The R Street Institute published a new report that explores how Community Violence Intervention programs reduce violence and save taxpayer money, with a core conclusion: “The data is clear: When implemented with fidelity, CVI programs are a powerful tool for reducing violence and saving lives.” The full report is worth your time, but here are the key takeaways:
- Proven Results With Strong ROI: “Between 2019 and 2022, a randomized controlled trial found that participants in the Gang Reduction Initiative of Denver were 70 percent less likely to perpetrate violence than the control group…. Chicago’s Rapid Employment and Development Initiative… decreased firearm and homicide arrests by 65 percent…. Every $1 invested [in CVI] generates between $4 and $18 in public savings.”
- Local Control: “CVI programs … place [responsibility into] the hands of local organizations and individuals who are closest to the problem…. build community capacity internally, giving people the tools and self-reliance necessary to resolve conflicts on their own. CVI promotes personal responsibility by requiring participants to take ownership of their actions and actively work to change their lives.”
- Pathways For Rehabilitation: “Research studies demonstrate that stable employment is one of the best ways to reduce adult recidivism. Giving former offenders [who often work as credible messengers in CVI programs] a productive career creates a pathway to rehabilitation for the millions of incarcerated individuals in the United States.”
Spotlight On Promising CVI Programs Around The Country:
- Milwaukee Credible Messengers Program Sees 76% Of Youth In Program Not Reoffend. For The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Everett Eaton reports on the latest data out of the Milwaukee County-backed “Credible Messengers” CVI initiative that “pairs adult mentors who have gone through the criminal justice system with at-risk youths to help them from entering, or re-entering, the justice system… [through] holding the youths accountable and … building trust, using cultural intelligence and understanding trauma to help the youths realize their potential.” The county’s data demonstrates the promise of the program: “Last year, about 76% of the youths did not reoffend while in the program… [and] almost all the youths — 98% — who participated in the program were not injured by gun violence in 2024.”
- In Detroit, A “50% Drop In Violent Crime In Some CVI Zones.” For Fox News, Hilary Golston and Jack Nissen report on the city’s CVI teams “press[ing] down on the city’s crime rates, showing the strategy of targeting potential sources of violence before they break out is working.” Between May and July of this year, the city’s seven CVI zones (each zone “covers approximately 3.5 to 4.5 square miles”) reported back “a 30% drop in homicides and non-fatal shootings” and “two areas on Detroit’s west side” saw “a 50% reduction across the same metrics.” As Fox notes, “while police are key to stopping crime, this program prevents it from happening in the first place… ‘law enforcement responds after the fact. What these groups are doing is getting in there before anything happens…’”