In an Oakland church, young men vulnerable to gang violence sit across from prosecutors, clergy, and survivors of shootings, receiving a message of unwavering support rather than punishment. The aim is to demonstrate that a future beyond incarceration, injury, or death is within reach.
"We’re going to talk about keeping you and those you love alive and free," Jim Hopkins, emeritus pastor of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, told the men who gather at his church. "If you put down the gun, start taking the (city's) services, we’ll help you find another way."
