Real Safety D.C.: Eric Weaver on Redemption, Community and the Power of Second Chances

December 2, 2025

Eric Weaver, a Washington D.C. native who spent 22 years incarcerated starting at age 17, founded the National Association for the Advancement of Returned Citizens (NAARC) to support formerly incarcerated individuals reentering society. What began as an advocacy organization evolved into a comprehensive support hub offering reentry services, employment connections, and violence prevention efforts that employ returning citizens as credible messengers in their communities. Weaver championed hiring formerly incarcerated people for violence interruption work, helping establish what has become a multimillion-dollar violence prevention ecosystem in D.C. that shows promising results.

Who is affected

Formerly incarcerated people (returning citizens) seeking reentry support and employment
Youth in difficult home situations at risk of making harmful decisions
Families facing eviction, poverty, and instability in Washington D.C.
Communities across the District experiencing violence
Hotel partners and local businesses who employ returning citizens
Government, clergy, business leaders, and community-based organizations working on safety initiatives

What action is being taken

NAARC operates as a citywide support hub providing reentry programs and community stabilization services
Support groups modeled after recovery circles meet regularly for returning citizens
Violence prevention workers (including trained returning citizens) conduct ongoing street-level intervention work
Weaver actively connects people with employment opportunities through hotel partners, local businesses, and neighborhood networks
Multiple sectors (government, business, clergy, community groups) are collaborating on safety initiatives

Why it matters

This work matters because it addresses the root causes of violence—poverty, unemployment, and instability—rather than relying solely on incarceration as a solution. Returning citizens with lived experience and community credibility are uniquely positioned to prevent violence and support others navigating reentry, but they need immediate access to stable employment to avoid returning to harmful activities. The collaborative, non-carceral approach demonstrates that community-based violence prevention can produce measurable results while creating economic opportunities and pathways for healing, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional criminal justice responses that often perpetuate cycles of harm.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer