Red Hook Justice - Your Community. Your Court.

This past summer, Red Hook was filmed as the location of Brooklyn-born director, Spike's Lee's newest film, 'Red Hook Summer' . The film was criticized as it's premier during the Sundance Film Festival this month for painting a too rosy picture of life in Red Hook Houses. But according to a today's New York Daily News article , the movie accurately portrays life in Red Hook Houses. The article notes the work of community members to change their neighborhood for the better. According to Red Hook Tenant Association President Lillian, Marshall, "The people of Red Hook have changed...You can come here and leave your door unlocked to go to the store." The article also highlights the role of the Red Hook Community Justice Center in creating a safer community through better public safety policies and more programs to make Red Hook "a neighborhood on the rise" according to Justice Center Judge, Alex Calabrese. Nicholas Fevelo for the New York Dail

The Justice Center has been chosen by the State to implement a new pilot project for teen offenders. The new program, the Adolescent Diversion Part or ADP, will provide assessments, alternative sanctions, and clinical services for youth offenders 16 - 17 years old. The Red Hook Star Review   recently interviewed, Red Hook's project director, Julian Adler about the new project. You can read the full article here, "Justice Program to test program to keep kids from serving time".  Currently, New York State treats anyone accused of committing a crime 16 and over as an adult and we are one of the last state's in the country to do so. In these cases, teens can end up in adult prisons and with adult criminal records. Most often, teens are not offered the services and structure they need to avoid future involvement with the justice system. In almost all other states, the age of criminality starts at 18. This pilot will start this month and will run at 9 other sites across t

King County District Attoryney Charles Hynes sets sights high for 2012 with  plans to cleanup Brownsville , siting the success of the Red Hook Community Justice Center in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Hynes said, We are moving inevitably to set up a second community court in Brooklyn — to recreate the miracle of Red Hook,” D.A. Hynes told the Eagle recently. “I look forward to Brownsville as being proof positive you can take the most dangerous neighborhood in the city and do the same thing that we did in Red Hook.” You can read the full article here: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=4&id=48343 Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes

The Justice Center recognizes that artistic programming is one of the best ways to engage youth and keep them involved in positive activities.  Last month, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez came to celebrate one of our programs with the Kentler International Drawing Space at their gallery in Red Hook.  The event  celebrated the work of the Red hook Community Justice Center JustArts Drawing Program. The program was designed to engage young teens between the critical ages of 11-13 to provide them with new and positive formats for creative expression. Parents of the young artist were also in attendance to support their children. The young artists were very excited to have their work displayed in a gallery. Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez with young artists and Kentler International Drawing Space Staff Cover of the Final Portfolio of Art Work