pure idiot mystery

“DC Central Kitchen, two blocks from the US Capitol building, and in the basement of one of the largest shelters in America, is a revolutionary culinary training program that actively goes out searching for the people that need their help the most.  People who have hit rock bottom, and are truly ready to turn their lives around.  Over 14 weeks, DC Central Kitchen teaches them how to get along with others, how to get along with themselves, and how to cut and cook, serve and cater, and ultimately gain access to the nicest restaurants in DC. 

Full employment is the goal of the program, but along the way there are plenty who don’t make it.  Drug tests, old habits and, self destruction are always the elephant in the room.”

with three days to go, this film is halfway to being funded. watch the trailer, it’s a doozie. 

in addition to spotlighting d.c. central kitchen, which is a great organization whose participants have a terrifically small recidivism rate, this project seems like it will spawn a film that reminds us why communities are important, and hopefully it will make viewers more likely to get involved in their own towns. 

on a more personal, potentially inarticulate and tmi note, this film and the program it seeks to document is close to my heart. last year i was robbed at gunpoint as i walked home from a late night at work. and i’m fine! and they caught the men who did it and they won’t be out of jail for a long, long time. but that’s not really the end, is it?

the nature of crime and the criminal justice system, especially in places like d.c. where the rich are so rich and the poor are so poor, can be a petrie dish for desperation and optionlessness, which is a toxic and potentially violent combination. and then you’re a 20 something in jail, eligible for release in 2025, but what comes after that? 

according to the bureau of justice statistics, “Among nearly 300,000 prisoners released in 15 states in 1994, 67.5% were rearrested within 3 years.” that’s admittedly old data, but if you toggle through this handy prisoner recidivism analysis tool you can see how high these rates remain. 

i hope the men who mugged me are able to have happy, productive lives one day. i am not some bleeding-heart pollyanna apologist, but i believe everyone deserves that. which is why programs like d.c. central kitchen’s deserve our support. reducing re-offense rates is important for lots of reasons, so let’s fund this project! 

h/t to alex for the link.