by The Carter Malone Group LLC | Oct 16, 2023 | CMG News, News
(MEMPHIS, TN – October 16, 2023) Zócalo Public Square will host a virtual panel discussion entitled “How Does Confronting Our History Build a Better Future?” on Friday, October 27, 2023 at 9:00 p.m. CST.
The live panel discussion is the conclusion of a two-year editorial and four-part series entitled “How Should Societies Remember Their Sins?” Supported by the Mellon Foundation and blending scholarly essays and personal stories, the series explores how societies around the world collectively remember their transgressions and make attempts at repair, and how we might imagine new paths forward.
In August 2023, Zócalo Public Square partnered with the National Civil Rights Museum to host part three of the series entitled “Why Isn’t Remembering Enough to Repair?” during the conversation, the panelists discussed what repair looks like and how different people and places have stumbled and succeeded in their pursuit.
On October 27, environmental activist and hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (Xochimilco), L.A. LGBT Center communications officer and former editor-in-chief of Out Magazine Phillip Picardi and “On Being” founder, executive producer and host Krista Tippett will discuss how society might draw strength and coax vision from the shortcomings and failures of its collective past. The discussion will be moderated by William Sturkey, University of North Carolina Historian and author of Hattiesburg.
After the panel discussion, there will be a special musical performance by the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arktet.
Visit www.zocalopublicsquare.org/event/does-confronting-our-history-build-a-better-future to RSVP for the event.
About Zócalo Public Square:
Founded in Los Angeles in 2003, Zócalo Public Square is an ASU Media Enterprise. Zócalo Public Square connects people to ideas and to each other by examining essential questions in an accessible, broad-minded, and democratic spirit. We pursue our mission by convening events and by publishing ideas journalism. We syndicate our journalism to 290 media outlets worldwide and have hosted more than 600 events in 33 cities in the U.S. and beyond, including New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Shanghai, Guadalajara, London, Berlin, and now streaming online.
For more information or if you would like to interview someone about the panel discussion, contact Jennifer Sharp, The Carter Malone Group, LLC, at 901.278.0881 or jsharp@cmgpr.com.
by The Carter Malone Group LLC | Oct 16, 2023 | CMG News, News
(Nashville, TN – October 16, 2023) The Tennessee Innocence Project (TIP) will host their biggest event of the year, the 2023 Fighting for Freedom fundraiser. The event will take place on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at Music City Center, located at 201 Rep. John Lewis Way S, Nashville, TN 37203.
“Now, in our fifth year, this year’s event will focus on the stories that keep us fighting for justice every day,” said Jessica Van Dyke, Tennessee Innocence Project executive director and lead counsel. “Guests will have the opportunity to hear first-hand stories about the emotional impact of a wrongful conviction from exonerees, their family members, and Tennessee Innocence Project staff.”
Since opening in 2019, The Tennessee Innocence Project has successfully exonerated five individuals who collectively lost 119 years incarcerated. TIP represents each client at no charge and remains the only in-state innocence organization in Tennessee.
“Donations to TIP allow us to continue to investigate and litigate claims of actual innocence from our hundreds of applicants,” said Jason Gichner, Tennessee Innocence Project deputy director and senior legal counsel. “We spare no expense when someone’s life is on the line.”
This year’s event is made possible by generous sponsors across the state, including:
Innocence Sponsors:
- Amy and Frank Garrison
- Garza Law Firm
Exoneration Sponsors:
- Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
- Burr & Forman LLP
- Ginny & Garry Ferraris
- May & McKinney PLLC
- Pinnacle Financial Partners
- Polsinelli PC
- Sanford Heisler Sharp LLP
- Swafford Law Firm
- Bonney and Jim Todd
- Amy and Clay Richards
- Lief, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein
- Schooner Foundation
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
To learn more about the 2023 Fighting for Freedom fundraiser, visit www.tninnocence.org/freedom.
