The Collective Impact Leadership Institute is meant to foster leadership among men, women, and youth whom have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system.

Disenfranchisement and community detachment are some of the most visible afflictions caused by coming in to contact with the criminal justice system. A system that has been coined to rehabilitate and heal, has for decades, and is still failing our communities and those returning home to our communities from incarceration.

This Leadership Institute will invest in the personal transformation of all men, women, and youth throughout Contra Costa County and will move these individuals to action on their own behalf in the form of community organizing, civic engagement to changing policies and structures that directly impact their population, and will also equip them to go out in to their communities and be true agents of change for all that is equitable.

This is a 15-week institute, held two days a week in the evenings, the institute is led by the Safe Return Project and their community partners. The participants will be exposed to the basics of community organizing, violence prevention and personal transformation strategies that are culturally based, media and communication tactics, leading community actions,  civic engagement strategies at a local, regional, and State level, and Political Education.

Participants who successfully complete all 15-weeks of the institute will gain a certificates in violence prevention provided by the Andre' Akins of Innovating Motivators. Trauma and healing, media and communications, and an honorarium.