating
ex-offenders into the community while maintaining the quality of life and safety
of the community. The Lowell Prisoner Reentry Initiative gives community
police officers the best opportunity to serve the community.

----------------------------

Funding Assistance for Victims of Crime
Romia Gore

Funding and technical assistance are available to communities that want to
improve or expand their victim assistance efforts. The Victims of Crime Act of
1984 (VOCA) established the Crime Victims Fund, which serves as a major
funding source for victim services throughout the country. Administered by the
U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), the fund is
supported not by tax dollars but by fines, penalty assessments, and bond
forfeitures collected from convicted Federal offenders.

----------------------------

"Crime victims from across the Nation benefit from these programs in real
terms--through direct financial and personal assistance when they most need it.
Over the past 15 years, the Crime Victims Fund has made a tremendous
impact on the services that States are able to provide."

--Kathryn Turman, Director, OVC

----------------------------

About 90 percent of VOCA funding goes directly to the States to support
victim compensation and local victim assistance programs. Most States make
awards on a competitive basis, and any local agency that serves crime victims is
eligible to compete. Through VOCA funding, community organizations have
been able to support law enforcement by providing victims with on-the-scene
crisis intervention, information and referral services, followup contacts,
assistance with obtaining shelter and emergency finances, and help filing victim
compensation claims.

VOCA funding isn't solely for criminal justice agencies. It supports any
government or private nonprofit organization that serves victims--
survivors and families--of crimes that include drunk driving, homicide, assault,
child and spouse abuse, robbery, elder abuse, fraud, school violence, and gang
activity. VOCA funds also can be used to pay for technology that fosters
improved service delivery to victims, such as computers for case management
systems.

OVC also operates a Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC), which
serves as a centralized access point for OVC's training and technical assistance
resources. Through TTAC, OVC provides expert, focused support and
mentoring in program management, program evaluation, and policy/procedure
development to improve services to crime victims. TTAC also ensures that
training materials developed through OVC discretionary grants are available to
the victim services field and that expert trainers are available to present them.
Finally, TTAC enables OVC to supply speakers who have expertise in a wide
range of criminal justice- and victim-related topics for conferences, focus
groups, and other meetings.

Municipal officials interested in expanding their victim assistance serv-ices can
visit the OVC Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc for contact information for
their State VOCA offices and application procedures. Anyone can call OVC at
202-307-5983 for information about State victim compensation and victim
assistance agencies.

----------------------------

Coming in April . . . the Weed and Seed 2001 National Poster Contest! 

Visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/philly.htm for all EOWS National Conference
news. Poster contest details will be posted soon!

1999 Weed and Seed National Poster Contest Winner

Sandy Valdivia 
10 years old
From: Benavidez Elementary School
Houston, TX

1999 Weed and Seed National Poster Contest Winner

Byron Bumpers 
15 years old
From: M.T. Blount High School
Prichard, AL

----------------------------

Reentry Initiatives

Community Supports Seattle Reentry Project 
Kay Godefroy

The Weed and Seed site in Seattle, Washington, received Official Recognition
in 1994. During the program's early years, local law enforcement cracked
down on drug crimes and made numerous arrests. Today, many of these
offenders are being paroled or released back into the neighborhood--a
neighborhood that now enjoys a higher quality of life and is not tolerant of the
drug activities that once plagued its streets.

Under the new Weed and Seed Offender Reentry Pilot Project, support and
treatment services are provided to people recently released from incarceration
who are returning to the central Weed and Seed community. The project's goal
is to welcome ex-offenders back to the community while keeping them
informed of current "community standards." The project began in January 2001
with a carefully planned 4-phase approach, targeting a group of 20 inmates
nearing their release dates.

----------------------------

Seattle's Offender Reentry Pilot Project provides support and treatment
services to ex-offenders who are returning to the community, ensuring the health
of the entire community.

----------------------------

During the first phase, the prerelease phase, program staff join Department of
Corrections staff to work with offenders who have expressed interest in
committing to a reentry program. This prerelease work, which begins 3 to 6
months before the inmate's release, assesses the ex-offender's needs for
housing, health and treatment services, and employment training and placement.

In the release/assessment phase, the now ex-offender is introduced to TASC
(Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes), a community organization that
receives private, Federal, State, and local funding to provide services to
drug-dependent adult felony offenders. The TASC mission is to facilitate
community-based treatment; decrease drug abuse, criminal activity, and
incarceration; and link the criminal justice and drug treatment systems.

Case managers from TASC of King County, Washington, then manage the
ex-offender's final assessment, a phase in which each participant is assigned a
treatment plan with service providers who are partners in the program. The
treatment plan promotes rehabilitation providing family services, job skills
development, drug and alcohol abuse treatment, anger management counseling,
and more. All participants must sign a contract agreeing to the stipulations of the
project and understand their responsibilities as they go through reentry. (The
stipulations require that the participant agree to work with a case manager,
undergo drug treatment if needed, and locate employment and housing.)

The Offender Reentry Advisory Committee is committed to working with case
managers to find resources that meet ex-offender needs. Participants will stay in
the program approximately 1 year. Those who adhere to their contracts will be
rewarded and promoted to the final stage--graduation!

Central Seattle Weed and Seed community partners who provide program
support include the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of
Washington, the Washington Insurance Council, the Seattle Metropolitan
Urban League, the Seattle Neighborhood Group, the Seattle Vocational
Institute, Pioneer Human Services, the Central Area Motivation Program, New
Hope Baptist Church, the Seattle Human Services Department, the Seattle
Police Department, King County Council member Larry Gossett, and
Mid-Town Commons. These partners work together to ensure that
ex-offenders returning to the community are given the support they need.

This pilot project gives Seattle Weed and Seed the opportunity to help the
segment of the community that has spent the past several years behind bars. By
reintegrating them, the health of the entire community is ensured. The Weed and
Seed Offender Reentry Pilot Project is on the right track--and in Seattle, the
community has the commitment, partnership, and determination to help
ex-offenders feel they, too, are on the right track. 

----------------------------

Challenges to Reentry

o Balancing the ex-offender's need for a range of services against the
community's need for accountability.

o Assisting the ex-offender by identifying his or her needs, making appropriate
referrals, and providing advocacy and support on his or her behalf.

o Addressing the community's concerns by monitoring the ex-offender's
progress and helping to prevent him or her from "falling through the cracks" of
community support services.

