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Showing posts from 2014

Red Hook Youth Court Fall Recognition and Induction Ceremony

  On December 18 th , the Red Hook Youth Court acknowledged our current Members for all their hard work and dedication. Staff and guest also said farewell to a few Members who are leaving to focus on their senior year in high school. Lastly, the Honorable Judge, Alex Calabrese was the Key Note Speaker and inducted a new group of Youth Court Members to join the court. The Members took the time to share their favorite moments while being a part of the Youth Court and the Inductees shared their excitement for what is to come in the New Year.    Please stay tuned for what is to come from us in 2015! Happy Holidays!

Red Hook Youth Court's Socks For the Sole Sock Drive

  This winter the Red Hook Youth Court will be holding a Sock Drive. We are asking that when you are out doing your Holiday shopping please pick up a pack of brand new/un-used socks. Our goal is to partner with a local pantry and donate the socks along with snacks to people in need. This winter will be a cold one so we want to help the less fortunate keep warm. A little goes a long way, so PLEASE DONATE! See the flyer below for more details.   Sabrina Carter Youth and Community Programs Coordinator

Youth Court on Giving Tuesday

On Giving Tuesday (Dec 2, 2014), the Youth Court Members participated in Holiday Mail For Heroes through the American Red Cross. They created letters and cards to send to military members as well as their families thanking them for their service and to let them know we are thinking about them during this holiday season. The kids seemed to really enjoy writing these letters and some of them got really creative! Youth Court Members Writing Holiday Cards Sabrina Carter Youth and Communities Programs Coordinator  

Red Hook Youth Court November Food Drive

For the month of November the Red Hook Youth Court Members held a food drive and collected non-perishable food. On November 25 th , after Youth Court hearings the members and staff walked over to the Food First Pantry located in Red Hook and donated all the food collected just in time for Thanksgiving. Thank you to everyone who donated! It was a small gesture by our members but they believe a little does go a long way. Happy Holidays! Youth Court Members donating to Food First Panty  Food Donations Sabrina Carter Youth and Community Programs Coordinator       

Youth Court Team Building

On November 20, 2014, Youth Court staff did two team building activities. The first was “See Say Do” and the second was an “Occupation Guessing Game”. Both activities were fun and allowed the youth court members to practice their listening skills and to work together which is something they have to do during normal youth court duties.  Ever so often we like to do activities such as these to remind the members to hone their skills for the work that they do, but in a fun way. The members had a blast!  Youth Court Members Playing See Say Do Youth Court Member Participating in Team Building Activity Youth Court Members Playing Occupation Guessing Game Sabrina Carter Youth and Community Programs Coordinator

Red Hook Youth Court Observes Court Hearings with Honorable Judge Calabrese

  On October 30, 2014, the Youth Court Members were able to sit in on court hearings with Honorable Judge, Alex Calabrese. Many of the Youth Court Members are interested in becoming lawyers so this was a great opportunity for them! During a break the judge came and spoke with the members. Many of them had questions for him and he was more than happy to answer them. Some of the questions the members asked focused on issuing warrants and what types of cases he frequently gets in his courtroom. Additionally, Judge Calabrese praised the members and the amazing work they do. He said that he doesn’t think twice when sending a case to Youth Court because he trusts the members and the decisions they make. After leaving the courtroom the members expressed how much they liked sitting in the court. Overall, this was a great experience for the members and we hope to do it again in the future.  Honrable Judge Calabese& Red Hook Youth Court Members Sabrina Carter Youth and Commu

Youth Court Recognizes Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness month. Every year the youth court does something in recognition of these two issues. This time, on Thursday October 23, we designated the time spent with youth court members to address Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness. The Youth Court staff gave presentations on both topics and allowed time for questions and a discussion. The Youth Court members were very interested in learning more about both topics and had some very insightful questions. The members and staff wore pink and purple in honor of breast cancer and domestic violence awareness. Some of the members even sold pink and purple bracelets at school to raise money and awareness! Although we mainly focus on the ‘court’ aspect of youth court, it is also important that we make sure the youth court members are taking care of themselves and are educated about issues that may be relevant to them. Youth Court member wearing his Domestic Violence Awareness

A Scavenger Hunt for National Youth Court Month

  On September 23, 2014, in recognition of National Youth Court Month the Red Hook Youth Court members participated in a Scavenger Hunt created for them by the Staff. The members were split in to four teams and each team walked through the local neighborhood solving riddles and receiving clues based on a fictional court case 283065 Youth Court vs. Michael Hunt.  Youth Court members at Checkpoint 1   Youth Court members at Checkpoint 1   Their job was to find out what offense Michael was sent to Youth Court for and where he was confronted by the police. At each ‘checkpoint’ they were given a riddle based on information about the youth court and if they were able to solve it they would receive the next clue. At the end of the hunt, once they received their four clues, they went back to the Red Hook Community justice center and wrote up a statement based on what they think happened on the day the respondent committed the crime. The team closest to the correct story would

