In January, Fred Morelli donated Barrio books to prisons in Kane, Kendall and DeKalb counties. Fred believes in Robert’s inspirational message that you can be anybody you want to be, that gangbanging and violence are not a lifestyle but a death-style. The future belongs to those who believe in themselves and Fred plans to work with Robert and the Barrio Foundation to help as many people as they possibly can to live productive and meaningful lives.

Robert has been invited to participate in a discussion on AM 1690, WVON, Talk of Chicago. The show airs from 4-7pm and Robert will be on around 5pm. The host is Kendall Moore and he’ll be talking with Robert for approximately 40 minutes about youth violence in the city of Chicago. www.wvon.com

Recently, Los Angeles gang members were fined $5 million. Yes, you read it right: $5 million. A new law in California allows gang members to be held financially responsible for illegal behavior and the destruction they inflict upon their neighborhoods. The law even allows the state to seize any property that the gang members’ families own that may have been bought with profits from illegal activities. The gang that is being fined is the 18th Street, L.A.’s largest gang notorious for their heroin trade. All of the money won from this case will be used to give back to the neighborhoods affected by the gang’s activities. I am glad that LA has realized that they need to step up their approach when it comes to deterring gang activity. More cities need to follow suit and find new ways to keep our streets safer.