----------------------------

Trinity Gardens Neighborhood Receives Official Recognition

The morning rain did not keep the more than 200 children, parents, residents,
service providers, and local elected representatives from a recent ceremony at
the Joseph Dotch Community Center in Mobile, Alabama. The event marked
two important Weed and Seed milestones: the Trinity Gardens Neighborhood
received its newly issued certificate for Official Recognition and residents from
the Martin Luther King, Jr., and Maysville neighborhoods received awards for
their accomplishments within the Weed and Seed strategy. EOWS Director
Stephen Rickman was joined by city of Mobile Mayor Michael Dow; Armand
DeKyser, representing Senator Jeff Sessions; U.S. Attorney for the Southern
District of Alabama J. Don Foster; City Council President Clinton Johnson; and
Chief Samuel Cochran from the Mobile Police Department. Eric Day, LECC
Coordinator, moderated the ceremony. 

Students from the Brazier Elementary School offered a musical prelude, the
ROTC Honor Guard from Blount High School presented the flags, and Quintan
Beasley led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Dow presented
a proclamation for the day, commending the dedication of neighborhood
residents and local innovations, such as the teaming of social workers with
police officers in every precinct, that have brought about positive change in
these communities.

----------------------------

Mobile Mayor Michael Dow; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District
of Alabama J. Don Foster; Armand DeKyser, representing Senator Jeff
Sessions; and EOWS Director Stephen Rickman celebrate Trinity Garden's
Official Recognition.

----------------------------

Trinity Gardens Civic Club and Bay Area Women and Explorers Post 402
advisers attend the Official Recognition ceremony for the Trinity Gardens
Neighborhood.

----------------------------

U.S. Attorney Foster thanked the residents and all of the Weed and Seed
partners for their remarkable efforts to make the neighborhoods safer.
"Because of your commitment," Foster told the audience, "we have seen an
overall 15-percent reduction in violent crime and drug-related crime in the
neighborhoods." 

"About 7 years ago, under the leadership of Jeff Sessions, planning for Weed
and Seed began in Mobile. I have come to Mobile, Alabama, today to join you
in celebrating 6 years of people coming together to create a safer community,"
Rickman said. "Perhaps most important, these neighborhood improvement
efforts have provided hope and opportunity to a younger generation of
community residents who can participate in the American dream and are
America's promise. But change in this community, like any other community,
does not happen overnight. . . . It takes time; it takes patience; it takes a
committed group of leaders to stay the course. It takes sustained partnerships.
It takes mutual trust. It requires compromise and understanding. It also takes
faith. Faith that we can succeed--faith in ourselves, our neighborhoods, and our
communities."

Mobile residents and leaders of neighborhood associations receiving awards
included Wiley Butler, Levones Dubose, Lowell Friedman, Donald Jackson,
Annie Kersh, Patricia Lucky, Patricia Maddox, and Charles Stefan. Patricia
Jackson, Director of Mobile Weed and Seed, helped coordinate the awards
ceremony.

----------------------------

DEFY

Atlanta's DEFY Youth Go Door to Door 
Gloria Walker

In Atlanta, Georgia, DEFY (Drug Education for Youth) is a big deal. If you
were to go to any of the four Weed and Seed communities and ask about the
positive things in residents' lives, you would hear kids and parents talk
affectionately about DEFY and "Chief" Sheats.

The 2000 class represents Atlanta Weed and Seed's fifth year of participation
in DEFY and is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney's Office in conjunction with the
U.S. Naval Air Station- Atlanta and the city of Atlanta. Talk of Atlanta's DEFY
program has spread into other communities as well, so much so that the Vine
City Civic Association and Community invited Richard "Chief" Sheats,
Community Relations Specialist/DEFY Coordinator, to bring DEFY youngsters
to the Vine City Millennium Cleanup event on October 7, 2000. The
association wanted the DEFY youth to serve as an example for Vine City
residents that other inner-city youth are involved in exciting, positive programs.

----------------------------

In Atlanta, Weed and Seed DEFY programmers cleaned up with a Phase II
event that educated and mobilized residents for a good cause.

----------------------------

The youth were bused to the cleanup site, courtesy of the Atlanta DEFY 2000
military partner, the Naval Air Station-Atlanta, of Marietta, Georgia. Youth and
adult volunteer mentors wore their DEFY shirts and DEFY pride. "We wanted
to make a good impression on the kids of Vine City, especially because I'm
told that the majority of them are not involved in any meaningful activities,"
Chief Sheats said. He led the group into formation and marched them through
the community, chanting DEFY cadence and songs. "The community knew we
were there," said Naval Air Station-Atlanta Coordinator Petty Officer James
Crawford. Onlookers stopped and admired how proud the DEFY group
appeared and sounded. Atlanta DEFY staff seek out opportunities to further
strengthen the community throughout the year. 

----------------------------

Mentor Russell Hawkins watches mentee Raynell Cornell knock door to door
during an Atlanta DEFY Phase II neighborhood event.

----------------------------

Parents of Atlanta DEFY youth gave DEFY staff very positive feedback about
the day's efforts. Most said their kids came home talking about what they did
with their day and the people they met.

----------------------------

Two New DEFY Tools Online!

Visit the EOWS home page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows and click on
"Publications" to access the latest DEFY resources added to our Web site. 

What is DEFY? What are the requirements to become a DEFY site? What can
DEFY funds be used for? These and other questions are addressed in the
Frequently Asked Questions About Weed and Seed DEFY brochure, which
provides a brief overview of the DEFY program, Weed and Seed's role in
implementing the program, and how your site can get involved. 

The DEFY Program Management Guide is a practical, hands-on tool that
describes the phases of DEFY and the responsibilities of each partner in the
program. The Guide provides step-by-step instructions on planning and
implementing the program and contains sample forms and handbooks for staff
and parents/guardians.

----------------------------

DEFY

Camp DEFY Participants Express Thanks
Al Overbaugh

Shayla and Shyla Dameron are 11-year-old twins who live in the Des Moines,
Iowa, Enterprise Community (EC)/Weed and Seed neighborhood and attend
sixth grade at Meredith Middle School. Shayla looks forward to attending
college. Shyla knows already that she wants to be a lawyer. Both girls
participated in this summer's DEFY (Drug Education for Youth) camp, funded
in part by the EC/Weed and Seed program.

----------------------------

Des Moines Weed and Seed has fostered a strong commitment to promoting
youth services since its inception in 1996. This commitment produces a very
successful DEFY program. Here, two gifted twins share with In-Sites readers
thoughts on their first DEFY experience and give thanks to their mentors.

