D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb said Wednesday his office is launching a new series of public safety grants designed to foster development among city youth.
The Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Violence Prevention grant program will provide up to $250,000 to local nonprofits dedicated to evidence-based, preventive approaches to crime reduction. Grants are available for fiscal year 2024 and eligible applicants must apply by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 2.
Recipients may practice in such fields as academic achievement and workforce readiness, youth and family support, trauma-informed services, conflict and dispute resolution, meaningful engagement, and mental health and well-being.
“Improving public safety by ensuring that D.C. kids lead healthy, hopeful lives is one of our office’s core priorities,” Schwalb said. “Hopeful children are safer children — to themselves and everyone around them. In addition to holding juvenile offenders accountable and supporting the victims after crimes occur, we also have to invest in proactive strategies to prevent crime before it happens.
“Policing and prosecution are two critical components of a public safety strategy, but the District cannot arrest and incarcerate its way out of crime,” he said. “Prevention must be part of a comprehensive crime strategy as it is equally important and necessary in making our community safer in the long run. I look forward to investing in and partnering with organizations dedicated to bringing innovative ideas, methods, and tools to mitigating risk factors in youth and aiding the long-term success of young people in the District.”
