Santa Fe outlines youth violence interruption pilot, directs ARPA and state funds to community partners
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Summary
City presenters described a multi-agency, restorative-justice–centered pilot aimed at preventing youth gun and gang violence. City and county leaders said about $923,000 in ARPA funds plus state grants will support a two-year pilot with wraparound services and school-based prevention.
Santa Fe officials on Feb. 5 described a new youth community violence interruption pilot that city staff, Santa Fe County and the police department say is intended to prevent youth gun and gang violence by centering restorative justice, wraparound case management and community-led referral pathways.
The pilot is funded by a mix of federal ARPA dollars, state and local grants and county allocations. Julie Sanchez, director of Youth and Family Services for the City of Santa Fe, told the committee the city awarded roughly $923,000 in ARPA funds in two rounds to local providers and plans to sustain core work for at least two years. Sanchez said the awards supported prevention and education programs in schools in the first round and diversion and interruption services in the second round.
The project’s goals and values, consultant Dr. Elizabeth Silva said, were formed by community stakeholders and emphasize centering youth and families most affected by violence, avoiding service duplication, operating from restorative-justice principles, and addressing systemic drivers such as poverty and racial inequity. Silva described a multidisciplinary task force to coordinate referrals and to co-develop case plans with young people and their families.
Program design and partners Dr. Silva and staff described a tiered model: education and prevention in schools, diversion and interruption for youth at risk of perpetration or victimization, and a community-based healing curriculum. Providers the presentation listed as funded or contracted included New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, Santa Fe Public Schools (including a WAVE mural project and restorative-justice program), Resolve New Mexico, Girls Inc. of Santa Fe, Gerard’s House, and Youthworks. The Mountain Club was named as a lead partner on a community-healing curriculum under development.
Sanchez said Santa Fe won several additional grants: an application with the police department to the New Mexico Department of Health that will come to the council for approval, state funding from CYFD for juvenile-justice work, and local allocations including support from the Children and Youth Commission. An external evaluation contract with Aspen Solutions was described as the mechanism to measure program outcomes; city staff and partners also plan focus groups with the New Mexico Sentencing Commission to gather youth and family feedback.
Target population and referral pathways Presenters said the pilot prioritizes youth “pre‑adjudication” — that is, young people at high risk for becoming entangled with the formal justice system — but will not exclude opportunities to serve youth post‑detention. Referral streams under development include Santa Fe Public Schools, law enforcement, juvenile probation, and the district attorney’s office. Staff emphasized screening for social determinants of health and offering wraparound case management, peer supports and restorative practices rather than focusing solely on individual behavior.
Evaluation and timeline Sanchez told the committee the city has dedicated funding to continue core work for two years and that a realistic horizon to see cultural and measurable changes could be five to seven years. Aspen Solutions will provide quantitative metrics; the city said it also will collect qualitative feedback from participating youth and families to shape program delivery.
Committee response Council members praised the collaborative design but pressed presenters on data and evaluation. Councilor Lee Garcia asked about the source and validity of historical juvenile-crime charts; staff said juvenile-justice measures and outcomes were drawn from CYFD and cautioned that pandemic-era reporting and enforcement priorities affected counts. Council members also asked how the program would serve youth of mixed immigration status; presenters said the target was pre‑adjudication intervention but that referral pathways include post‑detention services when appropriate.
Why it matters City and county officials framed the pilot as an upstream, community-led approach that combines prevention, diversion and healing to reduce youth gun and gang violence. The city tied the program to federal ARPA funds and state grant applications, and staff said they will return to the committee with evaluation findings and further implementation details.
Next steps Staff said the city will present the Department of Health grant for approval and begin contracting with selected community providers. Presenters asked the committee for continued oversight and updates as the evaluation and referral protocols roll out.