----------------------------

Weed and Seed funds have helped to finance the Des Moines DEFY Phase I
Summer Training Camp for the past 3 years. In 2000--the summer the
Dameron twins participated--42 campers attended the week-long residential
program. Counselors and mentors came from the Iowa National Guard,
Employee and Family Resources (EFR), and the local U.S. Attorney's Office.
The curriculum included a number of team-building, goal-   setting, and
self-esteem building activities. Campers also played games and went swimming
every day and took field trips to the Des Moines Fire Station, Saylorville Lake
and Visitor Center, and the Jordan House Historical Site in West Des Moines.
A National Guard helicopter and other military equipment were on display for
the kids. The week ended with a recognition ceremony attended by camp
participants and their parents at which Don C. Nickerson, U.S. Attorney for
the Southern District of Iowa, was the keynote speaker.

DEFY Phase II began in August 2000. During Phase II, mentors meet monthly
with the same group of kids to provide mentoring, reinforce life skills taught at
summer camp, and have fun. 

The Dameron sisters wrote the following letters describing their summer camp
experiences:

----------------------------

Camp DEFY is a truly remarkable program for young people who don't have
as many things as other young people. Camp DEFY is a program that teaches
young children like me about self-control, self-discipline, and teamwork.
Throughout the week at Camp DEFY, I learned these three great things. 

But there is another thing I forgot about, and that is having fun. I learned to have
fun, but there is a line where you need to be more serious. I really hope that in
the near future younger kids like me can have as much fun at Camp DEFY as I
had.

Thank you,

Shayla Dameron

----------------------------

Dear DEFY Staff:

I would like to thank everyone for taking their time to teach us to become
leaders, not followers. I also want to thank the staff for teaching us to use
teamwork and to have manners. 

While I was at Camp DEFY I learned to work with people instead of being at
home lying on the couch sleeping and being lazy. So thank you everyone for
helping me to become a better person.

Sincerely, 

Shyla Dameron

----------------------------

Reentry Initiatives

Building Job Linkages for Ex-Offenders

Romia Gore

Each State, in partnership with the Federal Government, offers varying
programs to prepare inmates for release. However, it is the success of
programs similar to Texas's Project RIO (Re-Integration of Offenders) that has
sparked Federal funding of local initiatives nationwide. Evaluation of such
programs has revealed that progressive reentry initiatives, fueled by services at
the local level, go the distance in providing solutions to core problems often
overlooked in correctional prerelease programming. Mental and physical illness,
child support responsibilities, lack of legal identification, homelessness, and lack
of sufficient aftercare support and monitoring all work against ex-offenders 
after their release and contribute to the staggering statistic that, based on past
trends, 2 out of 5 inmates released this year will be reincarcerated within 3
years.

The chances of inmates returning to a life of crime depend on many things,
including their ability to locate productive work after they are released. Studies
have demonstrated that an ex-offender who obtains employment is three times
more likely to stay out of prison than one who remains unemployed.
Ex-offenders who find immediate employment benefit not only from financial
stability but also increased self-esteem. A few points should be considered
when attempting to establish effective offender job linkages.

Give 'em Credit!

Federal tax incentives, especially for small business owners, go a long way in
making ex-offenders more attractive to potential employers. The Work
Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a Federal tax credit that encourages
employers to hire specific groups of job seekers with barriers to employment,
including economically disadvantaged ex-felons trying to find work. Under
WOTC, employers can reduce their Federal income tax liability by as much as
$2,100 per qualified new worker. Last year, in the State of Illinois alone, more
than 23,419 individuals went from welfare public assistance rolls to meaningful
employment through WOTC.

Building Strong Bonds

Many employers carry insurance to protect themselves against employee
dishonesty, theft, or embezzlement. However, many insurance companies refuse
to cover individuals they consider to be high risk, including ex-offenders. 

In 1966, the U.S. Department of Labor created the Federal Bonding Program
to help increase the employability of these applicants through provision of free
fidelity bonding insurance. The bond program is a business insurance policy that
protects the employer in case of money or property loss due to employee
dishonesty. The bond insurance is issued free of charge to the employer for a
period of 6 months. If the worker demonstrates job honesty during the 6
months of Federal Bonding Program coverage, that worker can become
bondable for life under commercial bonding made available to the employer for
purchase. Approximately 40,000 applicants have obtained jobs under this
bonding program, and 99 percent have proved to be honest employees. 

Know and Promote Their Rights!

Although reentry program directors and case managers cannot always
represent their clients as legal counsel, they should be able to identify when
someone's rights have been violated. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibits decisions made
by employers based on an individual's prior conviction record. The employer
must, by Federal law, consider the nature and gravity of the offense(s), the time
that has passed since the conviction and/or completion of the sentence, and the
nature of the job held or sought.

Many job seekers recently released from jail or prison are afraid that if they
reveal their criminal records they will automatically be turned away by potential
employers. Case managers of reentry participants should make their clients
aware that employers are allowed to ask applicants about their conviction
histories but not their arrest records. If an applicant fails to disclose this
information or misrepresents his or her past, he or she can legally be fired. 

A Bad Rap

Felix Lopez, Senior Staff Attorney for the Legal Action Center (LAC),
presented legal considerations for reentry programming at the EOWS Reentry
Initiative Meeting in Las Vegas last fall. According to Lopez, 87 percent of the
ex-offenders referred to LAC had errors on their rap sheets. He suggested that
by reviewing a rap sheet together, the individual and the case manager both
become familiar with what a prospective employer might see. If, during an
interview, the applicant cannot remember details of his or her convictions, the
employer naturally may assume the individual is being dishonest and is not to be
trusted. During rap sheet review, inaccuracies can be discovered, and the
channels for correction can be considered (see the In-Sites Resources section). 

Reentry programming for any community must build on existing resources in the
community. In large cities in particular, organizations have developed local
projects for ex-offenders in an uncoordinated and unsystematic way, reducing
their effectiveness. However, programs that built partnerships for prerelease
care as well as postrelease support and monitoring were up to 90 percent 
successful in helping ex-offenders overcome their challenges. Weed and Seed is
built on these types of partnerships. In the next year, In-Sites will report on the
successes and the obstacles met by the Weed and Seed Prisoner Reentry
Initiative.

----------------------------

Diving to New Depths
Adrien Huggins and Luis Magras

To introduce children to the marine environment, the Virgin Islands Housing
Authority Police partnered with the St. Thomas Diving Club to create the Weed
and Seed Dive Program. The ongoing program provides free dive classes to
youth living in the Weed and Seed target area. These classes were made
possible by a Community Development Block Grant, the St. Thomas Diving
Club, the U.S. Department of Planning and Natural Resources, and the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Dive program planners wanted to involve local residents--especially young
people--in a hobby popular with police officers from the Weed and Seed target
area: scuba diving! Master Dive Instructor Wayne Bryan was asked to help
start a dive program for the kids in the target area. Bryan contacted the St.
Thomas Diving Club Course Director, Bill Letts. Introductions followed, things
started to happen, and before long, the Weed and Seed Dive Program was a
reality. 

