In 2004, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office launched Understanding Violence, a reality-based curriculum teaching the importance of education and direction in keeping teens and young adults away from gangs and violence. Ten years later, in partnership with UMass Boston, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, and the City of Boston, the program was updated and modernized with a new name and a new goal: Overcoming Violence.
Overcoming Violence includes video interviews with criminal justice professionals, survivors of violent crime, incarcerated offenders, and others to show the long-term consequences of positive and negative choices, and an educational component facilitates discussion on strategies for success aimed directly at today’s youth. To learn more about Overcoming Violence, please fill out the form below or contact our community relations department at SuffolkCommRelations@Massmail.state.ma.us.
The Suffolk DA’s Community Relations office provides the link between the district attorney’s office and the neighborhoods it serves in Boston, Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop.
The Community Relations office works closely with the district attorney to communicate with the people and neighborhoods of Suffolk County and promotes several key functions of the district attorney’s office beyond criminal prosecutions, including intervention, crime prevention, and educational programs. Staff members who work for the Community Relations Unit coordinate a wide range of community-based events, neighborhood and civic organization meetings, and safety seminars for residents and students.
Educational Sessions and Workshops
Please contact Community Relations if you are interested in scheduling educational sessions and workshops for children or adults. Topics include: Personal safety, how to safely navigate the Internet, and how to establish a neighborhood crime watch group, in addition to a number of other topics. These educational sessions have been implemented and endorsed by the District Attorney in the spirit of promoting public safety through the formation of partnerships between residents and law enforcement.
Schedule a Speaker
If you would like to invite a representative of the district attorney’s office to address your organization, please fill out and submit the request form below. If you have any questions, or would like more information about the kinds of speaking programs that the DA’s office offers, please contact our Community Relations department at SuffolkCommRelations@Massmail.state.ma.us.
