“We want them to attain and sustain not a job, but longevity.”
In her role as a coach lead at the North Lawndale Employment Network, READI Chicago, Maiya Shackelford worked with individuals most affected by and at risk of gun violence, supporting them in creating pathways toward rapid, sustainable, and high-earning employment opportunities. Her work was rooted in restoring choice and autonomy for participants, prioritizing opportunities to live lives not shaped by exposure to harm but grounded in stability, dignity, and possibility.
Through relationship building, exposure to personal interests, and capacity-building practices, Maiya helped create space for participants to envision futures rooted in safety and self-determination. This work affirmed her belief that healing happens in community and that with consistent support, lasting transformation is possible.
Rapid Employment and Development Initiative (READI) Chicago is a two-year, intensive community violence intervention model for men at the highest risk of gun violence in Chicago. The program combines workforce and life-skills training with cognitive behavioral therapy intervention. In 2023, READI Chicago was evaluated by researchers at The University of Chicago Crime Lab, considered “the largest and most rigorous evaluation of a community-based violence intervention program in the United States.” The study found that participants referred to the program by an outreach worker were 79 percent less likely to be arrested and 43 percent less likely to experience a gun violence victimization than members of a control group who did not participate in READI Chicago.