Community interest grew immediately. Weed and Seed Coordinator Zelda
Williams and Weed and Seed Administrative Secretary Petra Phipps were
quick to give the program their full support. The next step was targeting
potential students for the program.

Seven young people between 12 and 18 years of age participated in the first
Weed and Seed Dive Program, which commenced on March 18, 2000. To
qualify, the youngsters had to be comfortable in the water, possess basic
swimming skills, be in good health (especially their respiratory and circulatory
systems), and maintain a mature attitude, good judgment, and self- discipline to
follow guidelines and principles required for safe diving. All students came from
the Estate Bovoni Housing community located in the Weed and Seed target
area on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

----------------------------

Not far from the world-renowned beaches of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands,
sits the Bovoni Weed and Seed target area. Scuba diving was a pastime Weed
and Seed residents most often observed from afar . . . until a few partners put
their heads together to transform local youth into certified divers.

---------------------------

The students learned the basics of confined (in a swimming pool) and open
water dives and basic knowledge and dive skills under an instructor's
supervision and guidance. All students became PADI (Professional Association
of Dive Instructors) Scuba Certified. (PADI is the world's most respected and
sought-after diver training organization.) The St. Thomas Diving Club, where
the lessons were held, is an authorized five-star Instructor Development Course
(IDC) facility. The students also gained extensive knowledge in medic first aid
and CPR training, enabling each to acquire an additional Medic First Aid card
and Rescue Diver Certification Card.

To date, there are seven graduates of the program:

o Alston Venzen--Open Water Diver

o Kevin Breezie--Advanced Open Water Diver

o Katisha Ritter--Advanced Open Water Diver

o Edgar January, Jr.--Advanced Open Water Diver

o Simon Lettsome--Rescue Diver/Medic First Aid and CPR

o Alliston Ritter--Rescue Diver/Medic First Aid and CPR

o Evonette Nathaniel--Rescue Diver/Medic First Aid and CPR

----------------------------

Rescue diver Alliston Ritter examines his species identification card as Evonette
Nathaniel and Katisha Ritter dive in the background.

----------------------------

The students also assisted with community projects, including a dive beach
cleanup initiative, in which debris and foreign objects were removed from the
ocean floor at Bolongo Beach on St. Thomas. 

Dive program staff encourage students to take advantage of all the skills and
information they've acquired. St. Thomas's main economy is based on tourism,
so the demand for diving instructors and leaders of other water-related activities
is great. Three of the students are now employed part time at the St. Thomas
Diving Club. In addition, program graduates are role models for other young
people in the community.

Upcoming classes are planned to certify new students and to advance current
divers.

----------------------------

Weed and Seed target area resident Alliston Ritter is a certified rescue
diver thanks to the Weed and Seed Dive Program.

Weed and Seed Dive Program students prepare for a pool dive under an
instructor's supervision and guidance.

----------------------------

Reentry Initiatives

New Program Helps Young Probationers and Their Families
Norma Rabago

Like so many other young adults, 20-year-old Roy Elizardo of San Antonio,
Texas, wanted to better himself, but he didn't have the job skills or education to
make it happen. Determined to break bad habits and make better choices, he
started to focus on serving the community and participating in physical and
spiritual training provided to him by the Christian Boot Camp (CBC).

"Now that I have the opportunity to make better decisions, I put all my effort
into it so that I can prove to people that I can change and that I am willing to
change," Elizardo said.

CBC is a faith-based, 32-day training, rehabilitation, and restorative justice
program for young offenders that is a component of San Antonio Fighting Back
(SAFB) of United Way's Value Based Violence Prevention Initiative (VBI),
which began in 1999.

Funded primarily through EOWS and administered by the National Congress
for Community Economic Development (NCCED), VBI is designed to help
young probationers ages 18 to 29 stay out of jail and on the right track. San
Antonio Weed and Seed also uses a portion of its dollars to fund the voluntary
program, which can accommodate up to 50 probationers at a time.

"[SAFB] decided to be part of VBI because it is a one-stop-shop approach to
crime and recidivism prevention," said Beverly Watts Davis, SAFB Executive
Director.

----------------------------

The Weed and Seed site in San Antonio, Texas, offers a value-based approach
to recidivism prevention. The Value Based Violence Prevention Initiative offers
young offenders a productive alternative to incarceration while providing them
treatment and broader horizons.

----------------------------

Bootcampers use teamwork to move barrels during the Christian Boot Camp.

----------------------------

VBI comprises Love Demonstrated Ministries, Inc. (a faith-based
organization), Bexar County Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc.
(BCOIC, a citywide job-training program), Elite Counseling Services and
Alamo Recovery Center (substance abuse and family counseling services), and
Bexar County Adult Probation (probation counselors). Private funds were used
to help fund the boot camp component of the program. BCOIC was funded
through SAFB's mini-grant program. The counseling programs and treatment
services were funded by Bexar County's Treatment Alternatives to
Incarceration program. 

"For the first time, all of these organizations are coming together to help the
young offender stay on the right track," Watts Davis said. "But the program isn't
just helping the probationer; it's also helping family members. Parents and
siblings of participants are eligible to receive family counseling in an effort to
create stability within the family structure."

A Targeted Population

All of the ex-offenders in the program have either a drug or alcohol problem or
an offense related to substance abuse; this is a requirement to participate in the
program. Treatment is provided by Bexar County's Treatment Alternatives to
Incarceration program.

"The local probation officers and judges love the program," Watts Davis said.
"They have agreed to serve as mentors and are planning a 3-day retreat with
the individuals who did not go through the residential boot camp."

The key ingredients for a probationer to complete the program successfully are
a desire to make permanent changes and a belief in oneself.

Charles Flowers, a former Air Force training instructor, left his 12-year military
career to develop the 32-day residential CBC program for youth ages 13 to
19. CBC was launched in summer 1995. The program remains free to all
participants, funded through private donations to the camp.

Using his military skills and convictions of faith, Flowers fashioned the program
to challenge individuals in new ways. A typical day for a CBC participant
begins at 8 a.m. with an open-rank uniform and shoe inspection. The schedule
proceeds with a workout followed by a 2-mile run. Campers then participate in
community service projects that may include cleaning up vacant lots or
repainting a senior citizen's home. Participants return to camp late in the day for
what Flowers considers the most important part of the training: the
nondenominational church service that emphasizes God's love for them. The
day ends at 8 p.m. and participants return home.

"It isn't the inspection; it isn't the physical training or community service that
changes people," Flowers said. "It's God's love that changes people."

