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.