CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Wednesday, March 15, 2006

By John Geluardi

RICHMOND: Several ministers will ask the City Council on Tuesday for $200,000 of the $375,000 to start their programs. A group of Richmond ministers has developed seven anti-violence outreach programs, which it is ready to deploy against the city's chronically high homicide rate.

The programs, which are the result of this past June's Black on Black Crime Summit, include creating a year-round academic program for the Richmond Steelers youth football team, three apprentice programs and courses to guide young entrepreneurs toward starting their own businesses.

The most aggressive outreach work would be directed toward convicted felons both before and after they are released from prison. The Rev. Andre Shumake, president of the faith-based Richmond Improvement Association, said he is particularly excited about the San Quentin Project, which would go into prisons and jails to determine the housing and job-training needs of soon-to-be-released inmates.

In some cases, inmates would be able to begin work toward union apprentice programs while they are still inside, he said.

"We have an extensive pre-apprentice program these guys can go through with the understanding they will be received in the union when they are released," Shumake told the City Council last week. "They will be able to come out with access to apprentice work and steady housing. The likelihood of them going back to prison or a life of crime will be nil."

The ministers will ask the City Council at Tuesday's council meeting to fund $200,000 of the $375,000 it will take to launch the seven programs. The remaining $175,000 will be raised through private donations, Shumake said.

The city's public safety and public services standing committee is sponsoring the funding request. Councilman John Marquez, who leads the committee, said the seven programs sound promising.

"I am very interested and impressed with the programs these guys are putting forth," he said. "They are real programs, not pie in the sky. They address the real issues that we have all talked about."

Shumake said a critical program is Project Clean Slate, which would help remove obstacles to jobs and education for eligible ex-offenders by clearing their criminal records of some crimes. Violent crimes or serious drug-related offenses would not be eligible for removal.

The program already exists in Contra Costa County and Supervisor John Gioia is currently working to expand it. The ministers' role would be to educate ex-offenders about the program and help guide them through the process.

"Clean Slate has the effect of granting people a second chance," Shumake said. "By clearing up criminal and civil matters, reinstating their driver's license after meeting certain criteria, they can obtain a tax-paying job, instead of alternate methods of income."

The central program is the 100 African American Men Against Crime, Violence & Injustice, which is designed to funnel at-risk youths and adults to the other programs. Members of the 100 African American Men would do intensive outreach work on some of the city's most violent street corners.

"These 100 men will go into the highways and byways where these individuals are and offer them guidance," Shumake said. "There are already a lot of programs in existence, but the very people who need to be reached are not being reached."

Reach John Geluardi at 510-262-2787 or jgeluardi@cctimes.com.