After joining the VBI collaborative, Flowers agreed to conduct boot camps for
young-adult probationers between the ages of 17 and 29 who have felony
convictions or have been charged with misdemeanor crimes. Flowers now runs
two types of camps: a summer residential program and a nonresidential
program that preserves the key components of the residential program. The
summer program is for youth ages 13 to 19 and is still funded only by
donations. During the rest of the year, Flowers conducts camps only for VBI
participants as part of the collaborative.

Through physical exercise, community service, and spiritual training, CBC
members learn to make responsible decisions without being influenced by their
peers.

----------------------------

A young mother and summer job participant receives her certificate of
completion and a bag filled with school supplies during the Summer Youth Job
Activity's graduation ceremony.

----------------------------

"We give young people the opportunity to open their hearts and minds so that
when they leave here, they will know the difference between right and wrong,"
Flowers said.

----------------------------

"Typically, what happens is a young offender on probation violates probation. If
he or she fits the criteria, he or she is offered participation in the program as an
alternative to going to jail." 

--Beverly Watts Davis, Executive Director of SAFB

----------------------------

Elizardo said that he was nervous yet excited about enrolling in a program that
requires rigorous physical and spiritual training. Elizardo said he is thankful that
he completed the boot camp because he is now leading a better life for himself
and his infant daughter.

"The program taught me to work hard and help people who are in the same
situation I was in," Elizardo said.

Now that Elizardo has the tools to stay focused, he is eager to start working
toward a degree in electronics. "I'm happy that I am doing something with my
life and not just wasting my time," Elizardo said.

"Out of five cities nationwide selected to adopt the VBI program, San Antonio
is the only city that chose to work with the criminal justice system," said Jorge
Cuellar, a Bexar County probation officer. "Those selected to be in the
program have unique needs," Cuellar said. "They need intervention, and this is
what we provide for them."

From October 1999 to December 2000, 116 individuals were referred to VBI,
and of these, only 18 reoffended. A complete progress report will be
developed to further evaluate the program in April 2001. 

----------------------------

Winners

A "Nobel" Idea From Death Row Changes Lives Around the World

In 1971, Stanley "Tookie" Williams, now 46, cofounded the Crips, one of the
Nation's largest and arguably most violent street gangs. For 10 years he was a
gang leader in South Central Los Angeles, but since 1981, Williams has been
living on death row at California's San Quentin State Prison. This year, Williams
was nominated for the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for his writing, peer mentoring,
and computer literacy efforts targeting at-risk youth.

Not far from San Quentin, Barbara Becnel, an economist and policy analyst
turned journalist, directs the activities of Neighborhood House in North
Richmond, California--a community-based organization that is one of the
service providers for Weed and Seed, Contra Costa County.

Becnel first met Williams in 1993 while researching the evolution of gang
warfare. "I was told he hated journalists and that he probably wouldn't talk to
me," said Becnel, "but that I should try. So I wrote to him. We exchanged a lot
of letters before we actually met."

Initially, Becnel sought out Williams as a source for a book she was working on
about the history of South Central Los Angeles' black street gangs; soon, they
were coauthoring children's books that send a message to children about the
importance of staying away from gangs and drugs. During weekly 15-minute
phone conversations and periodic prison visits, Becnel compiled Williams's
stories and messages to use in their children's book collaborations. Life in
Prison, released in September 1998, made it to the Young Adult Library
Services Association's list of "Quick Picks" for Reluctant Young Readers. Prior
to that, Williams and Becnel collaborated on an eight-book series for
elementary school youth called Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence. 

----------------------------

Barbara Becnel is interviewed by an NBC reporter.

----------------------------

Williams and Becnel went on to found the Internet Project for Street Peace, a
Web-based afterschool program that teaches violence prevention along with
hands-on computer training. The project gives youth in impoverished North
Richmond (an area familiar with drug and gang violence) the opportunity to
communicate via e-mail and Internet chat rooms with youth in South Africa and
Switzerland about keeping peace by not joining gangs or doing drugs. Other
countries and other sites in the United States have expressed interest in setting
up similar online exchanges for their youth.

Becnel has traveled to Switzerland and South Africa to meet with country
leaders to set up "technology hubs" for the Internet Project for Street Peace.
The project has also attracted return visits to the United States from
internationally known leaders. In 1999, Winnie Mandela, an apartheid activist
and the former wife of South African President Nelson Mandela, visited North
Richmond to meet with youth who participate in the Internet Project for Street
Peace at the Laura Hunter Center in North Richmond (one of many programs
designed and operated by Neighborhood House). Mandela also met with
Williams for 2 hours at San Quentin, a visit she later called the main reason for
and the highlight of her trip from South Africa. 

"This is a dream come true," said Williams. "This is a historical event for me.
She's showing she appreciates what's going on."

Joanna Flanders Thomas, who traveled with Mandela and works with inmates
at South Africa's Pollsmoor Prison, commented, "The fact that he has authored
books while on death row is an inspiration to many inmates who have often felt
a sense of hopelessness and despair at the prospect of a long-term sentence....
It is proof that success and personal triumph are possible, even while on death
row."

Each year, the Nobel Foundation awards the Nobel Peace Prize to those who,
during the preceding year, "have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind."
The nomination of Williams for this prestigious award could not have been
accomplished without the determination and dedication of Becnel. She has
worked tirelessly to increase the number of programs that Neighborhood
House sponsors and has attracted more than $1 million dollars in funding but
has never forgotten Williams' plight and has supported his antiviolence and
outreach efforts.

Becnel is one of the local Weed and Seed site's key service providers and a
Steering Committee member (as Chairperson of the Youth Council, a
mandated Workforce Investment Act policymaking body for youth programs).
Becnel's contributions to not only the Contra Costa Weed and Seed site but to
people across the world (including Tookie Williams) are immeasurable. North
Richmond is honored to have both Williams and Becnel as community
members. 

----------------------------

Syracuse Youth Recognized by the Kennedy Center Alliance

The Syracuse, New York, Weed and Seed Community Partnership is delighted
to announce that a key partner in its Youth Leadership Development
Committee has been awarded a Creative Ticket National Schools of Distinction
Award from the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network. 

On November 3, 2000, 25 students from the Franklin Magnet School of the
Arts traveled to Washington, D.C., to perform at the national conference of the
Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network, an organization that
brings together educators, school administrators, parents, cultural leaders, and
citizens from across the Nation, reaching more than 2 million people per year.
Cheryl Driscoll, EOWS Supervisory Grants Manager, attended the event and
presented Syracuse Weed and Seed with an EOWS Director's Award for
Excellence in Arts Programming to acknowledge the talents of the Franklin
students. On December 14, 2000, Syracuse Weed and Seed Coordinator
Nancy Kronen and Steering Committee Chairperson John Edwards presented
EOWS Certificates of Appreciation to each Franklin student who participated
in the Washington performance.

