Special Report: Linking Education and Public Safety in Chicago

Chicago street rivals become graduates and mentors through College Unbound program. Source: Fox32 Chicago.

A recent Fox News Chicago special report has spotlighted an innovative partnership between the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago and College Unbound, showing how higher education can play a vital role in reducing crime.

Chicago’s Equity Dashboard reveals significant disparities in degree attainment: Black and Latino residents hold fewer college degrees compared to their white counterparts. In neighborhoods such as Austin, West Garfield Park, and Back of the Yards—areas long affected by disinvestment—those rates are even lower.

Research demonstrates a clear connection between education and safety: individuals with a Bachelor’s degree are five times less likely to be incarcerated. Recognizing this, the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago has partnered with College Unbound to ensure its community violence intervention (CVI) team members can pursue degrees while continuing their full-time work.

Currently, over 20 staff members are enrolled in the program, turning their lived experience into academic credentials and applying that knowledge to frontline work in combating gun violence. As CEO Teny Gross noted, “We’re investing in our staff to make Chicago safer for everyone.”

Watch the full report here: Fox News Chicago Coverage