Do first-time offenders or low-level offenders deserve a second chance under the law in order to better themselves by avoiding future criminal activity, avoiding other known felons and committing to furthering their education? Should communities ailed by the problems of these crimes be given the opportunity to not only voice their concerns, but also be directly associated with measures to stop the crimes committed in their neighborhoods?
Well the City of Memphis thinks so because in 2010 the City sought to implement a program that would do just that. Along these lines, the City of Memphis in collaboration with the Memphis Police Department and other law enforcement, community agencies, churches, citizens and the United States Attorney’s Office came come together to implement a program known as Drug Market Intervention (DMI).
What exactly is the Drug Market Intervention Program? The program is defined by the United States Department of Justice as measure between the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), via the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy, which supports training and technical assistance for local teams interested in implementing an open-air drug market intervention (DMI) initiative that is commonly referred to as the High Point Model. DMI addresses the challenge of effectively responding to illegal drug markets and their associated crime, violence, and disorder that has proven challenging for communities and law enforcement for decades. DMI is a strategic problem-solving initiative aimed at permanently closing down open-air drug markets. The strategy targets individual geographic drug markets using focused deterrence with transformational elements. The most violent offenders are targeted and prosecuted as examples. The strategy then targets low-level offenders and stages an intervention with families and community leaders. Law enforcement mobilizes community residents, leaders, and family members of low-level drug dealers to voice their intolerance for this criminal behavior and to create opportunity and support for the offenders. Offenders are given the option to straighten up or face lengthy prison sentences and are provided assistance in locating employment, housing, transportation, health care, and access to other social services. In the High Point Model, North Carolina Model, the strategy involved few arrests, mostly employing problem-solving approaches, and has resulted in a complete transformation of the targeted areas. The results were immediate and have been sustained for over four years. High Point’s most troubled neighborhoods have seen dramatically improved conditions and reduced drug and violent crime citywide. Most importantly, it did so in a way that addressed and repaired deep historic racial divisions in the community. The neighborhoods themselves have now taken responsibility for safety in the community.
The program in Memphis initially targeted the 38134 zip code and gained momentum after a three month undercover operation that targeted street level dealers. As a result of the undercover operation, 50 arrests were made, 5 of the offenders face federal prosecution, and 38 of the offenders have state court charges. (http://www.myfoxmemphis.com). However, 6 of the offenders were given the very rare opportunity to come and to meet with people of the community and to be given an opportunity to quit or be prosecuted because as stated previously, under the DMI program there is a “second chance” provision available to those considered low-level offenders who just might be seeking a way out of the drug life. (http://www.myfoxmemphis.com). The 6 offenders in question received hand delivered letters from the Memphis Police Department whereby 5 of the 6 eligible offenders were ordered to bring a loved one and attend a community intervention held at Springdale Baptist Church Tuesday night. Peggy Russell, Safe Streets coordinator, explained, “they were shown videos of the actual [drug] transactions and then they received a message from community residents. The community residents ask these individuals to please stop.” As a result of the program all 5 of the offenders agreed to get out of the drug life rather than do jail time and in return, they will receive help to get their lives back on track which as stated previously involves a variety of resources including locating employment, housing, transportation, health care, and access to other social services.
The program appears to be effective means in stopping future criminal activity in a number of ways. First, the government actually has to establish and be able to present a case that criminal activity is being committed in particular area. Second, an opportunity is presented to specific offenders in order to prevent future crimes from occurring. The methodology is simple and effective because regardless of the acceptance or lack of acceptance by the offender, the government still has built a case against the offender. Furthermore, it becomes in the best interest of the offender to seize the opportunity to avoid jail time and also obtain needed services. As such, the program is a win/win because either (a) the offender is taken off the streets for the crimes committed or the offender elects to become a contributing and productive citizen to the neighborhood, family, and communities that loves and support them. Either way the community benefits from the program and the government grows as it seeks to identify new and effective means in targeting and preventing crime.
What exactly is the Drug Market Intervention Program? The program is defined by the United States Department of Justice as measure between the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), via the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy, which supports training and technical assistance for local teams interested in implementing an open-air drug market intervention (DMI) initiative that is commonly referred to as the High Point Model. DMI addresses the challenge of effectively responding to illegal drug markets and their associated crime, violence, and disorder that has proven challenging for communities and law enforcement for decades. DMI is a strategic problem-solving initiative aimed at permanently closing down open-air drug markets. The strategy targets individual geographic drug markets using focused deterrence with transformational elements. The most violent offenders are targeted and prosecuted as examples. The strategy then targets low-level offenders and stages an intervention with families and community leaders. Law enforcement mobilizes community residents, leaders, and family members of low-level drug dealers to voice their intolerance for this criminal behavior and to create opportunity and support for the offenders. Offenders are given the option to straighten up or face lengthy prison sentences and are provided assistance in locating employment, housing, transportation, health care, and access to other social services. In the High Point Model, North Carolina Model, the strategy involved few arrests, mostly employing problem-solving approaches, and has resulted in a complete transformation of the targeted areas. The results were immediate and have been sustained for over four years. High Point’s most troubled neighborhoods have seen dramatically improved conditions and reduced drug and violent crime citywide. Most importantly, it did so in a way that addressed and repaired deep historic racial divisions in the community. The neighborhoods themselves have now taken responsibility for safety in the community.
The program in Memphis initially targeted the 38134 zip code and gained momentum after a three month undercover operation that targeted street level dealers. As a result of the undercover operation, 50 arrests were made, 5 of the offenders face federal prosecution, and 38 of the offenders have state court charges. (http://www.myfoxmemphis.com). However, 6 of the offenders were given the very rare opportunity to come and to meet with people of the community and to be given an opportunity to quit or be prosecuted because as stated previously, under the DMI program there is a “second chance” provision available to those considered low-level offenders who just might be seeking a way out of the drug life. (http://www.myfoxmemphis.com). The 6 offenders in question received hand delivered letters from the Memphis Police Department whereby 5 of the 6 eligible offenders were ordered to bring a loved one and attend a community intervention held at Springdale Baptist Church Tuesday night. Peggy Russell, Safe Streets coordinator, explained, “they were shown videos of the actual [drug] transactions and then they received a message from community residents. The community residents ask these individuals to please stop.” As a result of the program all 5 of the offenders agreed to get out of the drug life rather than do jail time and in return, they will receive help to get their lives back on track which as stated previously involves a variety of resources including locating employment, housing, transportation, health care, and access to other social services.
The program appears to be effective means in stopping future criminal activity in a number of ways. First, the government actually has to establish and be able to present a case that criminal activity is being committed in particular area. Second, an opportunity is presented to specific offenders in order to prevent future crimes from occurring. The methodology is simple and effective because regardless of the acceptance or lack of acceptance by the offender, the government still has built a case against the offender. Furthermore, it becomes in the best interest of the offender to seize the opportunity to avoid jail time and also obtain needed services. As such, the program is a win/win because either (a) the offender is taken off the streets for the crimes committed or the offender elects to become a contributing and productive citizen to the neighborhood, family, and communities that loves and support them. Either way the community benefits from the program and the government grows as it seeks to identify new and effective means in targeting and preventing crime.
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