New Victim Services Program at the Justice Center

October is domestic violence awareness month and the Red Hook Community Justice Center is happy to announce it will start a new Victim Services Program later this year. The program will serve victims of crime, with a focus on victims of domestic violence. Serving both court-involved victims and community residents, the Crime Victim Services program will play a key role in providing a multi-disciplinary response to crime victims. More details to come. In the meantime, we’re hiring a Social Worker and Case Manager for this program. See links below for more details. The last day to apply is October 31. Senior Crime Victim Specialist (LMSW) http://www.courtinnovation.org/employment/senior-crime-victim-specialist-lmsw Crime Victim Services Case Manager: http://www.courtinnovation.org/employment/crime-victim-services-case-manager Jessica Colon, Deputy Project Director

Red Hook Youth Court Remembers 9/11

“In keeping up with Red Hook Youth Court tradition and in recognition of the 13 th anniversary of September 11 th ,the youth court members baked some treats and dropped off goody baskets with thank you cards to the local precinct and fire department – honoring them for their bravery during 9/11 and on an everyday basis. We salute them!” Red Hook Youth Court Members At  Local Fire Engine 202   Red Hook Youth Court Members With Officer Vincent Marrone of The 76th Precinct

Red Hook Youth Court Goes to the U.S. District Court

  On Thursday, August 28th the Red Hook Youth Court members visited the U.S District Courthouse and were able to attend a Naturalization Ceremony lead by the Honorable Judge William Kuntz.  Following the ceremony Youth Court members went up to Judge Kuntz's courtroom where he greeted the members and allowed them to ask him questions regarding law, justice and current social issues. The discussion and visit as a whole went very well.    Red Hook Youth Court Members & Staff With Honorable Judge William Kuntz     For the past year the Red Hook Youth Court has been establishing its relationship with the Eastern District’s  U.S. Attorney's Office and District Courthouse. So far we have visited the courthouse twice and most recently held one of our bi-annual Graduation and Induction ceremonies in the Ceremonial Courtroom of the Courthouse.    Red Hook Youth Court Members Outside The Courthouse  This Fall for their third time a few of the U.S. Attorney'

Good Signs in Red Hook

The Red Hook Community Justice Center has recently installed new signs throughout the building. This signage project is part of a larger initiative called Procedural Justice which  aims to improve courtroom communication and court users' perceptions of the court process. Procedural justice research shows when defendants and litigants perceive the court process to be fair, they are more likely to comply with court orders and follow the law in  the future. You can learn more about procedural justice here: http://www.courtinnovation.org/topic/procedural-justice  #proceduraljustice     Jessica Colon Deputy Project Director 

Creating Opportunities for Youth Near and Far

Last week, the Red Hook Community Justice Center and the Kentler International Drawing Space celebrated the culmination of our JustArts Make Your Mark youth drawing program with an exhibition of the student's work at Kentler's gallery. Local middle school students were able to participate in this summer program and learn about the art of drawing. Staff, students and their families and friends, were on hand to celebrate the exhibition. The week before, the Justice Center's JustWorks Summer Internship Program went on a college trip to visit Fairfield and Bridgeport colleges in Connecticut. Participants in our internship program, are all local high school students that are placed at host sites where they gain real work experience, receive training before and during their internship, and earn a stipend. Most of our students aspire to go to college, and one of the highlights of our internship program is giving the opportunity to learn more about the college application p

Red Hook Celebrates National Night Out Against Crime

Yesterday, community residents, NYPD, the Red Hook Community Justice Center, local organizations, and elected officials came out to celebrate Red Hook's 20th Annual National Night Out Against Crime. Red Hook is proud of its history of cooperation between community and law enforcement to make our neighborhood a safe place to live. There was food, music, fun activities for kids, and a resource fair. Residents Enjoy National Night Out Against Crime in Coffey Park Children Line-up Face Painting by our Red Hook Youth Court members Children Enjoy Arts and Crafts with our Red Hook Youth Court Residents Take Advantage of Information Provided at our Resource Fair Judge Sharon Hudson and Red Hook Community Justice Center Project Director Julian Adler Alice Tapia of Women in Touch Provides Mini-manicures The NYPD Explorers Were Working Hard at the Grill Residents Enjoy Delicious BBQ Power Play Provides fun Activities for Kids