NAACP DeKalb County Branch

NAACP URGES THE U.S. SENATE TO PASS LEGISLATION
TO HELP PREVENT YOUTH CRIME AND VIOLENCE
DURING LAME DUCK SESSION
LEGISLATION EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES TO INVEST IN AT-RISK YOUTH
BEFORE CRIME OCCURS

THE ACTION WE NEED YOU TO TAKE:
Contact your Representative and both your Senators and URGE THEM TO CO-SPONSOR AND SUPPORT S. 435 / H.R. 1064 – THE YOUTH PROMISE ACT. To contact your Senators and Representative, you may:
 Make a Phone Call:
Call your Senators and your Representative in Washington by dialing the Capitol Switchboard and asking to be transferred to your Senators'/Congressman’s offices. The switchboard phone number is (202) 224-3121 (see message section, below).
 Write a Letter
To write letters to your Senators, send them to:
The Honorable (name of Senator)
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
To write a letter to your Representative, send it to:
The Honorable (name of Representative)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
 Send a Fax
If you would like to send a fax, call your Senators’ or Representative’s offices (through the Capitol switchboard) and ask for their fax numbers (you can use either the attached sample letter or the message box, below).
 Send an E-Mail
To send an e-mail to your Senators, go to www.senate.gov; click on “Find Your Senators”. Look up your Senators by state; go to their web sites for e-mail addresses.
To send an e-mail to your Representative, go to www.house.gov, and click on “Write Your Representative” (on the left hand side, just under “find your Representative). This will help you identify who your congressman is and how to contact him/her.

REMEMBER TO CONTACT BOTH YOUR SENATORS!!!!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT MATTER!!!
If you have any questions, call Hilary Shelton at the Washington Bureau at (202) 463-2940.
(date)

The Honorable ___________________________
United States Senate / House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20510 / 20515

RE: SUPPORT FOR S. 435 / H.R. 1064 , THE YOUTH PROMISE ACT

Dear Senator / Representative __________________________;

As your constituent, I strongly urge you to co-sponsor and support S. 435 / H.R. 1064, the Youth PROMISE Act, introduced by Senators Robert Casey (PA) and Olympia Snowe (ME) in the Senate and Congressman Robert “Bobby” Scott (VA) in the House in February 2009. This legislation would effectively address the scourge of gang violence that is decimating communities across the Nation and help tens of thousands of youth stay away from gangs and become productive members of our communities.

Rather than focusing on punitive initiatives that have limited results (other than crowding our prisons), the Youth PROMISE Act would build on strengthening community responses to help stop young men and women from joining gangs. Under the Youth PROMISE Act, communities facing the greatest youth gang, delinquency and crime challenges will come together to develop and implement a comprehensive plan which addresses that community’s unique assets and challenges to support young people and their families. This in turn will make our communities safer, reduce victimization and help at-risk youth become productive members of our communities.

Please contact me in the very near future to let me know what you are doing to address the serious problems facing our communities today as a result of youth violence, and what you believe I can do to help.

Sincerely,

(sign and print your name and
remember to include your address)