Completed with Annapolis Collaborative for Change work group

• High levels of racial tension in communities of color since 2016 elections
• One of highest rates of public housing per capita in Annapolis for the nation
• Inter-neighborhood conflicts
• High rates of drug use/drug sales
• Even when dealers are imprisoned, there are still "turf" conflicts between neighborhoods
• "stay in your lane"
• Large Latinx population - MS 13 (though they use knives more than guns)
• Sometimes people just disappear - contracts out, running away from violence, people murdered but bodies are hidden
• Most of the violence happens inside public and subsidized housing
• Lack of affordable housing makes it hard for people to break away from public housing
• Huge gap between haves and have-nots
• All Housing Authority youth are in the same feeder so they all end up in the same high school - so violence trickles over from neighborhood to school which impacts kids academic outcomes and ability to engage in school
• Schools not safe - contributes to kids not going to school
• Lots of single, female head of household or are being cared by kinship caregivers - families lack support
• Neighborhood crews vs. true "gangs" - Intergenerational conflicts
• Lots of younger parents now that lack skills/tools to parent effectively
• Single mom's working multiple jobs to meet basic needs but then they are not able to be around as much for their kids
• Economics and housing costs in the County make it hard to transition out of public/subsidized housing
• People are afraid to leave Annapolis even if they could move out of the neighborhood - family has been there for generations, feels comfortable/safe
• Lack of transportation also makes it really hard - if you work in Annapolis moving to an area outside of 
• Need a car in most parts of the county - but lot's of barriers! Drivers Ed, cost of purchasing a car, insurance, gas, etc.
• Housing models re: cost make mobility hard - increase in income changes rent which makes it hard to save
• High cost of 
• Federal poverty level is so low and families above that line - even 200% of FPL isn't really financially stable
• Many families living paycheck to paycheck which creates no opportunity for saving and makes them vulnerable to even small issues (payday loans, "owe" people that helped you in the neighborhood)
• Drug trade/competition contributes to the riffs/battles between neighborhoods
• Dealers from Baltimore/DC coming down and preying on single moms as ways to move in to these neighborhoods - easy markets
• Heroine, PCP, marijuana all big in sales but people often buying the drugs are from outside the community
• "Tennis shoe dealers" - small dealers just making enough money to buy shoes
• Drug trade is a more appealing economic opportunity for a lot of the young people in the community - why work at McDonalds for $8 if they can make more selling drugs?
• And what happens when these young men go to prison/jail and try to come back into the community? Lots of barriers, lots of things that contribute to recidivism, lack of supports. Almost seems recidivism is inevitable.
• Viable means for supporting a family despite the risks. 
• So many of these young men do not expect to live beyond 25 but feel like this is the best option they have available
• Institutional and systemic racism stacks the deck against young men of colors
• Many want to do better but don't know how - or really can't - break the cycle
• Lack of access to supports can often make smaller offenses (fines, court costs, etc.) snowball into huge amounts of money, bench warrents, jail time which is a dangerous path
• Lack of lifeskills education in elementary/middle schools to help give kids tools to prepare for "the real world" - be able to envision their futures and see the impact their choices have
• Lack of opportunities and pathways other than college - need trade schools, skilled training, etc. Votech has limited capacity and is hard to access.
• Mental health issues - lack of supports but also cultural taboos around getting help
   

• Police Departments (County, City)
• School system
• AACC
• DJS
• The Partnership
• Parole & Probation
• AACCRC
• Newtowne 20 CDC
• Mental Health and Substance Use Providers
• Medical Care providers (Hospitals, doctors, etc.)
• Health Dept.
• Faith Community
• The Whole Village!
• Local programs serving youth – Black Wall Street, Seeds 4 Success, etc.
• Trade Organizations/Unions
• AAWDC - YouthWorks programming
• Library 
• Local governments/elected officials
• DSS
• HACA and HCAAC
• Center of Help (Centro de Ayuda)
• OIC
   

• Mentoring
• Legal Aid - expungements, fines, tickets, wills, etc.
• Case management
• Need better public transportation access/model
• Facilitated discussions/mediation - train trusted mediators from inside these communities
• Community policing strategies to help rebuild trust 
• Programming for youth to encourage healthy choices, provide pathways outside of gangs for success
• Increase staffing of police to help ensure they have time to get to know their communities
• Access to training programs, apprenticeships, skilled trades, etc. creates future path and opportunity for economic stability (one job vs. many jobs vs. drug trade)
• Encourage policies in County agencies and local employers to be more accommodating of people's histories (a criminal offense not to be a barrier to future opportunities)
• Better policies overall to remove barriers for people re-entering community after imprisonment
• More comprehensive release/re-entry programs to help people navigate re-entry
• Increase treatment options/access for mental health and substance use and abuse
• More treatment options where both private insurance and medicaid are accepted