Common Ground

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This article is about the violence reduction initiative. For other uses, see Common Ground (disambiguation).

Common Ground is a wide-ranging group of programs led by the City of Birmingham and other regional authorities which are intended to reduce violence in the community by intervening in its root causes.


Justice and Governance Partnership

The "Justice and Governance Partnership" (JGP) was implemented beginning in early 2023. It is based on a program developed by the Washington D.C.-based Aspen Institute's Criminal Justice Reform Initiative. Partners include the City of Birmingham and the Jefferson County Commission.

Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program

The Jefferson County Department of Health partnered with the city to implement a Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program (HVIP) at UAB Hospital. The program, based on research in public health, works with victims of violence to provide resources to change the circumstances that may lead to future violent acts. The city allocated funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to contract the Birmingham-based Offender Alumni Association to provide HVIP services.

H.E.A.T. Program

The H.E.A.T. Program (for Habilitation, Empowerment, and Accountability Therapy) is an in-school curriculum which was developed by Darryl Turpin during his time as director of the Drug Court Programs Office in Louisville, Kentucky and as branch manager of program development for the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. It is offered through his company, The Pinwheel Group, based in Louisville.

The H.E.A.T. Program was initially implemented in the city as a diversion program focused on drug use and abuse at Birmingham Municipal Court. With direction from Judge Andra Sparks it was expanded to work with issues leading to violence and conflict.

Birmingham City Schools introduced a pilot version of the H.E.A.T. Program at Carver High School in 2021. In 2022, with the support of superintendent Mark Sullivan and the city's principals, the Birmingham City Council approved a 3-year contract for $1 million to fund the program system-wide. Initially each school selected 15 to 20 students from grades 6 through 12 to meet twice weekly with trained coaches for "therapeutic counseling".

References

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