YAP’s effective youth justice model, combined with evidence-backed violence interruption approaches, provides economic opportunities for credible messengers, many of whom are formerly incarcerated individuals who live in neighborhoods with high rates of violence and are committed to giving back to their communities.
YAP’s community-based safety initiatives are expanding and include services in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Charlotte, Charleston/North Charleston, Washington DC and others. Further in Chicago, Choose to Change™ – a partnership with YAP and Brightpoint, serving young people highly impacted by violence -- has been shown in a randomized controlled trial study by the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Education Lab, to reduce violent crime arrests by nearly 50 percent while increasing school attendance by about a week.