The Issue
As the media reports daily about the
loss of life in the war in Iraq, we often ignore the war being fought
at home in city streets across this country. After a decade long
decline of violent crime, it is again on the rise. In Hartford, for
example, there were 197 shooting victims in 2006 - an 11.3% increase
over last year's city reports.
The
challenges facing the city of Hartford are not unique. This violence,
perpetrated both by and against young people, has devastated urban
communities in cities both large and small. In a disturbing trend, our
city children and teenagers are losing their lives, losing their
friends, losing their family members, and losing their youth. They feel
fear, helplessness, horror and the sense that life and safety are in
danger. Tragically, many have grown numb to the violence around them.
The Solution
After a rash of youth violence in
Hartford during the summer of 2006, Congressman Larson and noted civil
rights leader Congressman John Lewis met with Hartford community leaders
to discuss the importance of religious, political, and civic leaders
coming together to address issues of their community and
neighborhoods. During these discussions, former Hartford
Councilman Steve Harris noted the devastating effect violence was having
on urban youth.
In October 2006, Congressmen Larson and
Lewis introduced the City Youth Violence Recovery Act to help
city children and adolescents cope with the psychological consequences
of being exposed to community violence. Specifically:
- The
bill would create a grant program under the Department of Health and
Human Services (in consultation with the Department of Justice)
- Funding
would be awarded to a state mental health agency or a partnership
between a state mental health agency and a city agency, other state
agency, colleges and universities, nonprofit and other organizations
- Grant activities must be directed in urban communities with high or increasing incidence of youth violence
- The
funding should support counseling, mental health services, mentoring,
and violence-prevention education, however, only 15% of the funds
should be used for violence prevention
- The bill authorizes $10 million annually for FY08-FY13
Congressmen Larson and Lewis
reintroduced the bill in the 110th Congress (H.R.
854).
The Details
Legislative Information
Related Information
Congressman Larson was joined by
Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez and students from Capital Preparatory Magnet
School at the announcement of the City Youth Violence Recovery Act on October 11.
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