Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana Offender Notification MeetingsOffender Notification Meetings

OffenderOffender NotificationNotification MeetingsMeetings

a/k/a, LEVER PULLING SESSIONS

Lever Pulling?Lever Pulling?

We use the levers we have to compel our primary, or target, audience to attend; and

We deliver the message that we will use the levers we have, penal and benevolent, to achieve reduced gun crime and homicides.

Where do we start? Where do we start? Partners Partners

Law Enforcement and Community, joining together to develop solutions to shared problems---in this case, gun crime and homicides.

Pool of dedicated, informed individuals with diverse backgrounds who are willing to develop and implement strategies.

Partners = ResourcesPartners = Resources

These are the people who will make your lever pulling sessions happen and succeed

These are the people who can convey to your audience that law enforcement, faith based leaders and the community stand together --- deliver the same message:

Firearm Crime Will Not Be Tolerated

Law Enforcement PartnersLaw Enforcement PartnersLaw enforcement agencies’ buy-in,

federal, state & local is essential.Explain The Benefits to Law Enforcement

- Partnership focus: A whole criminal justice system response to gun crime

- Opportunity to achieve better working relationships with fellow agencies

- Communicate a shared message of intolerance to violence=community support

Community PartnersCommunity Partners

- Create buy-in with the community

- Actively involved in communicating message of intolerance to violence

- Offer services and support to offenders, both social and faith based services

- Partners with the law enforcement community, i.e., combined efforts are more effective

8 Questions that Must be 8 Questions that Must be Answered to Conduct a Successful Answered to Conduct a Successful

Lever Pulling SessionLever Pulling Session1. Who coordinates the Lever Pulling Meeting?2. How do you Select an audience? 3. Who are the crucial partners?4. Where should it be held?5. What structure should be used for the meeting?6. Who are the appropriate speakers?7. What message should be delivered?8. What are the benefits? ALL ARE SPECIFIC TO THE COMMUNITY

1. Who coordinates the Lever 1. Who coordinates the Lever Pulling Meeting?Pulling Meeting?

Location specificOptions: PSN Coordinators, Probation or

other project leadersWhat is key?

- Finding who and what works best

- Individuals/leaders who have the ability to get things done

2. Selecting an Audience2. Selecting an Audience

Methods of selecting probationers/parolees:

1. Geographic based response- Hot spots and mapping- Incident reviews

2. Associate based response- Homicide victims and/or suspects- Aggravated Assault victims and/or suspects

3. Previous similar convictions- Drugs, guns, and violence.

3. Who are the crucial partners 3. Who are the crucial partners for a Lever Pulling Meeting?for a Lever Pulling Meeting?

Judges – they must be informedProbation and ParoleLocal Police DepartmentsDistrict Attorney’s Office & US Attorney’s

OfficeCommunity and Faith Based Partners

4. Selecting a location for a Lever 4. Selecting a location for a Lever Pulling Meeting?Pulling Meeting?

Site/purpose specificOptions:

- Courts (Informing the judges)- Law enforcement facilities

- Community Centers

- Schools (youth lever pulling sessions)

5. Selecting a structure for the 5. Selecting a structure for the Lever Pulling Meeting?Lever Pulling Meeting?

Audience & Participant specificWhat is key?

- Finding what works

- Finding a format that is acceptable to law enforcement and community/faith

based organizations

- Expect changes and modifications

6. Selecting the Appropriate 6. Selecting the Appropriate SpeakersSpeakers

Options: Coordinators, Law Enforcement and Community/Faith Based organizations

What is key?- Find who and what combination works best- Find individuals who will get the attention of

the audience and deliver the message.- The best speakers for a probation/parole audience may not be the typical speakers (agency heads, elected officials), but they could be.- Expect change – different audiences often require different speakers.

7. What message is communicated7. What message is communicated

What is key? Law enforcement and community communicating the same message:

- Gun crime will not be tolerated; we will work together

- If rules are broken, laws will be enforced- These are the consequences - Here is what happened to some who failed to

listen/make the right choices- Law enforcement will protect as well as arrest- Here are services, community resources, to help you make positive choices

Lever Pulling Sessions Are Lever Pulling Sessions Are AdaptableAdaptable

They may be focused upon your particular gun crime problem– Drugs– Gangs– Felons in possession– Domestic violence, etc.

Modified Lever Pulling Modified Lever Pulling SessionsSessions

Educational & Youth Focused– General audience at community events– In-School programs for students (and parents) – At risk youth

Alternative school studentsNeighborhood/Community groups

This is HARD WORKThis is HARD WORK

Complex Problem---Requires a partnership solution - Law enforcement (Federal, State and Local) - Active community support, involvement and open

communication

Partnership Issues---Time, Trust and patience- It is a new way of doing business – change takes time- Jurisdictional issues, politics, and personalities

HARD WORK, Cont’dHARD WORK, Cont’dResource Problem vs. Priority Problem Challenges

- This will be an add-on to current duties!- There will always be resource problems, so

priorities have to be re-aligned - There must be “buy in” from the policy makers

that this is a priority - There must also be “buy in” from those who are

involved – which comes from seeing the benefit over time

Take Advantage of Existing Resources

8. What are the benefits of Lever 8. What are the benefits of Lever Pulling Meetings?Pulling Meetings?

A. Communicating to an offender population that violence will not be tolerated, and

the consequences for actions. B. This is something new and it

communicates to the offender population that things are different – deterrence message.

C. New partnerships--- between law enforcement agencies, and between law enforcement and the community.

8. Cont’d, Benefits8. Cont’d, BenefitsD. Lever Pulling meetings can be a catalyst to

get multi-agency actions started within law enforcement.

E. Link offenders to services and support that are needed.

F. Begin to be more strategic and proactive in law enforcement efforts – Lever Pulling Meetings can be used both proactively

and reactively to reduce the level of violence.

G. Sites that have used Lever Pulling meetings have shown statistical evidence in the

reduction of homicides.

157

12780%

149

11980% 112

8879%

103

7371%

115

8170%

108

7267%

108

7569%

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Year 1997 Year 1998 Year 1999 Year 2000 Year 2001 Year 2002 Year 2003

Indianapolis, Indiana, 1997 - 2003 Total Criminal Homicides and Number of Gun Homicides

Total Homicides Gun Homicides

Do it, evaluate, do it again and Do it, evaluate, do it again and re-evaluate – this is a process re-evaluate – this is a process

and not a final productand not a final product!!

The Indianapolis Lever Pulling The Indianapolis Lever Pulling ExperimentExperiment

In early 2003, lever-pulling in Indianapolis evolved once again when the decision was made by working group members to try another innovative approach to lever-pulling.

The traditional type of lever-pulling meeting (the law enforcement/community message) has continued to be used, but also another type of meeting has occurred where probationers only meet with community leaders. The atmosphere and how the message is communicated are different, but importantly the message is consistent: Indianapolis will not tolerate violent criminal activity in our community.

OVERVIEW OF STUDYIndianapolis’ Long-Term Commitment to Lever

Pulling Strategy is Key 1. Two Styles of Meetings: Law

Enforcement/Community and Community2. Working Collaboratively with Researchers to

Accurately Assess Effectiveness 3. Experimental Design, Randomly Assigning

High-Risk, Violent Probationers to One of Three Groups.

4. Meeting Phase is Completed (12 meetings/6 of each).

5. Survey and Official Data are being Collected