PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Virginia is celebrating a criminal justice milestone. New Virginia Department of Corrections data shows the Commonwealth has a 17.6 percent three-year recidivism rate. That rate is the likelihood of a convicted individual to reoffend and the rate is the lowest in the country. Researchers say a data-driven and proactive approach is helping individuals successfully reintegrate into society.
Darrell Redmond, Portsmouth native and community leader, is one person who has shown time and again that people can change and positively impact their communities.
He was raised in the London Oaks neighborhood of Portsmouth and spoke fondly of the area, but like any kid he needed guidance.
“At a very young age I had a father who went blind and a mother who dealing with substance abuse issues. That led me to not understand how to process that trauma and put me to a cycle of fighting and violence. When my father went blind, I had an uncle who was selling drugs. So him selling drugs, I didn't see it as being bad because it was a way to provide,” said Redmond.
He became involved in activities that led to prison time for robbery and gun charges.
"It went from stealing cars, selling drugs, breaking and entering, anything to being in the in crowd. Which led me to detention centers and then led me to over two decades incarcerated," he said. "There was a moment I had a switch in my head that I didn't care.”
According to Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly two-thirds of individuals released across the country reoffend and are rearrested within three years. Virginia bucks that trend with the lowest recidivism rate in the country.
In prison, Redmond found mentorship. He earned his GED and joined a fellowship program, determined not to be a statistic.
"I saw someone who was in my position, in my circumstance, and overcame. That was a monumental, pivotal point," he said.
Released in 2019, he returned to London Oaks.
“A month and a half after I came home, someone was murdered in London Oaks, and my mother didn't feel safe. When my mother didn't feel safe, honestly, in my mind, it was, what can I do to not go back to prison?" Redmond said.
So he founded the nonprofit Give Back 2 Da Block. Using evidence-based practices, he organizes programs and listens to the community's needs. The organization has been helping kids and community members in similar situations to what Redmond once faced.
"Nobody chooses what you're born into. Depending on your circumstances, it can dictate how you engage," he said.
His goal? To help individuals break the cycle, heal from generational trauma and avoid prison altogether.
“We have the lowest recidivism rate in the nation, but the highest high school-to-prison pipeline in the nation. So, how do we get our young people engaged so they don't even become a statistic?" asked Redmond. "We can be the front-line defense within our community by getting more engaged. And getting more engaged means having those conversations every single day with those young people."
For more information on Redmond's nonprofit, click this link.
