FED-UP

FED-UP: Working Together for a Safer Community is a program created and run by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in conjunction with Project Longevity, local hospitals, and community-based organizations, to stop the gun violence that is destroying the lives of students and their families in Connecticut’s cities. FED-UP sends seasoned violent crime prosecutors, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, and returning citizens into middle schools, where the program teaches students to understand that what they experience with gun violence is not normal, and that there is nothing wrong about being angry or scared by it. 

FED-UP encourages students to engage, brainstorm, and discuss how young people can take real steps to end gun violence in their communities. Students share their ideas with each other, and many participate in an essay and drawing contest. Significantly, the program guides them on what to do if they know someone who has a firearm, or if they have a family member or friend whom they believe is at risk. 

FED-UP began in Bridgeport in the summer of 2021 and has reached thousands of students in Bridgeport, Waterbury, and New Haven. The U.S. Attorney’s Office actively supports FED-UP and is working to expand the program to other cities.

School administrators in cities who would like to learn about FED-UP and schedule a presentation are encouraged to contact Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis at jocelyn.kaoutzanis@usdoj.gov or 203-821-3700.