Programs

1979

The Positive Anti-Crime Thrust, Inc. is founded as the programmatic component of the Afro-American Patrolman’s League with the goal of working to reduce the incarceration and recidivism rates exploding in the African-American urban centers.

1983

Prison Reform Advocacy Yardstick is formed (PRAY). This group, composed of many faith based institutions, was developed as an advocacy consortium focused on prison related issues.

1990

Ako-Ben Nyame Nwu Na Mawu Society formed as a counterpoint to gang culture. This was one of PACT’s initial efforts at developing a program that informed young men of their broader African culture and encouraged them to be protectors of their communities rather than a source of confusion and even danger. The symbols of PACT’s logo include the symbols represented by the name of the society:

Akoben is the symbol of vigilance and wariness. Akoben is a horn used to sound a battle cry.

Nyame Nwu Na Mawu is the symbol of God’s omnipresence and the perpetual existence of man’s spirit This signifies the immortality of man’s soul, believed to be a part of God. Because the soul rests with God after death, it cannot die.

1996

Operation Safe Bet started in 1996 in one Chicago area high school, soon expanding to three and eventually eight. Its focus was the retention, retrieval and academic engagement of at-risk teens through a combination of activities geared toward lifestyle and life approach modification.

While a template was used for each school program, uniqueness of the specific school was taken into consideration in the design and implementation methodology. After program design and administration sign off, the Security Specialist team implemented the program, engaging the client population. Students were referred to the “Safe Bet Officer” based on several criteria:

• Retrieval of students dropped from the official school roles
• Absenteeism
• Gang Intervention
• Behavior/Discipline
• Academic Performance Issues
• Personal / Other (i.e. lack of motivation, family issues, incarceration, etc.)

The Safe Bet Officers were unanimous in the positive view of the programs and a key success metric was a 70% retrieval/retained rate for this at-risk population (clearly a positive considering that from the total incoming African American male freshmen in 1994, 67% failed to graduate within five years).

1997

Project DETours at-risk-youth and prisoner interaction launches. DETours took Chicago youth on tours inside jails and prisons where they interacted with prisoners in planned activities that provide realistic insights into the negative lifestyles and conditions within the penal system. Originally focused on delivering service to youth living in Chicago Housing Authority developments, by 2004 the program was focused on targeting youth provided through a variety of private and government agencies in greater Chicago.

1998

Youth Enhancement Strategy (Y.E.S.) program developed. The youth enhancement strategy incorporates several programs that are focused on reducing the involvement and engagement of inner-city youth with the criminal justice system. While each program has been implemented at various times over the years, and each carries its own success history, they are all incorporated in one strategy and targeted to run concurrently as on-going tactics to reduce youth incarceration and those behaviors that lead to it. Y.E.S. Program goals:

• Through direct program development decrease the drop-out rate in the Chicago metro area
• Improve safety/security and thus the learning environment in public schools
• Reduce youth incarceration and negative interaction with the criminal justice system

2001

Recognizing the devastating impact the criminal justice system has on individuals, families and communities, and the limited understanding and resources available to address issues and propose/implement practical solutions, the Prison Ministry Network (PMN) was formed.

Comprised of many veteran prison volunteers, key church prison ministry volunteers, community activists and legal/law enforcement professionals, this “consortium” of organizations and individuals has three key goals:

1. Develop the potential within churches and their prison ministries to deliver meaningful and practical services to at risk youth, incarcerated adults/youth and the newly released, as well as their families/support structures.
2. Research and Understand the issues within the prison system and the effects on our community.
3. Advocate both directly and in association with like-minded churches, other faith based institutions and organizations, for changes that we deem necessary.

2002

Community-Police Relations Information Center project kicks off. This pilot program was an online system for documenting official misconduct complaints. The primary purpose of the database was to provide the community with accurate information on various aspects of misconduct in their neighborhoods, and use that information in their efforts at community policing. A second use was planned for independent research by criminal justice educational facilities throughout the country.

2003

“Train the Trainer”  curriculum development for IDOC inmates initiated with Chicago City Colleges and Roosevelt University.

2007

PACT initializes Leadership Development project, Community Organizing 101. Partnering with Safer Foundation and Kennedy-King College (A City College of Chicago) the course focused on the twin objectives of decreasing recidivism among a targeted group of newly released individuals, and developing the capacity of those individuals to participate as trainers.

2009

In order to facilitated the development of entrepreneurial skills in the ex-offender population, especially the graduates of PACT’s Community Organizing 101 program, PACT starts a for profit company, Self-Help Inspired People, LLC (SHIP). Initially SHIP will facilitate the development of a fresh produce distribution capacity and a consultancy focused on the customization and implementation of programs for troubled youth.