----------------------------

Cheryl Driscoll, EOWS Supervisory Grants Manager, presents the Weed and
Seed Director's Award to Franklin Magnet School of the Arts Principal
Dominick Sabatino.

----------------------------

Franklin Magnet School of the Arts, a public school in Syracuse's northside
Weed and Seed neighborhood, is one of only five schools in the country
selected for this national award. The award recognizes schools for an
outstanding job in making the arts an essential part of the education of their
students. Students at Franklin Magnet School of the Arts have participated in
Syracuse Weed and Seed's Prevention Through the Arts Special Emphasis
Initiative, which includes programs that focus on community education and
beautification through art.

Through Weed and Seed funding and support, students at the school have
designed and painted two multistory murals to brighten up the neighborhood. A
Summer School for the Arts was held in 1999 in cooperation with other
neighborhood summer youth programs. A school-community partnership was
formed with the Open Hand International Mask and Puppet Museum. Syracuse
Weed and Seed has helped support the school's yearly community showcase, a
large-scale original performance. The production of "North Side Story," an
original play created by the school in partnership with neighborhood seniors and
other residents, featured all of the students as well as community members with
diverse cultural backgrounds. The 21_2-hour production that was presented at
the Civic Center chronicled the history and growth of the northside
neighborhood, an area that has been home to many immigrant/refugee
populations.

----------------------------

A Franklin Magnet School of the Arts student performs for the Kennedy
Center Alliance for Arts Education Network.

----------------------------

In addition, Syracuse Weed and Seed participates in the Visual Voices art
project, an innovative program created by Michael Yonas (see "Visual Voices:
Uniting Youth" on page 9 of the In-Sites Millennium Issue 2000). The 
program was originally funded through EOWS and has continued with students
at Franklin through a separate grant received from the Syracuse/Onondaga
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission.

The Syracuse Weed and Seed community is very proud of the commitment and
contributions of all of its residents. Planning the Special Emphasis initiative and
focusing on prevention through the arts programming have provided target-area
youth the opportunity to stay on the right track while expressing themselves
creatively. Syracuse Weed and Seed is looking forward to seeing what the
students will come up with in the coming year!

----------------------------

Conflict Resolution Series: Part I

"Working It Out" Through Conflict Resolution
Kathleen Severens

Conflict is everywhere. It is part of life--in the family, the school, the
workplace, and the community. People have individual values, backgrounds,
and perspectives; when brought together, disputes and disagreements may
surface . . . sometimes easily. 

The way differences are resolved is what is most important and has a lasting
effect. When heated arguments or intense personality clashes arise, it is best to
know how to deal with them constructively. When conflict is truly understood
and resolved effectively, it can serve as an incredible learning tool and valuable
opportunity for strengthening the underlying relationship.

Both adults and youth can learn skills for settling disputes peacefully. Weed and
Seed sites across the country are incorporating conflict resolution into their
strategy development processes. In addition, they are enhancing their
prevention and intervention plans by taking advantage of EOWS's Conflict
Resolution Special Emphasis Initiative. This initiative offers the opportunity to
establish, expand, or enhance conflict resolution and mediation programs and to
forge new community partnerships. Depending on the needs and desires of the
particular site, these programs may

o Teach young people and adults techniques for solving conflict in a positive
way.

o Teach youth, adults, and staff how to be mediators themselves.

o Establish conflict resolution or mediation programs in schools, youth centers,
and Safe Havens.

o Provide Weed and Seed area residents access to existing conflict resolution,
mediation, and collaborative problem-solving services and training in the
community. 

----------------------------

EOWS has offered an overview of dispute resolution, or conflict resolution, at
many conference training sessions. Each Weed and Seed strategy is founded on
partnership, and differences may arise between community stakeholders who
disagree on what is best for their community. The resolution to these differences
can have an extremely powerful impact on the site as a whole. In-Sites offers
this introduction as Part I of a four-part series on conflict resolution.

----------------------------

All types of neighborhood disputes can be mediated. In the past few years, the
use of conflict resolution skills and interventions has greatly expanded.
Traditionally in Weed and Seed communities, conflict resolution tactics have
been applied to gang disputes. Today, new focus areas include parent and teen
mediation, truancy mediation, race and ethnicity study circles, community
problem solving, victim-offender dialogues, family group conferencing, youth
and police partnerships, and community mediation and community policing
partnerships. Once a site identifies its problem areas, conflict resolution
strategies can be tailored to local needs.

Resources for conflict resolution are becoming more readily available
throughout the country. Today there are well over 500 community mediation
programs in the United States and more than 30 State offices of dispute
resolution. In addition, a growing number of universities and colleges have
dispute resolution programs, many of which work in partnership with
community organizations. Typically, these dispute resolution programs offer
some or all of the following services: individual and group case handling, conflict
resolution and mediation training, community education and outreach, and
dispute resolution referral and systems design. Sites should research the
resources in their community. Chances are, local resources are available.

For example, Ocala Weed and Seed staff learned that the Martin Luther King,
Jr. (MLK) Institute for Nonviolence at the Miami Dade Community College
offers conflict resolution training services that could be a valuable resource.
When a law enforcement officer was involved in a shooting in the Weed and
Seed site, the need for conflict resolution services escalated. By leveraging
funds from the Florida Commission on Human Relations and securing support
from the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Relations Service, Ocala
Weed and Seed staff and the Ocala Police Department were able to hire the
MLK Institute to train the entire Ocala police force through the Institute's Law
Enforcement Nonviolent Conflict Reconciliation Program. Police personnel
responded well to the training and found their new conflict resolution skills to be
a valuable additional strategy in responding to conflict and violence. Both Maj.
Guy Howie and Site Coordinator Bill Patten think all Weed and Seed sites
could benefit from this type of training.

The Ocala experience is one of many possible scenarios for applying
community dispute resolution. In the months ahead, In-Sites will be highlighting
how sites are taking advantage of local and State dispute resolution resources
to develop their community's capacity to respond effectively and constructively
to area problems and crime.

----------------------------

WEB sight

Readjustment to the community is a difficult process not only for an ex-offender
but for neighbors, business owners, and police officers as well. While major
cities such as New York or Chicago may offer a laundry list of services from
which ex-offenders may pick and choose, many smaller, more rural
communities must look to national groups for support. For the victim advocate,
the prisoner awaiting release, the community police officer, Web Sight
researched online resources to help support successful reintegration. Here are a
few to get readers started.

