Supreme Felons

As you might imagine, those who are returning to the community after a period of incarceration face a good deal of prejudice and discrimination. That makes finding a job difficult and can result in higher recidivism rates. Billy Cole and Bryan Foley are working to not only change that but are trying to de-escalate community violence by addressing trauma and other factors that lead to incarceration. Billy and Bryan head an organization called Supreme Felons, and they share their personal stories that led them to professionally try and keep people out of the cycle of incarceration with WEMU's David Fair.

Chidester Place Apartments in Ypsilanti houses numerous senior citizens and people with disabilities. A number of those residents are unable to leave the facility, which can make their lives lonely and difficult. Chidester resident and community activist Emy Deshotel is working on programming for Chidester Place that creates a more welcoming and enjoyable community. She talks about her efforts and the organizations that have been helping her with Concentrate reporter Sarah Rigg.

New gun violence intervention programs founded in Ypsilanti are beginning to show successes. And the success is being measured by the number of young people who are being convinced that there's an alternative to gun-related revenge. WEMU's Cathy Shafran and Concentrate Media reporter Sarah Rigg introduce us to one of those success stories whose life-changing experiences have him helping others on the local Violence Intervention Team.

Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton is calling out some people with political interests who are questioning county-funded programs that use former criminals to help prevent future crimes. WEMU’s Cathy Shafran explains.

A Washtenaw County non-profit specializing in reducing violence among young people has been called out for associating with a registered sex offender. But as WEMU’s Josh Hakala found out, the person in question is no longer part of the organization.

In an effort to reduce gun violence, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, on Wednesday night, unanimously voted to provide $1.6 million to community organizations that aim to address its root causes. WEMU’s Josh Hakala has more.