The debate on the contract for the non -profit organization of Reverend Jerry Mcafee should not be the focus of the violence prevention dialogue

Today, he is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Justice Research Center, “an independent, not partisan and non -profit organization dedicated to promoting a significant change to the Criminal Legal System of Minnesota through investigations, education and development of rigorous policies and centered in the community,” according to their website.

On Tuesday, he participated in the impulse of Defense of Justice for All coalition to the Capitol in the effort of that group to address the relevant problems, such as ending mass imprisonment and the termination of harmful policies such as cash bond. This is Terrell’s mission. But it is also his life.

While he supports high -range efforts to reduce violence throughout the community, he also said that our children need solid relationships along with these intervention mechanisms.

“I know young people who say things (among themselves) online,” he said. “Can we intervene from the beginning? These children need to know that some attentive and consistent adults are paying attention. In the community, we have to affirm that and then there is a structural piece in which we have to intervene long before without a punishment lens and make sure that we are interrupting the impulse that is built towards a homicide. It is not like any of the (causes of these homicides) are a mystery”) are a mystery. ”

When he was young, Terrell said people in their community often helped him. He said that today there are a lot of members of the support community who do not make politics and that sometimes they are not recognized by those who have as its objective to involve the community and promote change. Minneapolis does not have a tutoring or care problem, he said. Minneapolis only needs more people to listen to those who understand the complexities of their greatest obstacles.

Additional support for organizations with the best opportunity to take care of our most vulnerable young people, he said.