About the Tennessee Innocence Project:
Launched in February 2019 as the first full-time innocence organization in the state, the Tennessee Innocence Project (TIP) is a non-profit law firm working to free wrongfully convicted Tennesseans. To date, more than 3,200 people have lost more than 25,000 years due to wrongful convictions across the United States. TIP has three primary focus areas: 1) investigating and litigating wrongful conviction cases for those in Tennessee prisons to obtain exonerations, 2) training law students and attorneys about how to litigate these cases and how to prevent future wrongful convictions, and 3) bringing about changes that lead to the discovery of wrongful convictions and remedies to the wrongfully convicted. To learn more, visit www.tninnocence.org.
For more information or if you would like to interview someone from the Tennessee Innocence Project, contact Jennifer Sharp, The Carter Malone Group, LLC, at 901.278.0881 or jsharp@cmgpr.com.
by The Carter Malone Group LLC | Sep 18, 2023 | CMG News, News
(Memphis, TN – September 18, 2023) – Bank of America has partnered with Knowledge Quest to reach the Memphis community and help boost residents’ financial wellness. The bank is bringing a mobile financial center to Gaston Park and Community Center on Monday, October 2, 2023, to provide local residents convenient access to financial education, credit counseling, meetings with specialists and the latest digital banking capabilities. The on-site hub offers free education and advice from specialists and credit counselors on managing finances to help families and business owners build their financial acumen on how to save, spend, borrow and invest to reach their goals.
“At Bank of America, our core mission is to grow and protect the financial wellbeing of our clients and the communities we serve,” said Trevia Chatman, president, Bank of America Memphis. “Through our community-centered approach, we focus on helping our neighbors wherever they are on their financial journey by building trust, confidence and financial know-how.”
The mobile financial center will be on-site at Gaston Park and Community Center, located at 1044 S. 3rd Street, 38106 from Monday, October 2, 2023, to Friday, October 6, 2023, and open from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The center will offer:
- Financial education classes and specialty workshops on topics ranging from basic budgeting and banking, saving, building healthy credit, homebuying and starting and growing a business. These sessions will be facilitated by certified Bank of America employees through Better Money Habits® resources and tools.
- Access to Operation HOPE financial wellbeing counselors who will host sessions focused on money management and credit to help clients build customized plans and solutions for creating budgets, increasing savings and improving credit scores.
- On-site financial specialists, including business solutions advisors and home lending advisors, to help provide tailored financial solutions and advice on individual needs.
- Digital Expo highlighting and featuring Bank of America’s mobile and online banking capabilities and solutions. Visitors can also try the Financial Literacy Simulator, where they learn to save, build credit and budget real-life monthly bills and commitments through an online gaming experience.
Since 2018, Bank of America has invested over $3.6 million in greater Memphis through grants to local nonprofits and employee matching to further support the community.
Bank of America’s mobile financial center in Memphis will be parked at 1044 S. 3rd Street, 38106, and will be open to the community until Friday, October 6, 2023.
For more information and to register for a class or workshop, visit rsvp.bankofamerica.com/client/1365.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 68 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,900 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs, and award-winning digital banking with approximately 57 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, register for email news alerts. www.bankofamerica.com
Reporters May Contact:
Anu Ahluwalia
anu.ahluwalia@bofa.com
by The Carter Malone Group LLC | Sep 12, 2023 | CMG News, News
(MEMPHIS, TN – September 8, 2023) On Thursday, September 14, 2023, the Tennessee Innocence Project (TIP), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, will host the grand opening of its new Memphis office, located at 2029 Peabody Avenue in the Midtown area.
The grand opening will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. and TIP is inviting supporters, donors and those who are interested in the work that TIP does to help those who have been wrongfully convicted in Tennessee.
“After months of hard work and planning, we can finally say that we are ready to take on the challenges of the Mid-South region,” said Jessica Van Dyke, Tennessee Innocence Project Executive Director and Lead Counsel. “We are thrilled to bring our mission to this incredible city and fight for justice and exoneration alongside the Memphis community. We couldn’t have done it without the support of our amazing sponsors, donors and allies.”
After a year of planning, the Tennessee Innocence Project launched in February 2019, as Tennessee’s first and only full-time organization working to free innocent people from prison.
