Some youth violence intervention programs around the U.S. saw their outreach work upended by the pandemic. But a new Minneapolis initiative focusing on de-escalation and unarmed civilian protection is accelerating its efforts. This summer, the organization Nonviolent Peaceforce will open a new office in North Minneapolis, an area that has dealt with cycles of violent crimes involving teens and young adults.

Will Wallace is director of community peacebuilding for Nonviolent Peaceforce, which brought the program to this part of the city a year ago. He said the group is primarily focused on the Jordan neighborhood amid ongoing concerns about violent incidents and drug activity.

"How do we bring about not only peace and change, but then how do we love our neighbors in a way where we can change that corner to a place where our grandparents and our kids can feel safe walking down those blocks," he said.

The program recruits Community Peace Builders, young adults who are trained in risk assessment and de-escalation. Beyond easing tension among peers, they also provide unarmed security at local events. Wallace added the new location puts them in a better position to work with community partners dedicated to rooting out violence in the area.

Wallace says one of the obstacles they are trying to overcome is neighborhood kids as young as 11 and 12 becoming involved in criminal activity.

"They don't have a sense of belonging," he said. "They don't have a sense of care. And so, what we want to do is work with our community partners that are doing good work and help us bring back that community space."

Wallace added over the past few months, some of the young men recruited as Community Peace Builders last year have now assumed mentorship roles at EMERGE, one of the community partners working with Nonviolent Peaceforce in North Minneapolis. That can play a big role in building more relationships among peers who might be receptive to addressing conflict in the area, he said.

A group of Washington youths, fresh from a grassroots leadership development program, is speaking up against the Trump Administration's plans to cut funding for social programs while investing more in the country's military.

The group of young people recently concluded the Young Activist Leaders Program, which teaches social justice and community organizing.

Nico Jaggar, youth organizer for the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, is one of the youth leaders of the program. He said in the wake of the Trump Administration's pledging $1 trillion to the military, the group decided to wrap up the program's spring session by organizing a rally.

"We don't want our money going to war," Jaggar explained. "We'd rather our money go to food stamps, social security, health care. Those are the things that actually save and improve lives versus war is this machine that just destroys."

The rally featured youth speakers as well as community leaders for fair housing and immigrant rights. The program is an 8- to 10-week paid internship run by the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane. It will have another session in the fall.

Many issues sparked Jaggar to get involved in organizing and he said access to health care and insurance for low-income people hit close to home.

"I've watched my community, my family be affected by lack of medical care," Jaggar pointed out. "It's an awful thing to just have to accept that you can't get help."

Jaggar added as a young person, especially below voting age, it can be easy to feel powerless. But he emphasized young people are paying attention and deserve the opportunity to have a say in their own future.

"You can do that through organizing, like our YALP program," Jaggar noted. "Or volunteering, or just taking a stance and saying, 'Hey, this isn't right.'"

Along with helping youth feel empowered, Jaggar stressed, learning community organizing skills is fun. He added the program's fall session will focus on voter engagement.

A unique approach to preventing youth homelessness in Washington is proving highly effective, with more than 93% of participants still housed one year later.

The Homelessness Prevention and Diversion Fund provides flexible aid to young people in nine Washington counties. In its first three years, it has helped more than 1,700 young people find safe housing. Washington has the nation's third-highest homelessness rate, and supporters say the program saves money by removing red tape and keeping youth out of shelters.

Jim Theofelis, founder and executive director of NorthStar Advocates, said the strategy is simple: Ask youth what they need.

"We actually asked the young person, 'Where can you live and what will that take to make that happen?'" Theofelis explained. "Which is a very different approach than saying, 'Go to that shelter three miles down and take a right.'"

Instead of using a central nonprofit, Theofelis pointed out the program trains advocates in places where homeless youth go for help, like drop-in centers and fire stations, so they can quickly access funds to get into safe housing. Lawmakers are considering cuts to the program, which Theofelis warned would raise state costs and reduce support for young people.

Most young people have somewhere safe they can go, Theofelis added but they may need a small financial boost to make the transition.

"Some people will say, 'I could live with grandma, but she's really poor and she needs some help.' Or, 'I'm 23, I have two friends and I could get a room with them if I had first and last month's rent,'" Theofelis outlined.

Theofelis noted youth typically face more steps to find housing, starting with shelters and case management, while the fund's approach is much faster. After an application, advocates ensure the housing is safe and send a one-time payment averaging $2,700 directly where it's needed. Theofelis emphasized it is much cheaper than other strategies.

"We're saving emergency shelter beds, all kinds of other funding sources that come into play once they hit the streets," Theofelis stressed. "We really think this saves money and helps reduce our budget deficit, as well as saving lives."

Of the teens and young adults the program has served, about 60% are people of color and nearly 40% are pregnant or parenting.


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April is Second Chance Month, with extra focus on helping people with a criminal past keep from becoming repeat offenders.

In steering Minnesota youths away from a troubled path, experts said public messaging needs a reset. Recent survey findings from the social issues firm Fenton Communications showed a majority of Americans think violent crime rates for youth are on the rise.

Jennifer Hahn, chief client officer for Fenton, said in a forum hosted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the numbers have actually been going down, except for isolated pockets. She noted the public still hangs onto a certain mindset for when a young person is accused of committing a crime.

"There still is this very sticky belief that punishment works," Hahn observed.

Hahn suggested such beliefs muddy the conversation about pushing ahead with effective interventions. On the brighter side, many survey respondents felt meeting a child's basic needs, such as access to health care, leads to better outcomes. Hahn pointed out that recognition can be a useful tool for churches, local leaders and others trying to elevate youth programs.

Hahn advised youth advocates should not flat out reject how the public feels about crime, even if one's sentiments conflict with the data. One reason is not everyone will be convinced. Instead, she hopes public discourse leans more on the role strong communities play in shaping youth, because it already resonates with a lot of people.

"Let's get safe spaces so that kids can do this," Hahn urged. "Let's support parents because it's challenging. Let's help local communities offer more job opportunities or recreation programs."

Overall, Hahn recommended a balanced approach of weighing the facts and engaging in stories about positive community responses. She encouraged people, no matter their role in the discussion, to stop using terms such as "juvenile delinquent," saying they feed into harmful assumptions.

State data show between 2012 and 2022, the number of Minnesota children arrested each year for serious crimes was nearly cut in half.


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