Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence

'Let's talk about snitching' (Providence Journal)

'Let's talk about snitching'
"If you snitch, you get yourself killed," one girl says, but adult street workers are trying to get children to think of adults as their safety net.

Friday, July 14, 2006
BY LINDA BORG
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Let's talk about snitching, says A.J. Benton, a street worker with the Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence.

"What happens," he asks, "if you hear that a middle school kid is coming to elementary school with a gun?"

Providence Journal: A plea to turn mean streets into a 'beloved community'

Edwatch by Julia Steiny: A plea to turn mean streets into a 'beloved community'

Sunday, July 9, 2006
Providence Journal

According to Teny Gross, "Boston has 11,000 summer jobs for kids. D.C. has 11,000. Providence has maybe 400, and 37 of them are ours."

By "ours," Gross means jobs offered by the agency he directs, the Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence. The institute focuses much of its effort on urban youth, and summer is a volatile time for high-energy teens. Gross, the institute's executive director, all but gloats over a report by the Justice Policy Institute that found a direct correlation between unemployment rates and incidents of violent crime and juvenile justice referrals. In short, summer jobs reduce street crime.

Providence Journal: Businesses urged to give jobs to youths

Businesses urged to give jobs to youths, providing alternative to violence
City officials and a group dedicated to nonviolence say meaningful work for youths this summer can curb gang activities.

Thursday, July 6, 2006
Providence Journal

BY LINDA BORG
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE -- Police Chief Dean M. Esserman said the best way an American police chief can protect children is to invest in them, not arrest them.

At a news conference yesterday aimed at hiring teenagers for summer jobs, Esserman, who is recovering from colon cancer, told the gathering that he routinely asks groups of children, "Who loves you?"

Mayor, Chief: Employers can prevent violence with summer jobs

July 5, 2006     For Immediate Release

Contact:
PJ Fox, Operations Manager, Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence (491) 837-2308
Rhoades Alderson, Communications Director, City of Providence (401) 421-2489 ext. 226
                      

MAYOR, CHIEF ESSERMAN, STREET WORKERS ASK EMPLOYERS TO PREVENT YOUTH VIOLENCE WITH SUMMER JOBS

Group calls for direct employment or sponsorship of the “Beloved Community” Summer Jobs Institute; praises Aramark for leadership

PROVIDENCE – Mayor David N. Cicilline, Police Chief Dean Esserman, Institute for the Study & Practice of Nonviolence Executive Director Teny Gross, Aramark General Manager of Education for Providence Tony Malagrino and Providence youth called on the business community to help prevent youth violence this summer by providing summer jobs. The group encouraged employers to sponsor the “Beloved Community” Summer Jobs Institute aimed at curbing violence or to employ at-risk young people directly.