Advocates from across Oklahoma testified before lawmakers about the growing role community violence intervention, or CVI, programs play in preventing gun violence and connecting at-risk youth and families with resources before violence occurs.
Speakers said CVI efforts focus on prevention, mentorship and building relationships with people most at risk of becoming involved in gun violence.
Former gang member shares journey from violence to community outreach
David Medina with Bangin’ for Jesus Ministries described a childhood marked by gang involvement, incarceration and violence.
Medina told lawmakers he was denied opportunities after leaving a juvenile facility and eventually became deeply involved in gang activity. He survived multiple shootings, spent time in prison and later experienced the death of his daughter while incarcerated.
He credited a chaplain’s visit and his faith with changing the course of his life.
Today, Medina works to reach people still involved in gangs, prisons and neighborhoods affected by violence. He said people often considered beyond help deserve the same opportunities for redemption and support that helped change his life.
Live Free Oklahoma focuses on high-risk youth
Jabee Williams of Live Free Oklahoma told lawmakers that community violence intervention targets people at the highest risk of becoming involved in gun violence.
Williams shared how his younger brother was shot and killed at age 16. He said intervention from a local pastor helped prevent retaliation and changed the direction of his own life.
Program leaders said interrupting retaliation following shootings or other violent incidents is one of the most important parts of CVI work. Intervention workers engage directly with people involved in conflicts to de-escalate tensions before additional violence occurs.
“Even delaying a retaliatory act for a day can save a life forever,” Williams said.
Credible messengers reach people others cannot
Several speakers stressed that successful intervention efforts rely on “credible messengers” who have firsthand experience with violence, incarceration and street life.
JaVaughn Smith said his experience surviving a shooting helps him connect with young people facing similar circumstances.
Smith now operates a barber shop and recording studio and mentors youth through Live Free Oklahoma.
“The person that shot me, I forgive them completely because I know they were also a victim of their circumstances,” Smith told lawmakers.
Smith said intervention programs need to support victims as well as people at risk of committing violence to break cycles of violence.
South Oklahoma City advocate puts names behind the numbers
Community organizer Zeke Gonzalez, who works with Oklahoma Appleseed, described decades of violence affecting Oklahoma City’s south side.
Gonzalez recounted losing multiple friends and seeing young people killed in shootings over the years. He said his work includes visiting schools, detention centers and youth programs to reach young people before violence occurs.
While acknowledging lawmakers often ask for statistics, Gonzalez emphasized the people represented by those numbers.
“My numbers have names,” he said before listing young people whose lives have been lost to violence.
Peace City Oklahoma discusses prevention and recovery
Peace City Oklahoma CEO Lyn Jackson told lawmakers the Oklahoma City-based nonprofit works to prevent gun violence while also helping communities recover after violent incidents.
Jackson described growing up surrounded by incarceration, gang violence and poverty in northeast Oklahoma City. She said those experiences shaped her commitment to violence prevention and community healing.
“Public safety is not simply the absence of crime,” Jackson said. “It is the presence of stability, opportunity, trusted relationships and hope.”
Advocates call for community partnerships and long-term funding
Speakers repeatedly emphasized coordination among churches, schools, local governments, law enforcement, hospitals, nonprofits and community organizations.
Live Free Oklahoma leaders outlined partnerships with schools, detention centers, churches, hospitals and workforce development organizations. They also discussed efforts to establish hospital-based intervention programs that would connect shooting victims and their families with support immediately after violent incidents.
Advocates argued that preventing violence could also reduce costs associated with emergency response, medical treatment, investigations, prosecutions and incarceration.
Peace City leaders identified stable funding as one of the biggest challenges to expanding their work. Speakers said trusted community relationships can be difficult to build through short-term grants and inconsistent funding.
“We’re either going to pay at the front end or we’re going to pay at the back end,” Jackson said. “The people who can prevent it are the people already trusted by the community.”
Key takeaways
- Oklahoma advocates testified about community violence intervention programs aimed at preventing gun violence.
- Speakers shared firsthand experiences with shootings, gangs, incarceration and losing family members to violence.
- Programs use credible messengers, mentorship and conflict intervention to reach people considered at high risk.
- Advocates described partnerships with schools, hospitals, churches, law enforcement and community organizations.
- Speakers asked lawmakers to consider long-term funding for violence prevention programs.
FAQ
What is community violence intervention?
Speakers described CVI as a prevention strategy that works directly with people at high risk of becoming involved in gun violence, including efforts to stop retaliation after shootings.
Who spoke to Oklahoma lawmakers?
Presenters included representatives from Bangin’ for Jesus Ministries, Live Free Oklahoma, Oklahoma Appleseed and Peace City Oklahoma.
What are credible messengers?
Speakers used the term to describe people whose firsthand experiences with violence, incarceration or street life can help them build trust with people facing similar circumstances.
What did advocates ask lawmakers for?
Speakers called for sustained support and funding for community-based violence prevention efforts and stronger partnerships among organizations already working with at-risk communities.
The testimony did not specify what legislation, if any, lawmakers may pursue following the discussion.