CHICAGO – Life After Hate, the organization founded to help people leave the violent far-right, connect with humanity, and lead compassionate lives, launched a free virtual course aimed at helping the community understand the depth and breadth of violent far- right extremism (VFRE) in the United States.
Founded in 2011 by former violent extremists, Life After Hate’s mission is to help people leave the violent far-right. As the only nationally recognized and federally funded non- profit organization positioned to assist those wishing to disengage from VFRE, Life After Hate strives to provide the most cutting-edge programming and client services.
Domestic terrorism incidents have soared to new highs in the United States, driven chiefly by white-supremacist, anti-Muslim and anti-government extremists on the far right, according to a Washington Post analysis of data compiled by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
This project was originally supported by Award No: 2014-ZA-BX-0005, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Subsequent revisions were made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Grant #: EMW-2020-GR-00138) and other contributors. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice or the Department of Homeland Security.
The Life After Hate course is designed specifically for the law enforcement, corrections, probation/parole professional community and addresses:
- The scope of VFRE in the United States today
- How and why do individuals join violent far-right movements
- How and why do people choose to exit VFRE, both before and after incarceration
- What you can do to lessen VFRE violence and criminal activity in your community
“This course was created by many who were previously involved in violent far-right extremism so know first-hand what sort of knowledge our law enforcement community should be aware of,” said Life After Hate CEO Patrick Riccards. “We heard from the community that there was a need for information. We hope many will take and share the course with others.”
Individuals who complete the course receive a VFRE 101 Certificate of Completion, endorsed by Life After Hate, and early access to future trainings.
For more information about Life After Hate and the course, visit lifeafterhate.org.
