>> Chicago has a safety gap.

Most of the city's violence is country concentrated within 10 blocks in 4 neighborhoods, all predominantly black or Latino communities.

One way the city plans to disrupt the violence is by structuring an anti-violence plan in Inglewood, Austin, Garfield, Park in Little Village and helping formerly incarcerated people more easily get back on their feet after 3 years dormant, the Office of Reentry has a new leader to do just that.

And he joins us now.

Joseph Map, the city of Chicago's director of re-entry, along with Gary and Gate would Chicago's deputy mayor of community safety.

And know you've got some more information to share with U.S. Deputy Mayor.

We're going to come to that soon.

>> Joseph Map are going to start with you.

Of course, office of Reentry has not had a leader since 2022, what are your top priorities?

>> Well, my top priority system, organ mask around collaboration.

So that means bringing the whole force of city government, the department assist agencies along with community-based organizations to create a re-entry plan that of France and values.

Those who are returning.

>> You have experience you served.

26 years in prison makes you the right fit for the job because you have that understanding.

What do you wish was available to help you when you are released?

>> So recognizing that this and a lot of talent just wish I had emotional support.

How come back to a city that looks strangely different.

I wish I had family reunification.

The tell me how my family has changed as well as the traditional I wish I had help with finding locating department didn't didn't exclude me because of my background.

Help with employment.

I imagine.

okay.

A lot a lot.

So that a lot of work for you to in this position.

>> Deputy mayor, the people's plan for Community safety.

One-year report just released this initiative focuses on 10 blocks and for Chicago neighborhoods.

As we mentioned, Englewood West Garfield Park, Austin and Little Village is it clear that, you know this, this focus over the last year has it resulted in an overall reduction in violent crime.

Yet what we have seen reductions in violent crime way.

I'll give you an example in the Englewood in the 7th district.

>> Under the leadership of command to courts in the wood itself has seen 30% reduction in homicides.

You know, here as a city.

If you look back from this last year 2024, obviously we saw percent nearly 8% reduction homicides.

But over a four-year span, a comparison nearly 20% reduction.

of our block groups in West Garfield Park.

saw 40% reduction in violence.

So we understand that.

Not only are we seeing a reduction in crime citywide, but having a more focused approach our investments.

We're seeing some of the results that were hoping Obviously we know this is not something that happens overnight, but we also understand that working directly with community and making sure we're resources to bear from the city of Chicago, our partners at the state the county.

We can really see the results that we need to see over the long haul.

>> app.

One of your missions, of course, to work on policies to develop as we discussed employment, fair housing practices for people returning from prison.

Now, according to this the report the city has conducted research identify the industries that are currently hiring into sustainable You all have begun establishing partnership with business organizations.

At the same time, we know the city has done quite a few studies on this issue.

Do we need a new approach and what would that look like?

>> So that approach often time we think about employment, readiness for individuals are entering the workforce.

I believe we also need employee a readiness to be prepared for this population that we're serving.

And I think if we work in tandem with community-based organizations that can accompany individuals through this process and businesses, we create a robust economy and have help heal our communities.

What does that look like?

Employer readiness is imagine it looks probably like a partnering with and offering training to some employers.

>> Who would like to offer opportunities to people who have been system impacted.

So >> one thing to dress did miscommunication.

Sone of the leadership may say, hey, we're background friendly, but the frontline staff and the third-party her and he just may not be familiar with this process and just to get everyone in the so we can have better opportunities for those who are pie.

>> At the end of 2021 over 16,000 people were on parole in Illinois and nearly 40% of the people really eastern Illinois prisons returned within 3 years.

What causes recidivism?

>> There's many factors that cause increased primarily when individuals are not given the opportunity to re acclimate back into the workforce and become taxpayer lifelong taxpayers instead of lifelong tax burdens.

If successfully give people employment given opportunity obtain house and and if we give mental support mental health support, people will have a better chance of being successfully reintegrated back into society.

>> Deputy mayor the city seeing a number of efforts in the past to improve safety, reduce violence.

Of course, it is an ongoing struggle in the city of Chicago.

What makes this initiative different?

I think what makes it different is we actually Laden community leader, right?

So we didn't block groups in silo.

We went to community members and we built the people's plan.

So go alongside quality of life plans and these particular neighborhoods working closely with our community communities in Inglewood, teamwork, Englewood.

And Austin, the West side, NAACP and Little Village be on the ball and in West Garfield Park, Youth guidance was doing a lot of work with them.

I offer project with so many other partners over on the West side.

So we wanted to make sure we had community lead this work and we also wanted to make sure every city single agency understanding the role they play it.

Safety and safety is not only up to the Chicago Police Department.

That is literally all of us working together.

So that's why it's different.

And it's all of us being invested in making our city safer.

>> What do you say to people who are hoping that there would be a bigger changes with this new approach?

Well, what I say to them is come on, come on and join us on this journey to help make those bigger changes, right?

Because you you're looking at things where you see a 40% reduction in homicides and one block and a 30% reduction in homicides.

>> And Inglewood, so we've seen those changes, which also important that we continue those investments and we continue working together.

I want people to get off the sidelines and come work hand-in-hand with us to bring violence down in our city.

>> According to city data of approximately 10,000 Chicagoans who returned home after serving time in jail or prison every year are more likely to be either victims of crimes themselves or to end up on housed.

How do you plan to reduce recidivism as well as you know, prevent people from returning to the community from being, you know, victims themselves or becoming an house.

>> So I think one thing to begin to think about how people contribute to the safety and the well-being of the community and talking about come into balance and to mention a large portion of that workforce, our system impacted individuals.

So we'd ride the reduction in violence.

That's one began.

And the second part is allowing people the opportunity and develop in the philosophy of acceptance when people are no longer speaking with task.

But look they have value and have the ability to add value.

We begin to treat people differently.

>> All you've also formed a re-entry steering committee.

You've started listening listening tour speaking directly with impacted individuals.

What have you heard from them?

>> So many individuals speak of the need and desire to have navigation.

Oftentimes people are incarcerated in left House state where most of responsibilities are cared for bad.

Not if we begin to think about support on reinforcing the value autonomy that individuals have, they will begin to step into that and believe in a self.

So if we can inspire hope in this, we turn the population.

>> Deputy mayor, what are the next steps for your anti-violence I next steps are expanding to new communities, right?

We have our community can be and is enough for areas.

We're going to continue working off 15 communities that we've laid out, but expanding in newtok into new communities really have a focus on different block.

Comes.

So this is some of the work will be doing this year.

Tomorrow.

We have our quarterly meeting right at Kennedy King College 3 o'clock tomorrow.

This is a this is a homecoming because this is actually we lost a plan in December of 2023.

So being able to release hard copies of the report and thank the folks who've been a part of this work Biden, more people, who may not have been as involved they would like.

You want.

He has the opportunity to be more involved.

You 2, 3, 4 and beyond.

>> Have to ask what we've got here.

Of course, a lot of folks are concerned that the Trump administration will be targeting targeting immigrants in Chicago with potential reads this week.

Does the city have plans?

Are we ready if that should happen in the city is always ready.

We often plan and work around what we're hearing Let me be clear.

We have not had any confirmation of that at all.

So we don't want to stoke fear.

But in the event that these happened not only are we ready, we're prepared.

We've been preparing