Advocacy E-News August 5, 2019
August 5, 2019
TIPS AND BACKGROUND FOR JOURNALISTS FOLLOWING THE LATEST ROUNDS OF MASS SHOOTINGS
On Sunday, President Donald Trump blamed mental illness for the dual weekend mass killings. Americans also believe people with mental illnesses are likely to act violently but in fact, most people with mental illness are not. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says: “The vast majority of people with mental health problems are no more likely to be violent than anyone else. Most people with mental illness are not violent and only 3%–5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness.
ASBURY PARK REACTS TO FATAL SHOOTING OF A MAN “BEHAVING ERRATICALLY”
Members of the public voiced concerns over the two fatal shootings that occurred in the city during the prior night at a regularly scheduled Asbury Park City Council meeting Wednesday. According to the preliminary investigation, members of the Asbury Park Police Department responded to a boarding home on a report that a resident was behaving erratically, a news statement from the Attorney General’s office said. Upon arrival, Asbury Park officers entered the building and attempted to talk to the individual at his doorway. He attempted to shut his door on the officers, but he then emerged armed with a pair of scissors. During the encounter, one officer fired, fatally wounding him. The officers were not hurt and their names were not released.
The incident is being investigated by the Attorney General’s Shooting Response Task Force.
HOSPITAL HOUSING INITIATIVE GROWS BEYOND EXPECTATIONS
A fledgling initiative to encourage New Jersey hospitals to build affordable housing in their neighborhoods is not only likely to result in the construction of more homes than initially anticipated, but it is also expanding to provide funds to improve the neighborhoods themselves. The building will include one- to three-bedroom apartments earmarked for those who frequent the hospital’s emergency department, including some with special needs.
PREVENTING, HEALING CHILDHOOD TRAUMA BEFORE IT DAMAGES KIDS’ CHANCES
Violence, racism, substance abuse — children can wind up paying for early trauma for the rest of their lives, but there are meaningful solutions. The short- and long-term effects of these adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — family- and community-based problems that impact roughly 40 percent of Garden State children — is one focus of a report released today by the New Jersey Funders ACEs Collaborative, an organization founded in the fall of 2018 to call attention to these issues.
HOW NEW JERSEY IS REDUCING ITS PRISON POPULATION
New Jersey has become a national leader in reducing the prison population. According to the state Department of Corrections, at the peak 20 years ago, there were more than 31,000 inmates in the state. Today, that number is closer to 19,000. Experts say part of the state’s success is attributed to the fact that about one-fourth of the current inmate population will get help once they’re on the outside.
FIND YOUR LOCAL NAMI