News, research, and funding resources are all available at the Recovery Road
Web site. If it ties in with addiction, recovery, or treatment, chances are you'll
find what you're looking for at www.reroad.com. The Web site  is maintained
and updated daily by jointogether.org, a project of the Boston University
School of Public Health that serves as a national resource for communities
working to reduce substance abuse and gun violence.

The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) is the only
professional organization devoted solely to the needs of probation, parole, and
community corrections professionals. The APPA Web site has information and
resources regarding advancements in the field of community corrections. Web
users can learn more about APPA's efforts to support rural communities and
national training opportunities by clicking on www.appa-net.org.

Many Weed and Seed sites are involved with local Volunteers of America
(VOA) chapters. VOA is a national, nonprofit, spiritually based organization
that provides local human service programs and opportunities for individual and
community involvement. A goal of VOA is to teach ex-offenders how to live
within the law and to successfully make the transition back into the community.
VOA operates 66 correctional programs, 53 of which are residential programs.
In 1997, VOA served more than 19,000 individuals in correctional programs in
18 States. To locate a VOA program in your area, visit www.voa.org.

The Legal Action Center (LAC) is the only nonprofit law firm and policy
organization in the United States that fights to protect the legal rights of and
improve public policies and services for people with histories of alcoholism or
other drug addictions, people with HIV and AIDS, and people with arrest or
conviction records. In 1999, the center provided legal assistance to 5,507
individuals. The center's lawyers and policy experts in New York City and
Washington, D.C., take legal action to fight discrimination against and protect
the privacy rights of the people they serve. They also promote alternatives to
incarceration for people whose alcohol or drug problems entangle them in the
criminal justice system. To request an annual report or to learn more about
LAC services, publications, and videos, visit www.lac.org.

Whether you're a seasoned treatment counselor looking for updated reference
manuals or someone interested in learning more about treatment approaches,
www.treatment.org of the Treatment Improvement Exchange (TIE) is a must!
Sponsored by the Division of State and Community Assistance of the Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), TIE provides an information
exchange between CSAT staff and State and local alcohol and substance abuse
agencies. The Web site offers information exchange services and covers special
topics in criminal justice, public health, rural issues, and more. 

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Web Sight editors have spotted some impressive Web pages out there--
created and maintained by Weed and Seed sites! In the past year, many sites
have become more comfortable with this new technology. Visit the EOWS
Web site for links to Weed and Seed sites across the country
(www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/neighborhoods.htm). Check out these efforts--they
serve as great sample Web sites!

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CONFERENCE CORNER

The Weed and Seed Pilot Prisoner Reentry Initiative

EOWS brought together representatives from seven Weed and Seed sites that
participate in the Weed and Seed Prisoner Reentry Initiative for training and
peer-to-peer networking in Las Vegas, Nevada, November 8-9, 2000. Site
coordinators; professionals from treatment, adjudication, corrections, and law
enforcement; and personnel from churches and community-based organizations
shared with one another the challenges of reentry programming from the
viewpoints of the ex-offender, the program coordinator, the case manager, and
the community. Community leaders from areas outside of Weed and Seed who
are practiced in handling prisoner aftercare also attended.
 
The meeting gave professionals from a variety of fields the opportunity to
exchange information on their community needs and program missions and to
discuss planned or in-progress initiatives in their Weed and Seed target areas.
Additionally, the meeting provided the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of
Justice Programs the opportunity to learn about the challenges to reentry
programming from field experts. 

The Weed and Seed Reentry Initiative comes on the heels of recent statistics
reporting that in the next year a proposed 500,000 inmates will be released,
making reintegration support a priority for many Federal agencies. At the same
time, these agencies have also renewed their commitment to the Nation to
ensure public safety. The EOWS Web site (www.ojp.usdoj. gov/eows) will
feature updates and resource links for this Weed and Seed initiative and other
federally supported reentry projects.

Weed and Seed Site Accreditation

The first of six Weed and Seed Accreditation Series trainings took place in Los
Angeles, California, in January 2001. Approximately 170 representatives from
law enforcement, site coordination, U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and the Weed and
Seed community attended the intensive 4-day training. 

The Weed and Seed movement has experienced enormous growth in the past
decade. As the success of the initiative spreads, more communities are
competing for Weed and Seed Official Recognition and funding. EOWS
expects this growth to continue in years to come. To prepare for it, EOWS is
focusing on training teams in sites that are currently recognized and funded. The
accreditation of existing sites ensures that everyone is positioned to move with
Weed and Seed into the next decade. Photos of the Los Angeles training are
posted on the EOWS Web site.

Leave No Neighborhood Behind

The Weed and Seed 2001 National Conference has a title--the headline
above! The title for what will prove to be the largest Weed and Seed
conference ever was developed from several proposals and thus EOWS
cannot credit one submission as the name-contest winner. It will be difficult to
match the success of the last national conference, but EOWS is on track--
celebrating 10 years of neighborhood renewal is bound to generate a lot of
energy and enthusiasm. Information on the conference program, the Annual
Poster Contest, exhibiting, and more is coming soon! Stay tuned to
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/philly. htm for more information as the program
develops.

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"Good Morning Weed and Seeders!"

On January 29, 2001, EOWS Director Stephen Rickman greeted more than
250 Drug Education for Youth (DEFY) partners with typical enthusiasm in
Phoenix, Arizona, for the DEFY 2001 Train-the-Trainer workshop. EOWS
conducted the workshop to prepare sites to host DEFY programs in 2001. In
his welcome statement, Rickman reminded attendees that if children can be
prevented from using drugs by the age of 21, prevention efforts have been 
successful.

The 3-day workshop provided attendees with training on DEFY administrative
and operational matters, including DEFY Phase I (Summer Training Camp),
DEFY Phase II (Mentoring Program), and a review of the application process
for DEFY funding. Presentations were offered on liability insurance, program
evaluation, procedures for screening workers, and the psychology of working
with at-risk youth. 

The popular DEFY program, which began in three pilot sites in 1996, is now
reaching more that 2,600 at-risk children in 90 Weed and Seed sites
nationwide. In-Sites will provide readers with news and reports from sites as
they plan for DEFY 2001.

DEFY
Drug Education For Youth

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EOWS NEWS
Weed & Seed

Welcome

In recent months, the EOWS staff roster has grown, allowing for some internal
reorganization. This expansion and reorganization mirrors the growth of the
Weed and Seed movement, which today is embraced by more than 250
communities--a tremendous increase from the 36 sites EOWS managed in
1991! As Weed and Seed has grown, EOWS has undertaken new initiatives
and focus areas to accommodate the interests of all Weed and Seed
communities. 

