AIKW 8 - Metropolitan Congregations United

11/16/18 • 21 min

Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) Margaret Davis, Juvenile Justice Chair

www.mcustlouis.org (314)651-7574

Metropolitan Congregations United is a community organization that brings together religious congregations, community groups, and individuals to work for a common purpose: to create a better life for all residents. The Ferguson experience continues to crystallize for us the center of our work: the intersection of race, economy, political power, gender and the structures of oppression at work within us individually, within our organizations and within the community of the St. Louis region.

MCU strives to be an organization which is the platform for faithful confrontation of the powers, conversion of systems and individuals, and expression of true community of shared self-interest. Each person’s inherent dignity is celebrated by their shared investment in building community, toward a more just and equitable region.

As an affiliate of the Gamaliel Network, we have joined our partners around the country to work towards four structural shifts. 1. Build people’s control of government 2. Build community control of the economy 3. Expand the public sphere (for example, public transportation) 4. Create structural racial equity

Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) Margaret Davis, Juvenile Justice Chair

www.mcustlouis.org (314)651-7574

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AIKW 7 - Father Support Center Resources

Father Support Center Halbert Sullivan, MSW, Founder, President and CEO

www.fatherssupportcenter.org (314)333-4170

Prince Hall Family Support Center 4411 N. Newstead, St. Louis, MO 63115

Founded in 1997, Fathers’ Support Center is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families by encouraging committed and responsible parents.

For 20 years, Fathers’ Support Center has served 15,000 fathers and their families — this includes almost 40,000 children. FSC has experienced continued success with its nationally-recognized partnerships.

Fathers’ Support Center’s rigorous, full-immersion Family Formation Program boasts a 92% job retention rate for its clients. Of the 270 fathers enrolled throughout 2017, 76% report improved or developed healthy relationships with their children. The men who completed the program in the past year are paying a combined $230,000 annually to directly support their children.

In 2017, on a $3.9 million budget in program expenses, FSC’s return on investment to the St. Louis community totaled more than $14.4 million. That’s just an initial return, and as parents, families, and communities grow stronger, the positive effect continues to multiply.

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AIKW 9 - Captain Guy Means STL County Police

Captain Guy Means, Commander, 1st Precinct St. Louis County Police Department

www.stlouiscountypolice.com

Captain Guy Means talks about his experience with the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative and how the he and his Precinct are partnering with the St. Louis County Court.

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative

Begun two decades ago as a pilot project to reduce reliance on local confinement of court-involved youth, the JDAI change model is now operating in nearly 300 counties nationwide, dramatically reducing detention facility populations.

Detention is a crucial early phase in the juvenile court process. Placement into a locked detention center pending court significantly increases the odds that youth will be found delinquent and committed to corrections facilities and can seriously damage their prospects for future success. Yet many detained youth pose little or no threat to public safety.

When the Foundation launched JDAI as a pilot project in the early 1990s, overreliance on detention was widespread and growing nationwide. Using a model rooted in eight core strategies, JDAI proved effective in helping participating jurisdictions safely reduce their detention populations. Based on its success, JDAI has been adopted by an ever-growing number of jurisdictions, leading to dramatic declines in detention populations.