According to their 2022 annual report, TIP has helped exonerate five individuals and Shelby County has the highest number of submitted applications across the state.
To RSVP for the grand opening, visit www.tninnocence.org/memphis. If you are unable to attend the grand opening, you can donate to TIP at www.tninnocence.org.
About the Tennessee Innocence Project:
Launched in February 2019 as the first full-time innocence organization in the state, the Tennessee Innocence Project (TIP) is a non-profit law firm working to free wrongfully convicted Tennesseans. To date, more than 3,200 people have lost more than 25,000 years due to wrongful convictions across the United States. TIP has three primary focus areas: 1) investigating and litigating wrongful conviction cases for those in Tennessee prisons to obtain exonerations, 2) training law students and attorneys about how to litigate these cases and how to prevent future wrongful convictions, and 3) bringing about changes that lead to the discovery of wrongful convictions and remedies to the wrongfully convicted. To learn more, visit www.tninnocence.org.
For more information or if you would like to interview someone from the Tennessee Innocence Project, contact Jennifer Sharp, The Carter Malone Group, LLC, at 901.278.0881 or jsharp@cmgpr.com.
by The Carter Malone Group LLC | Sep 11, 2023 | CMG News, News
Memphis, Tenn. (August 31, 2023) – The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis (WFGM) announced that for its 2023-2024 Annual Grant Cycle, 38 organizations are receiving grant awards. In total, this amounts to a nearly $1.6 million investment in the community. The highest year-to-date investment to-date, this amount is a six percent increase from last year’s contribution total. Since 1996, WFGM has awarded more than $35 million to 185 local non-profits, including investments in advocacy and research.
In 2015, WFMG launched Vision 2020, a five-year strategic initiative aimed at reducing poverty in zip code 38126. This initiative included a $7.1 million strategic investment in programs serving South City – zip code 38126, one of the most economically challenged neighborhoods in Tennessee. As part of this plan, WFGM established a place-based investment strategy to fund grantee partners that provide programs in support of five goal areas: (1) case management and wraparound services; (2) job skills and employment; (3) early childhood development; (4) youth development and employment; and (5) financial education and asset building.
“Since concluding Vision 2020, WFGM has continued building on the lessons learned,” said WFGM President and CEO Shante Avant. “We are using what we have learned, as we embark on Vision 2025. This broadened initiative continues the funding to South City while simultaneously expanding into other economically challenged neighborhoods,” said Avant.
Their Vision 2025 strategic plan, includes four additional zip codes – 38105, 38106, 38107 and 38108. “Our goal is to impact the lives of more than 8,000 individuals annually by focusing on advancing economic and social mobility,” said Avant.
WFGM’s investment in the community profoundly impacts lives. This includes:
- 3,438 individuals receiving job training and placed in jobs
- 141 individuals starting a business or micro-enterprise
- 7,069 young people participating in youth development programs
- 53 percent increase in average annual earned household income for adults
WFGM plans to build on its success with support to its 2023-2024 Grantee Partners in these Investment Areas:
Vision 2025 Investment Area 1: Case Management and Wraparound Services
Hope House Day Care | MIFA (Metropolitan Interfaith Association) | Neighborhood Christian Centers, Inc.| Urban Strategies Inc. | Room in the Inn | Salvation Army of Memphis and the Mid-South
Vision 2025 Investment Area 2: Job Skills, Employment and Entrepreneurship
Advance Memphis | Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis | DeNeuville Learning Center
Dress for Success Memphis | HopeWorks | Karat Place, Inc. | Memphis Urban League, Inc.
Southwest Tennessee Community College Foundation | YWCA of Greater Memphis
Vision 2025 Investment Area 3: Early Childhood Development
ALLMemphis | Early Success Coalition | Families Matter | Porter-Leath
Vision 2025 Investment Area 4: Youth Development and Employment
A Step Ahead Foundation | JIFF Juvenile Intervention & Faith-based Follow-up| Booker T.