In January 2001, the Office of Community Dispute Resolution (CDR),
established by the U.S. Department of Justice to promote the use of community
dispute resolution as a crime prevention tool, was moved to EOWS. Under the
direction of Kathleen Severens, this Special Emphasis area will afford EOWS
the resources to train and educate communities on approaches to resolving
disputes involving schools, police, courts, and communities. Sites can reach
CDR directly by calling 202-514-8827. CDR will be providing In-Sites
readers with a column on Weed and Seed conflict resolution in each
forthcoming issue. Sites with effective approaches, commentary, or questions
regarding dispute resolution are encouraged to call CDR. 

Cheryl Driscoll, Supervisory Grants Manager for EOWS, recently joined the
EOWS Training and Technical Assistance Division on special detail to help
coordinate the Weed and Seed 2001 National Conference. The management
of EOWS program staff and activities is now under the direction of Deputy
Director Bob Samuels.

Farewell

After a career in Federal service, EOWS Program Manager Meredith Nielsen
has left the Office of Justice Programs to serve as Deputy Drug Policy Advisor
to the Governor of the Virgin Islands. Nielsen, originally from the Virgin Islands,
will reside permanently in St. Thomas. Over the years Nielsen worked with
many sites on many initiatives, most recently SeedTech, NCCED, and Kids
House.

FBI's Executive Fellowship Program

Many sites aren't aware of the FBI's Executive Fellowship Program, created in
1994 as an extension of the Safe Streets Program. The program solicits
nominations from police departments across the country for management-level
police officers to take a 6-month assignment at FBI Headquarters in
Washington, D.C. There they act as consultants to the FBI in matters related to
the Safe Streets Program. EOWS provides funding to the fellowship program
to allow these personnel the opportunity to work onsite at EOWS as part of
their fellowships. Under the direction of Andrew Press, fellows help track asset
forfeiture activities in Weed and Seed sites. In November 2000, site
representatives attending the Weed and Seed Prisoner Reentry Initiative
meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, met Lt. Kevin York, a visiting fellow from the
New York Police Department. Sites will have the opportunity at future trainings
to meet Lt. C.D. Dye, who joined the FBI Executive Fellowship Program in
January 2001. Lt. Dye, from the Virginia State Police, specializes in narcotics
enforcement in rural communities. In-Sites will feature a column in future issues
for fellows to offer perspectives on their experiences.

The Weed and Seed Poster Contest

Yes, it's that time! The popular Weed and Seed Poster Contest will once again
coincide with the Weed and Seed National Conference. Sites will be sent
information as it becomes available.

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Weed and Seed Application Kits and Program Guides for FY 2001 are now
available!

Deadlines for Grants Management System (GMS) online application (and
GMS Faxline submissions) for grant funds and the paper submission (postmark
date) are as follows:

o Competitive Funding submissions: May 31, 2001. 

o Continuation Funding for sites in Group A: April 30, 2001; for sites in Group
B: June 29, 2001. (Please see application kit for description of groups.)

Visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/fundopps.htm for details and further instruction. Call
EOWS at 202-616-1152 for assistance.

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Resources

For More Information

Contact these organizations for more information on articles featured in
In-Sites, or visit the EOWS Web site for related links at www.ojp.usdoj.
gov/eows/publications.htm.

A Dream Realized
Daphne Sloan
Coordinator, Westside Community Development Corporation
Chattanooga Weed and Seed
Chattanooga, Tennessee 
423-266-6510 

Reclaiming the Streets in Gainesville, Florida
Ed Book
Lieutenant, Gainesville Police Department
Gainesville, Florida
352-334-2400

Keith Kameg
Officer/Weed and Seed Coordinator
Gainesville Police Department
Gainesville, Florida
352-334-2425

A Challenge for Law Enforcement: Tracking Ex-Offenders
Robert DeMoura
Captain, Lowell Police Department
Lowell, Massachusetts
978-970-4039
rdemoura@ci.lowell.ma.us

Cristi Lemon
Site Coordinator, Lowell Weed and Seed
Lowell, Massachusetts
978-446-7289
clemon@ci.lowell.ma.us 

Funding Assistance for Victims of Crime
Romia Gore
Program Manager
Executive Office for Weed and Seed
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C.
202-307-6031
rayr@ojp.usdoj.gov
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc

Community Supports Seattle Reentry Project 
Eric Clay
Seed Coordinator, SE. and Central Seattle Weed and Seed
Seattle, Washington
206-615-1712
eric.clay@ci.seattle.wa.us

Kay Godefroy
Executive Director, Seattle Neighborhood Group
Seattle, Washington
206-323-9583
kay@sngi.org
www.ci.seattle.wa.us/seattle/spd/commnty/weedseed/ws.htm

Atlanta's DEFY Youth Go Door to Door 
James Crawford
Petty Officer, Naval Air Station-Atlanta
770-919-6132

Richard "Chief" Sheets 
Community Resource Specialist
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
404-581-6254
richardsheats@usdoj.gov

Carrie Smith

Chief, Naval Air Station-Atlanta
770-919-6561

Gloria Walker
Weed and Seed DEFY Coordinator
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
404-581-6074 
gloria.walker@usdoj.gov

Camp DEFY Participants Express Thanks
Al Overbaugh
LECC Coordinator
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
515-284-6283

Building Job Linkages for Ex-Offenders
U.S. Department of Labor
Federal Bonding Program
1-800-233-2258

Legal Action Center
www.lac.org

Diving to New Depths
Adrien Huggins and Luis Magras 
Officers
Virgin Islands Housing Authority
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
340-714-2098

New Program Helps Young Probationers and Their Families
Norma Rabago
San Antonio Fighting Back of United Way
2803 E. Commerce Street
San Antonio, Texas
210-271-7232
nrabago@earthlink.net
www.fightingback.org

A "Nobel" Idea From Death Row Changes Lives Around the World
Suzanne Linford 

Site Coordinator, Contra Costa County Weed and Seed
Martinez, California
925-313-1726
slinford@ehsd.co.contra-costa.ca.us

Syracuse Youth Recognized by the Kennedy Center Alliance
Nancy Kronen 
Project Coordinator
Syracuse Weed and Seed Community Partnership
Syracuse, New York
315-474-1939, ext. 30
nancyk@homehq.org

Syracuse City School District
Franklin Magnet School of the Arts
428 S. Alvord Street
Syracuse, New York
315-435-4550
Fax: 315-435-6211
aborelli@freeside.scsd.k12.ny.us

"Working It Out" Through Conflict Resolution
Kathleen Severens
Director, Community Dispute Resolution 
Office of Justice Programs 
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C.
202-514-8827
severens@ojp.usdoj.gov
www.usdoj.gov/cdr