This presentation was made by a student in the i.c. stars program as part of "Civics 101" taught by Tom Tresser, Fall 2013. tom@civiclab.us

1. Violence In Englewood
The Solution: By Stacey Johnson
November 2013

2. In My Neighborhood (Englewood)…
Violence is a constant problem in my neighborhood.
Englewood that is. I’ve lived on the Southside of
Chicago since I was about 10 years old. Things have
gotten worse and that’s not just my opinion, it’s a
fact. More than anyone else it effects the children in
my neighborhood. Parents are afraid to let their
children play outside due to the fear of stray bullets.
The truth is no one is really safe. I wonder everyday
if things would change if there were less drop-outs,
more job opportunities, and better living conditions.

4. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loc
al/breaking/chi-overnight-crimeshootings-nov-16-nov-1720131116,0,2915240.story

5. Cause or Excuse??

6. The Chance to Succeed
“Give a person an inch, and they’ll take a mile.”
I believe that everyone deserves a second chance . You can’t expect
that building new homes and sending people to school will end
all the violence. But they are ways it can be deferred. The way I
believe this can be done in a more efficient way is to start by
giving the ex-offenders another chance. Most of the time with
there backgrounds it’s hard to get a well paying job and even if it
pays well the job is pretty crappy. Therefore they see the need to
go back to fast money. (Selling Drugs, Robbery, Prostitution,
etc…) . I would consider trying to pass a law that would, after a
certain amount of years and meeting a certain criteria , their
backgrounds would be erased and no company or organization
would be able to check it to hold anything against them. (7yrs
Old at the most)

7. Links to Programs
Somewhat Like Mines
• www.secondchanceprogram.or
g (Re entry)
• www.goodwill.com (overcome
barriers to employment)

8. How my program would work…
When they receive a background
check if the crimes is 7yrs or
older it wont appear. This is
only apply after they have
meet a certain criteria:
• Went through rehabilitation
• Counseling (for the specific
offense)
• 60hrs of community service
• Proof of stable living
conditions
• No run-ins with the law less
than 3yrs old

9. Roderick Sawyer
Alderman 6th Ward