LI inmates to learn hard lessons of gun violence impact from those left behind

While watching a video of her grandson’s middle school graduation, Stephanie Draine noticed him doing something she said no child should have to do: He walked across the stage while clutching a chain around his neck with a picture of his father, Andre Graydon, who was fatally shot in 2014.

"That chain is one of the ways he stays connected to a dad he never had the opportunity to know," Draine said, getting emotional. "That is lasting impact of gun violence. It reaches into graduations, birthdays, holidays, family gatherings and everyday moments. It reaches into mental health, educational outcomes, economic stability and the overall health and well-being of entire families and communities."

Draine’s story on gun violence's long-term effects on communities is one of the many reasons why Sheriff Errol D. Toulon Jr. announced on Tuesday he was launching Project Safe & Sound at the Suffolk County jail in Yaphank.

"It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village to create meaningful change and that is exactly what we are here to do, and what we will do," Toulon said.

In honor of the program launch and National Gun Violence Awareness Month, Toulon was joined by members of Northwell Health, Paws of War and gun violence awareness advocates including Life After Loss A.N.D.R.E., Moms Demand Action and Jayson Williams, a former NBA All-Star who was incarcerated for a gun-related offense.

Addressing risk factors

"I truly believe that when we look at risk factors and root causes of firearm homicide in this country, the program here that we are starting together is going to address some of those largest risk factors," Dr. Chethan Sathya, director of Northwell Health’s Center for Gun Violence Prevention, said. "I can tell you firsthand, we are seeing fewer kids in our trauma bays because of these programs ... and I think it's going to take leadership in organizations like this office to really keep the momentum going."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 865 gun-related deaths in New York State and 44,447 gun-related deaths across the country in 2024.

The pilot program will begin in the fall and consist of two 90-minute sessions per week. Each session will have a specific theme and include a rotation of speakers and facilitators, including Draine, Williams, other gun safety advocates and members of the Northwell Center for Gun Violence Prevention.

Nesconset-based nonprofit Paws of War, which trains and places shelter dogs with veterans and first responders, will provide a therapy dog during difficult sessions, Toulon said.

Toulon said 20 incarcerated individuals with gun violence-related charges who had sentences of a year or fewer at the Yaphank correctional facility would be the first to participate.

Between 20% to 25%, or 233 inmates, at the correctional facility have a gun-related charge, spokesperson Victoria DiStefano said.

Impact of gun violence

The individuals will be taught the causes and consequences of firearm violence, the role of trauma and community factors, the impact gun violence has on families and neighborhoods, and the importance of resilience, healing and personal growth, Toulon said.

The announcement comes hours after two people were injured in a shooting in Mastic Beach on Monday night. Suffolk County police are searching for a gunman, Newsday has reported.

"We can help break cycles of trauma before they become cycles of violence," Draine said in front of a collage of 20 articles on recent shootings from several news outlets. "We can work together to create healthier and safer communities for future generations."

"Resources, referrals, counseling, mental health support and trauma-informed care — they are not luxuries, they are necessities," she said.