Washington Middle and High School | Emmaneul Center, Inc. | Girls Scouts Heart of the South
Girls Inc. of Memphis| Memphis Inner City Rugby| Mustard Seed Inc.| New Ballet Ensemble and School | STREETS Ministries| University of Memphis Research Foundation-Herff-GEE | Vance Avenue Youth Development Center | Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South
Memphis Black Arts Alliance | Kids in Technology
Vision 2025 Investment Area 5: Financial Education and Asset Building
Knowledge Quest | Community Legal Center | RISE Memphis | South City a Community of Opportunity Revitalization Empowerment (SCORE CDC)
Designated Grant Docket Allocations
National Partnerships and Local Initiatives: AECF E2S Programs, YWI, and South City Digital Inclusion | Responsive Funding and Special Projects in zip codes 38126 and 38106 | Program Assessment, Research, and Evaluation | Technical Assistance
About The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis
For 26 years, the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis (WFGM) has played a major role as a backbone organization aligning people, resources, and coordinating community-based services through the two-generation approach to reduce poverty. The mission of WFGM is to encourage philanthropy, foster leadership among women and support programs that enable women and children to reach their full potential.
by The Carter Malone Group LLC | Sep 11, 2023 | CMG News, News
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (August 31, 2023) — The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation has selected six students from around the state as recipients of its 2023 BlueCross Power of We Scholarships. Since 2013, the BlueCross Foundation has awarded the scholarship to help increase representation in Tennessee’s health care workforce and address health disparities statewide. Each of this year’s recipients will receive $10,000 toward school tuition. To date, the foundation has awarded $415,000 in scholarships to 44 students.
“The BlueCross Power of We Scholarship is one way we’ve been working toward health equity,” says Ron Harris, vice president of corporate workforce diversity at BlueCross. “We are proud to support some of our state’s brightest students, and we hope they will use their unique insights and experiences to help deliver high-quality care for all Tennesseans.”
This year’s recipients are:
Kendrick Cox – Cleveland
Senior, Nursing Major
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Destini Givens – Chattanooga
Senior, Psychology Major
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Anthony Guinn – Memphis
Senior, Nursing Major
Baptist Health Sciences University
Zakiya Hamza – Nashville
Senior, Nursing Major
Tennessee State University
Emmanuella Ingabire – Nashville
Senior, Nursing Major
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Farraday Johnson – Covington
Senior, Biomedical Engineering Major
University of Memphis
The BlueCross Foundation will begin accepting applications for 2024 BlueCross Power of We Scholarships later this year. Recipients are selected in partnership with the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) – Memphis Chapter. To view eligibility criteria, visit BCBSTNews.com/scholarship.
For the full stories and a video about this year’s BlueCross Power of We Scholars, visit BCBSTNews.com.
About BlueCross®
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is a taxpaying, not-for-profit health plan serving more than 3.4 million members in Tennessee and around the country. The Chattanooga-based company was founded in 1945 and has brought peace of mind to its members and local communities for more than 75 years. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company’s news center at bcbstnews.com.
About BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, Inc.
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. was established in December 2003 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized to promote the philanthropic mission of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. The foundation provides funding for the BlueCross Healthy Place program, which creates active, healthy spaces across Tennessee.
by The Carter Malone Group LLC | Aug 15, 2023 | CMG News, News
(MEMPHIS, TN – August 11, 2023) The National Civil Rights Museum is partnering with Zócalo Public Square to host a hybrid panel discussion entitled “Why Isn’t Remembering Enough to Repair” on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. CST/4:00 p.m. PST at The National Civil Rights Museum, located at 450 Mulberry St, Memphis, TN 38103.
Hosted both in-person and online, the live panel discussion is part three of a two-year editorial and four-part series entitled “How Should Societies Remember Their Sins?” Supported by the Mellon Foundation and blending scholarly essays and personal stories, the series explores how societies around the world collectively remember their transgressions and make attempts at repair, and how we might imagine new paths forward.
The purpose of “Why Remembering Isn’t Enough to Repair?” is to talk about how Americans can move beyond the discussion about transgressions in America — slavery, civil rights abuses, the violence of war — and move to action. During the program, we will talk about long-term solutions that will help us begin the healing process from America’s transgressions.
