nothin “Call-Ins” Resume For At-Risk Ex-Offenders | New Haven Independent

Call-Ins” Resume For At-Risk Ex-Offenders

Maya McFadden Photo

Police Chief Renee Dominguez, Assistant State’s Attorney Lisa DAngelo, Acting U.S. Attorney Leonard Boyle, Asst. Police Chief Karl Jacobson, and U.S. Attorney outreach coordinator Holly Wasilewski at press conference.

After a year-long pause, law-enforcement call ins” of people returning home from prison were scheduled to resume Wednesday.

Officials from the New Haven police, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and state’s attorney’s office announced the resumption of those call-ins at a City Hall press conference earlier in the day outside City Hall. They also detailed other joint anti-gun-violence efforts.

The call-ins take place under Project Safe Neighborhoods,” an effort coordinated by the U.S. Attorney’s office with local and state law enforcement.

As part of PSN, officials bring together people who have recently returned to the community after serving time in prison. The idea is to offer help to them to remain out of prison and lead productive lives, while also emphasizing the costs of recidivism.

The call-ins couldn’t take place for the past year because of the spread of Covid-19.

The call-ins are separate but similar to call-ins organized by the same parties under Project Longevity, which targets groups of offenders involved in gun violence. PSN focuses on individuals.

PSN will also engage with those on probation or parole by helping them to meet service providers who can help them get IDs, create resumes, apply for jobs, get treatment for substance use disorders, mental health and medical treatment, said Acting U.S. Attorney Leonard Boyle.

We understand the challenges that they face returning to society and that there are a number of providers here for them to help them make better choices in the future,” he said.

PSN emphasizes an enforcement component that will make reentering citizens aware of the obligations and responsibilities that they have to their community,” he added.

NHPD Chief Renee Dominguez said the PSN partnership will be one of many approaches the police department will be using to reduce the community violence that increased during the pandemic. The NHPD is working to reintroduce several of its in-person services like custom home visits to at-risk community members recently released from prison.

Last year ended with 121 nonfatal shooting and 20 homicides. This year there have been 16 shootings and eight homicides, Dominguez reported.

Without plans after release, many felons become victims or perpetrators of violence, noted Holly Wasilewski, a retired New Haven cop who now serves as reentry and community outreach coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Let’s close this revolving door,” Wasilewski said.

NHPD Assistant Chief Karl Jacobson said police are getting back to meeting face to face with the at-risk population recently released from incarnation.

Last month, Jacobson said, 30 home visits took place as part of Project Longevity.

Watch the press conference in the video below:

Mayor Elicker and NHPD Announce First Project Safe Neighborhoods Call-In” During Covid

Posted by New Haven Independent on Wednesday, March 17, 2021

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