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HMHC Newsletter
Healthy Men, Healthy Communities
July 2010 |
Greetings!
Programs that support healthy youth development and provide positive adult interaction are key to countering the negative experiences many youth in our country experience on a daily basis. In this issue of the Healthy Men, Healthy Communities newsletter we take a look at how foundations and political leaders are supporting programs that foster healthy youth development. Representative Robert Scott leads the discussion by articulating the importance of policies that support healthy youth development, prevention, intervention and rehabilitation. Next, an article by Stephanie Snyder, Program Intern at GCYF, reports on what one of the leading health foundations in the country, The California Endowment, has discovered in the connection between community violence and negative health outcomes for young men and boys of color. Finally, Ellen London, President & CEO of the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust offers strategies for funders to ensure that youth violence prevention programs incorporate a youth development approach.
We hope you like the new design of our Healthy Men, Healthy Communities newsletter. This new format helps readers gain important insight into current topics affecting minority men and boys while gaining access to resources available in the field. Best Regards,
Dr. Stephanie McGencey, Ph.D., MPH
Executive Director
Grantmakers for Children, Youth & Families |
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Youth Promise Act
By Representative Robert Scott, Virginia's 3rd District
During my more than 30 years of public service, I have learned that when it comes to crime policy, we have a choice - we can reduce crime, or we can "play politics". For far too long, Congress has chosen to "play politics" by enacting so-called "tough on crime" slogans such as "three strikes and you're out", "mandatory minimum sentencing", "life without parole", "abolish parole" or "you do the adult crime, you do the adult time".
Because Congress has enacted so many of these "tough on crime," slogan-based policies, the United States now has the highest incarceration rate of any nation in the world, with over 700 persons incarcerated for every 100,000 in the population. The impact of this focus on tough law enforcement approaches falls disproportionately on minorities, particularly Blacks and Hispanics. While the average incarceration rate in the United States is 7 times the international average, for Blacks the average rate is over 2200 per 100,000, and the rate in some jurisdictions exceeds 4,000 per 100,000 Blacks, a rate 40 times the international average. These statistics are even more troubling in light of the Pew Center on the States' study "1 in 31," which found that incarceration rates higher than the range of 350-500 per 100,000 are counterproductive when it comes to reducing crime. In addition to being racially prejudiced and counterproductive, increased incarceration is not cheap. Since 1982, the cost of incarceration in this country has risen from $9 billion annually to over $65 billion a year. [more] |
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Victims of Violence: The Health Consequences of Communities for Boys and Young Men of Color
By Stephanie Snyder, Grantmakers for Children, Youth, & Families
Time and again, studies have shown that children living in impoverished urban areas are often exposed to high levels of community violence. A growing body of evidence suggests that this exposure dramatically increases their risk for negative health conditions. Studies have shown that these health disparities are especially pronounced for African-American and Latino boys and young men. However, research reveals that hospital-based violence prevention programs can help break the cycle of violence and reduce violent crime. These programs can play a vital role in addressing the physical and mental health issues experienced by boys and young men of color. [more] |
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Best Practices and Research Yield Real Strategies
By Ellen London, DC Children & Youth Investment Trust Corporation
At the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, we know the philosophy and principles of youth development result in improved outcomes for children and youth, giving them the tools to make better decisions as they transition to adulthood. We have seen young people thrive when given the right opportunities, support, respect and mentoring relationships. Young men and women in the District's youth development programs have made remarkable and inspiring accomplishments. These programs are combating the exposure to violence and world of temptations that youth in our society face every day, especially low-income, young men of color. [more] |
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News In Brief
Explore Youth Development at the GCYF 2010 Annual Conference
Want to learn more about what grantmakers are doing to promote healthy youth development? Attending the GCYF 2010 Annual Conference, Children, Youth & Families: The Centerpiece of Change, is a great way to find out! Through presentations, tours and discussions, three Conference sessions will showcase innovative approaches to address the unique needs of youth. Don't miss these informative sessions:
Taking Action to Address Disparities Through Health Reform
Join Grantmakers in Health at 2pm ET on July 28 for an overview of key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that are designed to improve the health of communities of color. The speakers will discuss current and emerging areas of opportunity through which health funders may be able to support the implementation of these provisions. To register for this audioconference, send an e-mail to disparities@gih.org. This audioconference is open only to GIH Funding Partners and GCYF members.
White House Unveils National HIV/AIDS Strategy
On July 12 the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, a comprehensive plan for fighting HIV in our country. In his remarks at a reception with HIV/AIDS policy experts and activists, President Obama acknowledged that as a Nation, we have come a long way in the battle against the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, but that we still have much work left to do. Noting that the number of new infections in the United States has been static the new policy directs more resources toward four high-risk groups: African Americans, gay and bisexual men, Latinos, and substance abusers. Download the Strategy in its entirety or learn more at AIDS.gov.
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