VIP Receives $2 Million Grant
The Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court’s Violence Intervention Program (VIP) Alliance has received a four-year, $2 million grant from the Department of Justice. The Bureau of Justice Affairs’ Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative grant was awarded in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.
This grant allows the VIP docket, originally created in 2020 and overseen by Administrative and Presiding Judge Brendan J. Sheehan, to expand to the Juvenile Court where gun charges are numerous. VIP is designed to assist clients who are arrested with a weapon, but did not use that weapon in a crime. The program works to prevent felony, and now juvenile, offenders with gun-related specifications from becoming a gun-violence or even homicide-related statistic.
In a joint statement, Judge Sheehan and Juvenile Court Administrative Judge Thomas F. O’Malley said, “Criminal gun activity is a challenge that is very important to both courts, as we see the impact it has on our community every day. This grant will allow us to examine how trauma impacts a young person’s decision-making related to guns and gun violence, to provide intensive interventions to young offenders through a multidisciplinary approach while reducing risk factors that contribute to gun activity, and to address critical gaps within our system. We thank Representative Shontel Brown for her continued support of the individuals in our community and the work of the Courts.”
Representative Brown announced the funding, adding, “This grant is another win for Northeast Ohio made possible by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. As we combat gun violence, it is imperative that we take measures that deescalate, intervene in, and prevent crime. The funding will help expand the VIP Alliance to close gaps and provide resources for young people at risk so we can stop crimes before they happen. Congratulations to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas on receiving this competitive award.”
“Gun violence and crime gun reduction are issues that I have worked on for many years,” adds Judge Sheehan. “If we can help even one person make the decision not to criminally use a firearm, then we’ve had a positive impact on the community.”