Safe Return Initiative: From the Prison to the Community
One out of four African American men is incarcerated. Nearly
650,000 men are released from prison back to the communities they
come from. Many of these men have been victims of violence as
children in family, among peers, in community, or in prison.
It is acknowledged that due to their prison and life experiences
these men return to family and community very angry and at risk for
violent and abusive behavior. In order to stop the cycle of
violence, it is important to consider ways to promote a “Safe
Return” from prison to the community for these men but especially
for the women and children they return to.
The Safe Return Initiative, a partnership of the Office on
Violence Against Women, The Institute on Domestic Violence in the
African American Community and the Vera Institute of Justice, was
created to identify how to encourage men to address their violence,
and to identify how to support and promote safety for women who are
at risk of violence by men either in prison or on parole. The DVD
highlights the issue and offers some insights and examples of how
communities can promote a safe return through community based
efforts that increase support and access points for women at risk
for violence and abuse and for abusive men to confront their
behavior.
The words and opinions of those individuals in the DVD may
not reflect that of the Office on Violence Against Women.
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