The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR)

The NOVPN is proud to announce the launch of the Offices of Violence (OVP) Toolkit, a powerful resource for local leaders working to reduce gun violence. Created by The National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) in collaboration with NOVPN and Everytown for Gun Safety, this toolkit offers expert guidance for jurisdictions at all stages of OVP development. It features three key sections: Why Create an Office of Violence Prevention?, Deciding What Your OVP Will Do, and How to Establish an OVP. It also provides ready-to-use resources and templates to support long-term impact. Check out the Toolkit: https://lnkd.in/gHKqaHSZ

NICJR proudly co-sponsored last week’s All Kids Are Our Kids Convening in partnership with the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF) and Blaze Consulting Group. The event gathered San Francisco (SF) City departments and community-based organizations for a collaborative discussion around comprehensive and data-informed strategies for serving the city's highest-risk youth. NICJR Executive Director David Muhammad joined Forward Change President Arnold Chandler and other key presenters at this special event. David’s presentation highlighted the value of implementing violence reduction strategies tailored for youth and the importance of city-wide collaboration. We look forward to deepening our partnership with the SF community violence intervention ecosystem in support of a healthy and safe San Francisco.

“We all want safety — for ourselves and for others. We also would like to see all our nation’s children flourish. The urgent question of this moment is whether we are serious enough about safety to apply the proven principles that can help us achieve these goals.” ? In his latest op-ed, NICJR Executive Director David Muhammad highlights our emerging Positive Youth Justice (PYJ) approach. The six PYJ principles provide a roadmap for a national effort to reduce the size of the juvenile justice system, improve the services it provides, and reinvest cost savings into neighborhoods and communities that experience a disproportionate burden of poverty and crime. ? Check out the op-ed today:?https://lnkd.in/dicJE496?

Last week in the lead up to the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend, NICJR, Advance Peace, and LIVE FREE USA gathered government agencies, community violence intervention (CVI) organizations, and philanthropic partners from across the Bay Area for a celebration of local violence reduction efforts. The Showcase grounded us in our collective power and laid the foundation for regional collaboration across established and emerging offices of violence prevention and CVI organizations. A special thank you to our speakers from the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families; Oakland Ceasefire; Oakland Department of Violence Prevention; Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice; Rites of Passage; Richmond Office of Neighborhood Safety; Berkeley Ceasefire; Vallejo City Council; Antioch Department of Public Safety and Community Resources; Stockton Office of Violence Prevention; and the Coalition to Advance Public Safety. #BayArea #ViolenceReduction

NICJR has had a great week in Hawaii (yes working!) as we presented the findings of a two year long assessment process of the state’s youth justice system. Look forward to sharing the report publicly soon. But we held a very good and productive series of meetings with community service providers, youth justice system leaders, judges, probation officers, state legislators, and the Lieutenant Governor.

Last week in the lead up to the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend, NICJR, Advance Peace, and LIVE FREE USA gathered government agencies, community violence intervention (CVI) organizations, and philanthropic partners from across the Bay Area for a celebration of local violence reduction efforts. The Showcase grounded us in our collective power and laid the foundation for regional collaboration across established and emerging offices of violence prevention and CVI organizations. A special thank you to our speakers from the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families; Oakland Ceasefire; Oakland Department of Violence Prevention; Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice; Rites of Passage; Richmond Office of Neighborhood Safety; Berkeley Ceasefire; Vallejo City Council; Antioch Department of Public Safety and Community Resources; Stockton Office of Violence Prevention; and the Coalition to Advance Public Safety. #BayArea #ViolenceReduction

A good discussion today on NPR Bay Area station KQED’s Forum show about the significant reduction in youth incarceration over the past 20 years as covered by the recent NY Times Magazine article.

?? Last call! Applications for the inaugural cohort of the Violence Reduction Management Institute are due tonight, January 31st before 11:59 PM PST. A complete application including letters of recommendation must be submitted by the deadline. Learn more at www.nicjr.org/vrmi Don't miss your chance to apply!

“What Happened When America Emptied Its Youth Prisons” from James Forman Jr. and the New York Times Magazine shines a light on the remarkable progress the US has made since 2000 in reforming juvenile justice systems. The article surveys some of the field’s top experts, including NICJR Executive Director David Muhammad, who shared his journey from firsthand experience within the juvenile justice system to founding the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. David also highlighted the importance of taking some of what we spend on youth prisons and reinvesting it into community-based programs like the Neighborhood Opportunity and Accountability Board (NICJR’s youth development and diversion program) and Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise (our cognitive behavioral therapy curriculum), also featured in the article. This kind of reinvestment is at the heart of NICJR's justice reform and violence reduction work. Check out the article here: https://lnkd.in/gXh7QDJe

Former NOVPN member, the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, was pivotal in shining a light on gun violence in our country and supporting state and local offices of violence prevention. We are grateful for the groundwork laid by the WHOGVP and for all the Office was able to accomplish to benefit our communities. While many are experiencing mixed emotions about the WHOGVP's dissolution, know that NOVPN stands ready to continue to support OVPs as you work to reduce violence for those who live, work, play, and worship in your communities. The National Offices of Violence Prevention Network started with 21 members in 2021. By the end of 2024, membership in the Network has grown to 74. We press forward. #WeWillEndGunViolence #NOVPN #OVP