Youth Justice Board Takes on Police-Youth Relations

NYPD Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Community Affairs
adresses the audience.

Last night the Center for Court Innovation's Youth Justice Board came to Harlem's Maysles Cinema to present its finding from a study of police-youth relations in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The event also included a showing of the YJB's short video on the subject, soon to be avaliable online.  

The YJB is recruting its next class of YJB members! To learn more visit their website or contact the YJB at:  646-386-5925 or email yjb@courtinnovation.org.

Former YJB members have gone on to top ranked colleges and exciting careers. For example, one former member graduated from Brown Univesity and is now a staff memebr at the Harlem Community Justice Center were she manages the Harlem Youth Court.

East Harlem Drug Gang Gone, Neighbors Party

In the "other New York" crime still forces community members to relinquish public spaces. Yet, last Saturday in East Harlem one of the blocks in the other New York had reason to celebrate. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office and NYPD took down a major drug operation that plagued the area of 117th Street between 5th and Madison in East Harlem. Residents of the Milbank-Frawley Housing Development have reclaimed their block, for now. See the story in the NY Times

Life Without Parole for Juveniles Unconstitutional

Today the Supreme Court announced its decision striking down the use of life sentences without parole for juveniles based on two cases ( Jackson v. Hobbs, No. 10-9647, and Miller v. Alabama, No. 10-9646), according to the NY Times. This decision continues a course the Court has set in other recent decisions recognize that treating juveniles like adults violates the Constitution. According to the Times article, over 2500 juvenile offenders are serving life without parole in the United States. This practice is not used in most other countries, according to the article. 

For Manhattan District Attorney Crime Prevention a Priority

Recent spikes in crime across the City are a reminder that there is still much work to be done to improve public safety; especially in neighborhoods like Harlem that have traditionally experienced more street crime that the rest of the city. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has pursued a multi-pronged approach to address the problems of youth crime and gangs that uses a mix of prosecution of serious and violent youth, local partnerships with community organizations and a focus on crime prevention.

District Attorney Cy Vance Talks with Youth Participant

This past Saturday the DA's crime prevention approach was on full display at the Drill & Play Basketball event at Basketball City. Drill & Play is a partnership led by the DA's Office that reinvests asset forfeiture money into a hoops program for youth ages 13-16 from some of Manhattan's most notorious youth crime and gang hot spots.  The DA's Office worked with Pro  Hoops Inc., the DEA,  NYPD, and the Police Athletic League to make the program happen.

NYC African American's Hurt Hardest by Tough Job Market

Citing federal Labor Department data, the NY Times reports that half of all working aged African-Americans are not working.  African-Americans who lose their job are out of work much longer than other groups.  High rates of joblessness have long plagued the Black community in New York City. Yet, this recession has not just been hard on low waged Black workers but middle income African-American workers was well. Click here to link to the article.

Youth Court Graduation Tonight!

Come out and support some amazing youth leaders who spent a year working to keep Harlem safe.

Date: Thursday, June 21, 2012
Place: Harlem Community Justice Center
170 East 121st Street, 3rd floor
New York, NY 10035
Between Second Avenue and Third Avenue
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

To RSVP contact Sonia Balaram at
harlemyouthcourt@gmail.com  

The Harlem Youth Court is a peer-driven restorative justice program that uses positive peer pressure and support to steer other youth away from crime and delinquency. Youth Court members hear cases of young people 13-19 referred by justice agencies and schools for minor offenses. Using positive peer pressure, Youth Court members question each youth respondent about their decisions and how their actions have, or could have, impacted their family, community and their future. They then decided on a  restorative sanction including: community service, educational workshops, counseling, or letters of apology.  The compliance rate among youth respondents is 90%.

NYPD Youth Summit

The NYPD is hosting a Youth Summit to educate the community about youth crews in upper Manhattan. If you area a youth worker, educator, administrator, parent, clergy or concerned citizen the Summit will provide valuable information to help keep youth safe.

Monday, June 25, 2012
2 pm to 4 pm

Touro College
230 West 125th Street. Enter on West 124th Street between Fredrick Douglass Blvd (8th Avenue)  & 7th Avenue.

For more information contact:

Sgt. Chau VO
NYPD Community Affairs Bureau
Juvenile Justice Division
212-343-3707

or

Lt. Horace Norville
NYPD Community Affairs
Patrol Borough Manhattan North
212-678-1872

College Fair on July 14th

To register for the college fair please click here.

Interesting Video Short on Stop and Frisk

This video produced by Julie Dressner and Edwin Martinez provide an interesting youth perspective on Stop & Frisk from Bushwick, Brooklyn Native Tyquan Brehon. Check it out here.