The Individual Gun Violence Intervention (IGVI) shares the National Network’s guiding principles in its approach to reducing gun violence by individual offenders. Pioneered as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) in Chicago, the IGVI strategy brings parolees with histories of violence and/or gun offending into a call-in; informs them of the legal risks of, especially, the federal felon-in-possession gun laws to which they are now subject; conveys clear antiviolence messages from community members and ex-offenders, and spells out social service opportunities. Careful evaluation has found substantial reductions in gun violence as a result. The approach is now being replicated in several sites across New York State and elsewhere.
The results of Chicago PSN have been dramatic, as have those of other initiatives based on the IGVI approach. Multiple evaluations have shown reductions in gun violence in treated areas compared with untreated areas. Additionally, ex-offenders who have been engaged by Chicago PSN call-ins consistently show a greater likelihood of staying alive and out of prison.
Papachristos, A. V., Meares, T. L., & Fagan, J. (2007). Attention Felons: Evaluating Project Safe Neighborhoods in Chicago. Journal of Empirical Legal Studies 4(2), 223–272.
Papachristos, A. V. (2009). The Reentry of Violent Offenders in Chicago: Summary of the Project Safe Neighborhoods’ Offender Notification Forums. Review of Research.
Meares, T. L., & Papachristos, A. V. (2008). Policing Gun Crime without Guns. Social Science Research Network.
Papachristos, A. V., Meares, T. L., & Fagan, J. (2009). Why Do Criminals Obey the Law? The Influence of the Law and Social Networks on Active Gun Offenders. Social Science Research Network.
Fagan, J., Papachristos, A. V., Wallace, D., & Meares, T. L. (2008). Desistance and Legitimacy: Effect Heterogeneity in a Field Experiment with High‐Risk Offenders. Columbia Law School.
Wallace, W., Papachristos, A. V., Meares, T. L., & Fagan, J. (2015). Desistance and Legitimacy: The Impact of Offender Notification Meetings on Recidivism among High Risk Offenders. Justice Quarterly.
