MAD DADS

Mission Statement & History

The Minneapolis Chapter of Men Against Destruction - Defending Against Drugs and
Social Disorder (MAD DADS) seeks to bring about positive change, and encourages, motivates and guides committed men and women in the struggle to save children, communities and themselves from the social ills that presently plague neighborhoods.

Background and Overview:

The Minneapolis Chapter of MAD DADS was created in 1998 and adopted the goals of its National Chapter, created in 1989 by African American fathers in Omaha, Nebraska. After its inception, the local chapter identified a consistent theme throughout neighborhoods and broadened membership to include individuals and families from all ethnic and racial backgrounds. In addition MAD DADS has, at the request of law enforcement representative, expanded services to some suburban areas.

The Program seeks to:

- Recruit, Engage and Activate adults in local communities.

- Serve as parental role models to children, adolescents and young adults.

- Guide, instruct and influence children, adolescents and young adults in a way that ensures the healthy development of each child's emotional, spiritual and physical well-being.

- To combat social disorder, while restoring and stabilizing the family environment for children, adolescents and young adults, neighborhoods, communities and cities, with the task of addressing the issues of drugs, gangs and violence.


The History of MAD DADS:

From 1998 through 2006 the Minneapolis Chapter of MAD DADS has:
Conducted approximately 244 presentations to 7,595 youth in Minneapolis public high schools, junior high schools and middle schools.

Faciliated Boy and Girl Scout meetings.

Provided approximately 533 intervention sessions for 7,488 youth at Hennepin
County Juvenile Detention and Lino lakes Correctional facilities.

note: A key ingredient to the programs success is the elevation of the organization to that of a visible and vocal presence in neighborhoods and area schools. MAD DADS is an agency that is capable of enlisting other community-based assets, including law enforcement representatives; judicial members and other stakeholders that want to provide a positive environment for children, families and cities.

Why Our Program is Needed:

In 2001 the African American male represented 32% of all prison inmates in Minnesota
(Federal Bureau of Statistics) and 25% of all arrests in Minnesota were made in Minneapolis.
Minnesota's arrest and incarceration rates of Black adults and juvenile males are disproportionate to arrest rates and traffic stops in other major cites for persons of African heritage and the conviction rate in Minneapolis is expected to be up nearly 22% from 2000 (City Attorney's Analysis of - Minneapolis City Council, 2005). The prison rate in Minnesota has doubled since 1985.

The rate of violent and non-violent crime is increasing in Hennepin County, the largest County in the State of Minnesota, which includes Minneapolis and the surrounding suburban areas.