Rhetoric professor Andre E. Johnson, the Monument Lab co-founder and artist Ken Lum, and reparations leader Robin Rue Simmons will discuss what repair looks like and how different people and places have stumbled and succeeded in its pursuit. The discussion will be moderated by William Sturkey, University of North Carolina Historian and author of Hattiesburg.
“Our partnership with Zócalo Public Square for this event is germane to our mission,” said Dr. Russ Wigginton, president of The National Civil Rights Museum. “The museum
examines today’s global civil and human rights, provokes thoughtful debate, and serves as a catalyst for positive social change.”
Visit www.zocalopublicsquare.org/event/why-isnt-remembering-enough-repair to RSVP for the event. In-person attendees will have one-on-one access to our guest speakers after the event and attend our reception with complimentary small bites and beverages. For more information or if you would like to interview someone about the panel discussion, contact Jennifer Sharp, The Carter Malone Group, LLC, at 901.278.0881 or jsharp@cmgpr.com.
About the National Civil Rights Museum:
The National Civil Rights Museum, located at the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights Movement from slavery to the present. Since the Museum opened in 1991, millions of visitors from around the world have come, including more than 90,000 student visits annually. The Museum is steadfast in its mission to chronicle the American civil rights movement and tell the story of the ongoing struggle for human rights. It educates and serves as a catalyst to inspire action to create positive social change. To learn more about the National Civil Rights Museum, visit www.civilrightsmuseum.org.
About Zócalo Public Square:
Founded in Los Angeles in 2003, Zócalo Public Square is an ASU Media Enterprise. Zócalo Public Square connects people to ideas and to each other by examining essential questions in an accessible, broad-minded, and democratic spirit. We pursue our mission by convening events and by publishing ideas journalism. We syndicate our journalism to 290 media outlets worldwide and have hosted more than 600 events in 33 cities in the U.S. and beyond, including New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Shanghai, Guadalajara, London, Berlin, and now streaming online. To learn more about the Zócalo Public Square, visit www.zocalopublicsquare.org.
by The Carter Malone Group LLC | Aug 11, 2023 | CMG News, News
(MEMPHIS, TN – August 11, 2023) The Law & Policy Group, Inc. (L&PG), a leading nonprofit organization committed to promoting equality and social justice, has published recent study findings in the 2023 Report on the Status of Black Women and Girls®.
Authored by Yunior Rivas, Lesley Yates, and L&PG founder Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, this comprehensive study examines the state of Black females in America. It is the only ongoing research that explores the challenges and opportunities for Black women and girls in this country. Health, education, politics, employment, criminal justice, youth, marital status and religious beliefs are among the areas studied. The Law & Policy Group, Inc. presented key findings, and discussion, led by Rivas, the L&PG assistant director, and researcher Yates, at a recent event at Brooklyn Public Library.
According to the report, Black women have the highest rate of political participation and Black girls have the highest graduation rate of 96%. However, Black women are being trafficked at an alarming rate and the life expectancy for a Black woman is 74.8 years.
“We publish this report every two years to shed light on issues impacting the condition of Black females in this country,” said Browne-Marshall. “Our aim in publishing this study is to inform all people, especially women and girls. We are providing accessible data showing Black female progress and that of women in other racial groups, as well. We want this ongoing study to serve as a tool for gauging individual as well as group progress.”
Printed and virtual copies of the report can be accessed at www.lawandpolicygroup.org.
For more information or if you would like to learn more about the 2023 Report on Black Women & Girls®, contact Jennifer Sharp, The Carter Malone Group, LLC. at 901.278.0881 or jsharp@cmgpr.com.
The Law & Policy Group Mission
The Law and Policy Group, Inc’s (L&PG) mission is to bridge the gap between laws, policies and the people governed by them. Visit www.lawandpolicygroup.org to learn more about L&PG.
by The Carter Malone Group LLC | Aug 11, 2023 | CMG News, News
(MEMPHIS, TN – August 11, 2023) Families Matter, Inc. will host their Fatherhood Graduation for their AFIRM program participants on Thursday, August 17, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at their office at 2595 Central Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104 (Inside of Christ Community Health Services’ Outreach Center).
There will be 15 graduates from Families Matter’s co-parenting class. These participants will receive recognition for the time they spent in class learning how to support, care for, and financially support their children. Other participants will receive milestone payments for their employment accomplishments.
AFIRM, an acronym for A Father’s Involvement Really Matters, is a community-based program funded by the Tennessee Department of Human Services’ Tennessee Opportunity Act. It is designed to assist low-income fathers, ages 18-40 in Memphis and Shelby County, by connecting them to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or assisting them with a recent child support order.
“The main goal of AFIRM is to provide fathers in the community with the assistance they need to provide a better life for themselves and their children,” said program manager Patrick Batson. “We’re here to let them know they have a support system.”
AFIRM is designed to support fathers with parenting and co-parenting skills, improved support for dads, increased economic mobility, and healthy education.
For more information or if you would like to interview someone about the graduation, contact Jennifer Sharp, The Carter Malone Group, LLC, at 901.278.0881 or jsharp@cmgpr.com.
About Families Matter, Inc.
Founded in 2004, Families Matter, Inc. is a non-profit organization and resource center that serves families via schools, churches, hospitals, and various community partners to educate, enhance, and encourage clients to become their best selves. Their educational offerings include workshops for couples and single parents and offerings for youth and a parenting boot camp for new dads. They also can connect individuals and couples to counseling services around their area. To learn more about Families Matter, Inc., visit www.familiesmattermemphis.org.
by The Carter Malone Group LLC | Aug 2, 2023 | CMG News, News
(August 2, 2023 – Memphis, Tenn) As part of Shelby County Juvenile Court’s (SCJC) efforts to implement innovative approaches to restorative juvenile justice, SCJC has added PURE Academy as one of its strategic partners. PURE — which stands for Progressing Under Restraints and Extremes — is a residential boarding school designed to train young boys to excel in athletics and academics, while exposing them to opportunities that will prepare students to be productive men. PURE is a private college-preparatory school with a holistic philosophy. Training includes providing students tools to help avoid further delinquent behavior and criminal involvement while preparing them to be well-rounded leaders and accomplished individuals.
“I saw an urgent need to assist underserved youth, mostly from single parent homes in high crime areas,” says CEO/Founder Melvin Cole. “My mission and ultimate goal is to use PURE as a deterrent from negative influences to bring positive changes to our young children.”
PURE has a Category I accreditation from the State of Tennessee Department of Education. SCJC will refer youth fitting the program criteria and those selected by the academy to attend will live on the campus 24-hours, seven days a week. Under ongoing adult supervision, they will participate in a very regimented daily routine that includes exercise, school, sports and evening study. Students attending PURE receive secondary education, as well as mental health sessions and support. Its athletic program includes workouts, football and boxing.
“We know that the key to curtailing juvenile delinquency is to involve community partners who understand the confluence of issues that result in negative youth behavior and how to address these challenges,” said Stephanie Hill PhD. “Melvin Cole and the staff at PURE are among the knowledgeable community partners we are teaming with so we have a range of formidable resources in delivering effective reformative juvenile justice.”
The expectation in referring young males to PURE is improved academic outcomes, on-time high school graduation, and lessened risk of recidivism. To help ensure they meet expected outcomes, PURE administers pre behavioral assessments to determine services needed and post analyses to measure achievement.
An important aspect of PURE’s academic strategy is studies that have personal meaning using lessons with real-world concepts. Scholastics, social-emotional learning, and athletics are interwoven in a collaborative approach that provides each student their own set of tools for positively redirecting their lives for success.
“My life’s story is a testament of how a person can change his or her life to become a productive citizen,” said Melvin Cole. “I use my story to inspire young people to make better decisions.”
The alliance between PURE and SCJC is among the range of community-driven partnerships underway for Juvenile Court. Focusing on helping youth address and heal from the experiences that lead to delinquent behavior is a key strategy for Judge Tarik Sugarmon and his team. They are certain this evidence-based approach will deter youth crime while providing young people what they need to grow into productive citizens.
