Community Violence Intervention
Through a combination of street outreach by credible messengers and behavioral science-informed interventions, community violence intervention (CVI) programs help de-escalate stressful situations before they lead to violence.
The vast majority of gun homicides in America result from arguments that spiral out of control and turn deadly when a gun is present. That’s why CVI programs, such as behavioral science-informed interventions, can significantly reduce violence involvement by helping people cope with untreated trauma and learn to de-escalate conflicts. Given how little we know about alternative responses to gun violence — and the very high costs this violence imposes on our most vulnerable communities — this promise provides a clear rationale to continue studying the CVI model.
The Crime Lab conducts rigorous evaluations of CVI programs and works to find ways to make them even more effective at reaching the individuals at greatest risk of violence, providing the right supports to improve outcomes, and scaling those successes.
Becoming a Man, a program delivered by Youth Guidance that provides young people with behavioral science-informed interventions, can reduce violent crime arrests by nearly 50%.
Our evaluation of READI Chicago, delivered by Heartland Alliance, estimated a return of $4-$20 in social good to society for every $1 spent on the program
Rapid Employment and Development Initiative (READI) Chicago
READI Chicago is a gun violence reduction initiative that provides almost two years of intensive programming to men at the highest risk of shooting or being shot.
Community Safety Leadership Academies
The Community Safety Leadership Academies, composed of the Policing Leadership Academy and Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy, aim to educate police and community violence intervention leaders.
Choose to Change (C2C)
The Choose to Change program combines trauma-informed therapy with wraparound supports with the goal of reducing youth violence while improving educational outcomes outside of an institutional setting.
Youth Advocate Programs
The Crime Lab and Education Lab, in partnership with Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP), conducted a randomized controlled trial of YAP’s wraparound advocacy services to evaluate the program’s impact on youth academic outcomes and violence engagement outcomes.
Latest Updates
Crime Lab honored
At a February 9 White House ceremony, Vice President Kamala Harris honored the first graduates of the UChicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA), a six-month program that trains leaders to prevent and reduce gun violence in their communities. In her remarks, Harris recognized CVILA’s work and its 31 graduates. Community violence intervention programs are widely seen as an effective approach to preventing gun violence; the CVILA aims to strengthen such programs by providing training on topics including staff development and retention, data literacy, and evaluation. The ceremony was the culmination of a week of events focused on community violence awareness hosted by the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Mastering the art of command: Inside the Policing Leadership Academy with retired NYPD Chief Kenneth Corey
Kenneth Corey, retired NYPD Chief and Director of Outreach and Engagement for the Crime Lab’s Policing Leadership Academy, joins the Policing Matters Podcast to discuss the Academy’s innovative approach to training police commanders.
Madison Police Department captain recognized nationally as a rising police leader
Captain Stephanie Drescher, a graduate of the Policing Leadership Academy, was awarded the 2024 Past President Scholarship at the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives conference for their work on domestic violence homicides.
