People of Promise Initiative
Mission
The People of Promise initiative is an interagency strategy designed to disrupt cycles of violence, poverty and incarceration by relentlessly outreaching to individuals at imminent risk of victimization or involvement in violent crime and connecting them to support and services. The launch of the People of Promise Initiative was announced by Mayor Bowser in April 2022 as a part of her administration’s strategy to address the growing number of violent crimes in DC and to make our communities safer. The name behind the People of Promise initiative is intentional – the heart of this work is centering the humanity and promise of every member of our community.
People of Promise
District residents who have been identified as being at imminent risk of victimization or involvement in violent crime. These individuals are being prioritized for accelerated service delivery and programming opportunities that can help them. Many of these individuals have a lengthy history with the criminal legal system, including prior juvenile supervision or prior adult incarceration or supervision. And because of their past involvement in community violence, many have survived a violent injury and suffered the resulting emotional trauma.
The first group of People of Promise that will receive outreach were identified through a Gun Violence Problem Analysis conducted by the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. This analysis was contracted by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in partnership with the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Interdisciplinary Teams
Cabinet Directors meet with their Pathfinders and Credible Contacts on a recurring basis to conduct case reviews. They assist with troubleshooting difficult service needs and ensure service requests directed toward their agency are prioritized.
Pathfinders are responsible for liaising with Credible Contacts to log engagement attempts, risk level, service and resource needs, involvement in critical incidents, and other relevant information. Pathfinders also assist People of Promise with service navigation.
Credible Contacts are responsible for initial outreach to People of Promise. They are assigned based on their existing relationship with Person of Promise or their future potential to establish a relationship with an unengaged Person of Promise. Credible Contacts attempt to build trusting relationships with People of Promise to learn more about their stage of readiness and safety and service needs.
Services & Resources
The Initiative is committed to providing the services and resources People of Promise need to overcome their hurt and trauma and stabilize their lives and the lives of their families. The Initiative partners with other District government agencies and community-based organizations to prioritize People of Promise for accelerated service delivery and programming opportunities. The initiative is focused on seven service and resource domains: 1) mental/behavioral health, 2) physical wellness, 3) education/employment, 4) financial, 5) family, 6) legal and, 7) community/creativity.
