The Disruptors Blog by Paul Wilson Jr.

A Prosecutor's Vision for a Better Criminal Justice System

4/22/2017

Every time a kid commits a crime, the US justice system has a choice: prosecute to the full extent of the law, or take a step back and ask if saddling young people with criminal records is the right thing to do every time. In this searching talk, Adam Foss, a prosecutor with the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in Boston, makes his case for a reformed justice system that replaces wrath with opportunity, changing people's lives for the better instead of ruining them. By shifting his focus from incarceration to transforming lives, Foss is reinventing the role of the criminal prosecutor.

Everyone in our communities has a role to play in helping to create better opportunities and brighter futures for underserved, at-risk youth. Often it requires looking at the same problems with a new lens. My new book, Jobs, Justice & Jesus, focuses on the need to develop comprehensive, integrated solutions that include multiple organizations and institutions. Let's all work together to do more for our kids.

Click here to learn more and download a free chapter of my book.

Creating Employment Opportunities for Underserved Youth

4/19/2017

Comments

I'm always excited to find out about programs that focus on helping youth and young adults find meaningful employment. So I was really inspired to learn about Workforce Opportunity Solutions, based in New York City, focused on transforming early career professionals by cultivating their talents. They connect leading companies with a network of thousands of ready-to-work professionals who reflect diverse communities and customers.

We need more organizations like this around the country that combine education and work opportunities to equip underserved youth to create a positive future. Keep up the great work WOS!

You can learn more about similar services we're providing in Atlanta through Kinsman Community to prepare underserved youth and young adults for the workforce and success in life at www.mykinsman.org.

Comments

A Simple Idea to Generate Jobs for Youth in Urban Communities

4/5/2017

The average cost per prison inmate per year to US tax payers is more than $31,200 and some states are as high as $60,000 (and these numbers are a few years old). In fact, certain states spend nearly three times as much to house prisoners than to educate students. And that's not counting all the negative family, social, emotional, mental, and community impact that's connected to each person who is incarcerated.

Of course we know that unemployment has a strong correlation to criminal activities. Further, studies have shown that youth crimes go down when they get jobs. So why haven't we connected the dots to see that if more jobs are needed in urban communities to help people take the initial and essential steps break generational cycles of poverty, we look to small businesses as a primary source of job creation?

I tackle the answer to that question in my online course, Business as Mission 2.1 Community Jobs Program. This innovative and dynamic online course merges the best practices and ingenuity that missional Christian entrepreneurs have successfully used for years in third world countries and applies them to inner cities and urban areas in America. It is a very unique course in that it combines effective strategies from the areas of 1) economic empowerment, 2) social engagement, and 3) spiritual enrichment. By the end of this course you will have a strategic playbook to make a significant impact in your community by integrating social entrepreneurship and urban missions in a compelling way.

I believe we can be more effective in dealing with crime prevention, in particular strategies to create jobs for at-risk youth and young adults who are most susceptible to committing crimes. And Business as Mission 2.1 will do just that!

We can do more to develop solutions that change lives financially, socially, and spiritually. Let's do it together for the sake of our future!

Just click below to get started...

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