Red Hook Justice - Your Community. Your Court.

Last Friday, Justice Center staff had the opportunity to hear a presentation and engage in a lively discussion about responding to domestic violence victims' needs from Jennifer DeCarli, Executive Director of the New York Family Justice Center in Brooklyn . The New York Family Justice Center is an innovative program that reduces barriers faced by domestic violence victims and elder abuse victims seeking help. The program gives victims comprehensive services by placing dedicated domestic violence prosecutors, City agency and community services staff under one roof. The Brooklyn  office, opened in 2005, was the first Family Justice Centers in New York City and one of the first in the country. For more information, visit their website at, http://www.nyc.gov/html/ocdv/html/fjc/fjc.shtml .

The Red Hook Community Justice Center's Just Works programs connect young people (and particularly court-involved youth) 14-18 with meaningful summer employment opportunities.   Youth ECHO, our youth organizing program, provides young people with the structure and resources to select an issue critical to Brooklyn youth and to create a campaign to address it.   Our Summer Youth Internship Program provides youth with training and then internship placements with community organizations, politicians, and businesses.   Both programs increase the engagement of young people in their communities, in positive peer and adult relationships, and in work of substance.   We are currently looking for two Youth Justice Summer Interns to oversee these programs.  Here is the complete job description . 

Over 350 young people came out to attend our 2nd annual Youth Summer Internship and Program Fair at the Red Hook Community Justice Center! This turn out far exceeded our expectations and clearly demonstrated the initiative young people have to find employment and learn new skills. Youth were able to explore summer offerings from the Red Hook Youth Court , T he New York Juvenile Justice Corps  (our AmeriCorps program), the New York City Parks Department, The Center for Family Life , and Groundswell Community Mural Project . Our local TV news station, Brooklyn News 12 was also on-hand to do a televised news report on the fair. The Fair is part of the Justice Center's Positive Youth Justice Initiative which is aimed to connect local young people to positive, skill-building opportunities and empower them to use their skills and talents to improve lives and communities.

As part of our Positive Youth Justice Initiative, the Justice Center is developing varied opportunities for youth to learn, serve, and benefit from meaningful engagement with other youth and adults. This includes programming around creative expression and artistic skills acquisition under the umbrella of our JustArts   programs. Currently, the Justice Center is partnering with the Brooklyn Arts Council  Brooklyn Arts Council  to do a Photography Program, and with the  Kentler International Drawing Center   to do a drawing program titled, "Urban Drawing: Our Lives as Art".  

Due to budget cuts, the New York State Office of Court Administration is shortening court hours across the city and the Justice Center is no exception. Effective Monday, April 25, the Justice Center will be open to the public from 9:00am - 4:45pm .  Youth Court hearings will still be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4:30 - 6:30pm.

On Saturday, April 11, the Red Hook Youth Baseball League kicked off its 14th season with Opening Day ceremonies. 76th Precinct Captain John Lewis joined the festivities to throw out the opening pitch. The fifteen-game season will be followed by play-offs and will culminate in a Trophy Day ceremony on June 25. The league is run by the Red Hook Community Justice Center in partnership with local community members and is supported in part by City Council member Sara Gonzalez and District Attorney Charles Hynes. The League is open to kids ages 6-13. Registration is closed, but come out and cheer the Defenders, Gibbs' Giants, Hynes' Heroes, Southern Trucking, the Titans and BYA at the ball fields on Lorraine and Henry Street Saturday mornings. For more information, contact Viviana Gordon at (718) 923-8274 or Luz Gonzalez at (718) 923-8250. The Red Hook Baseball League was started by the Justice Center and concerned community members in respo...

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