Philadelphia / Pennsylvania / United States
The Mens Resource Center was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1979 to provide counseling services for men going through transitions. Gerald B. Evans, the founder, was the first person in the Philadelphia area to develop a program dealing with the issues men face. Since the founding, the Center and Evans have helped thousands of men develop successful, satisfying relationships. One arena he found is the justice system and in 1996, the Center began working with violent offenders both in and out of prison. He took a program developed for industry and adapted it for inmates with the goal of reducing recidivism. In the process, a life-skills training program for men in prison was developed, and support services for men on parole were initiated. In 2001, based on the success and satisfaction of working with men having committed violent acts, the Center began a domestic violence intervention program and anger management for men in the community. Evans currently serves on the Mayors Commission on Domestic Violence in Philadelphia. Over the course of his work, Mr. Evans has come to believe there are few real differences between the man in prison and the man on the street. Both are to one degree or another disconnected from their feelings, struggling in their relationships and capable of violence.
