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home. So if we are able to assist the whole family, we are able to change the whole structure of <br /> that family. Blu was talking about the school-to-prison pipeline and that is very real. We need to <br /> address that. So we have a support and outreach regimen and have learned a lot from other cities <br /> across the Country. The Department of Justice has just named the Group Violence Intervention <br /> Strategy as the number one (1) strategy in the United States. There are different models of the <br /> Group Violence Intervention, following most closely what is called the Boston Model. We also <br /> want to get into what is called the Highpoint Model, possibly expanding into situations of <br /> domestic violence or different robberies. The main purpose is to direct sustained engagement <br /> with core offenders while the community, social services and law enforcement act together. In <br /> that manner, our aim is to focus explicitly on homicide and serious violence with Community <br /> Moral Engagement. This is help for those who want it. A lot of people have Post-Traumatic <br /> Stress Disorder in our neighborhoods and I don't think we realize how serious that is. No one is <br /> helping with that internal trauma these kids have. We have to figure out how to eliminate that <br /> trauma. This is a strategy, not a program. A program stops and ends. This is the bloodline of the <br /> City of South Bend. Our community cannot tolerate the violence. The social services component <br /> has been lagging. There are still people not wanting to get help and they are the ones that need it <br /> the most. We are really pushing restorative justice. In South Bend right now we have one <br /> hundred and fifteen (115) clients. The relationships are mutual and neutral, not hierarchical or <br /> professional. We deal with the violence that matters. We talk about violence. We get in depth <br /> about violence. We try to get them to understand how much the violence affects not only them, <br /> but the whole community. We all assume responsibility, and we have to figure out where it lies <br /> with each of us. This is not about these folks getting a job, it's about the moral values. Our doors <br /> are always open. We redefine what life means to them. Most of these individuals have had severe <br /> trauma in their childhood. We find success by delivering a message that is believable and <br /> authentic. It's about being organic with the individuals, building partnerships and leveraging our <br /> resources. <br /> Committee Chair Williams-Preston asked, How long has GVI been around in South Bend? <br /> Mr. Hunt replied, We are going on five (5) years now. <br /> Councilmember Oliver Davis asked, What would it take to have another one (1) of you, and what <br /> you do? <br /> Mr. Hunt replied, Right now, I've put in a proposal for outreach training. We are probably only <br /> one (1) out of twenty-three (23) different cities that has this currently. <br /> Councilmember Davis then asked, Out of those cities, are there any funds that come from the <br /> City? <br /> Mr. Hunt replied, Almost all of it. Other cities are directly funded by the City. <br /> Councilmember Davis requested that Mr. Hunt provide information about those cities. <br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden asked, Do you in any way connect with the Read for Life program <br /> at the JJC? <br /> 4 <br />