LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the Red
Hook Community Justice Center on October 26, 2015

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities across New York State
are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those organiza-
tions and individuals who would devote themselves to the welfare of the
community and its citizenry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 15th Anniversary of the Red Hook Community Justice Center to
be celebrated on October 26, 2015, at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New
York; and
WHEREAS, Established in June of 2000, the Red Hook Community Justice
Center is the nation's first multi-jurisdictional community court; oper-
ating out of a refurbished Catholic school in the heart of a geograph-
ically and socially isolated neighborhood in southwest Brooklyn, it
seeks to solve neighborhood problems and restore trust in government;
and
WHEREAS, This pioneering court of law was founded as a public/private
partnership between the New York State Unified Court System and the Fund
for the City of New York in order to create programs which test new
ideas to improve the application of justice; and
WHEREAS, At the Red Hook Community Justice Center, a single judge
hears neighborhood cases from three police precincts, serving approxi-
mately 200,000 people, who under ordinary circumstances would be
referred to three different courts: Civil, Family, and Criminal; and
WHEREAS, The courthouse is the hub for an array of unconventional
programs which contribute to reducing fear and improving public trust in
government; these include mediation, community service, and a youth
court where teenagers are trained to resolve actual cases involving
their peers; and
WHEREAS, Dedicated to improving life in the community, the Red Hook
Community Justice Center provides an on-site clinic staffed by social
service professionals who utilize trauma and evidence informed
approaches to assess and connect individuals to appropriate services;
and
WHEREAS, This remarkable institution also offers a housing resource
center, which provides support and information to residents with cases
in housing court; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, the Red Hook Community Justice Center provides
numerous community-based violence prevention projects and alternatives
to incarceration, as well as reentry initiatives and court-based
programs which seek to promote positive individual and family change;
and
WHEREAS, The Red Hook Community Justice Center has received numerous
awards for its pioneering efforts, including the Peter F. Drucker Award
for Non-Profit Innovation, the Innovations in American Government Award
from Harvard University and the Ford Foundation, and the Prize for
Public Sector Innovation from the Citizens Budget Commission; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the Red Hook Community Justice
Center; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Red Hook Community Justice Center.