Brownsville Community Justice Center and the Rutgers University College Tour

Having recently graduated our 2013 cohort, the Justice Community Program had the opportunity to reflect on some of the amazing experiences we shared with the Brownsville Anti-Violence Project, the Brownsville Youth Court, B.O.L.T.S., and all of the amazing young people taking advantage of the programs at the Brownsville Community Justice Center.

Participants from each of these programs had a myriad of experiences with the Brownsville Justice Community Program.  Participants attended free screenings of powerful films such as Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station and Justin Chadwick’s Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.  We also enjoyed the excitement of Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure, the Big Apple Circus’ Luminocity, and a variety of enlightening workshops, field trips, and trainings.

One of our trips was a college tour at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.  For some participants, this was the first time they stepped foot on a college campus.  For others, visiting Rutgers was an opportunity to compare Rutgers to other campuses they have visited in Brooklyn.

Justice Community participants were able to sit in classrooms, see dormitories, and interact with currently enrolled students.  Getting a first-hand experience of what it is like to be a college student in lecture style classrooms and seeing the living accommodations made some of the students feel more connected to the college experience. Alonzo, a Justice Community participant who is currently preparing for the SATs and filling out his FAFSA forms commented, “I pictured what it would be like, but it’s exciting to see what it’s actually like.”

Justice Community participants were also able to visit the student center and eat lunch in student cafes, see works of art in the student art gallery, and view the activities center where they saw the numerous student groups, fraternities, sororities, and activities that college students explore.  Justice Community participants were able to see students studying in the student lounge while watching flat screen televisions and sipping coffee from the in house Starbucks.  Justice Community participants enthusiastically commented, “I can do this!” 

Participants explored health and sports facilities like the fitness room, basketball court, soccer field and more.  For many of Justice Community’s college bound youth, seeing these facilities reassured them that there is time and space in higher education for not only academic and social activities, but also sports and other activities that promote and help maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. 

The cross pollination of services at the Justice Center is an invaluable web of opportunity, as it exposes young people to other aspiring youth, as well as the various resources and programs available to them here in Brownsville.  Young people are able to expand their social network and build positive relationships through enrichment, share information about the programs they frequent at the Justice Center, explore resources that are new and rewarding for them, and connect themselves to a place in their community that not only encourages them, but helps them take advantage of opportunities that push them further towards their goals.

Justice Community would like to thank B.O.L.T.S. (Building Our Leaders and Training them for Success), for organizing the Rutgers University tour.  B.O.L.T.S. is an initiative within Brownsville Community Justice Center’s Clinic.  This incentivized program was designed as a way to engage youth and expose them to a variety of social, educational, and cultural opportunities.  Youth that participate in the program receive a stipend over the course of a 4-month period.   Our hope is that their leadership development and community engagement will increase as they attend youth summits, visit college campuses, assist in peer-led workshops, participate in community service, and so much more.

The Brownsville Community Justice Program would also like to thank the Brownsville Youth Court, the Brownsville Anti-Violence Project, Rutgers University, and all of the aspiring college bound participants who dared to explore their dreams.

“Visiting Rutgers was exhilarating.  The trip gave me clarity on the entire college experience.  It gave me focus.  I always thought about college, but this trip made it a priority for me.  It showed me that it was something that I really wanted to do and that I was capable of going.”

-Alonzo J., Brownsville Justice Community Program Graduate

Brownsville Youth Court: Alumni Reflections

Tynesia Fields

Pitkin Avenue, Brownsville, Brooklyn N.Y, USA- The neighborhood in which I have grown since birth is associated with negative stereotypes in the media and the residents too often live up to them. This is the same city that has raised me - that I love- but it is known for its murders, robbery, gangs, high incarceration rates and teenage pregnancy. Through my community and my experiences I have learned that a reputation can either be a self-fulfilling prophecy, or encourage one to do better than what is expected. Thus, I am not a product of my surroundings, but a servant for my community. I come into daily contact with youth who have fallen into these stereotypes and I try to help empower them through peer mentoring. Involvement with the Brownsville Youth Court has allowed me to continue fulfilling my passion for service such as advocating for children’s and racial/ ethnic justice and cultural rights as well as gain more knowledge in other interests, including criminalization and homelessness. 

For more than a year, I have volunteered with the Brownsville Youth Court. Two days a week from 4 to 6pm after school, Brownsville Youth Court is a peer led court for teens that have committed low level offenses and are in need of help and prevention mechanisms. This constructive atmosphere has inspired me to pursue a career in law and to become a youth advocate. Unlike a family court judge, we do not determine guilt or innocence, but focus on the cause of the crime and what we, as peers, can do or say to help prevent them from making those wrong decisions again. Together, we devise a plan of how we can promote change in that individual and help them create short and long-term goals. Rather than going to jail, the respondents were able to close their cases once their sanction to repair harm done to the community was completed, including community service work, workshops, essays, apologies, etc. Unlike the crab in a barrel mentality, this system allows peers, all trying to avoid the limited expectations of the community, to help one another claw their way out of the barrel. In personally interacting with the respondents through interviews, I learned about the circumstances of youth of my society and their purposes for being in those predicaments—abusive fathers, absent mothers, drug addictions in the home, etc. If more people were made aware of these occurrences and the lack of resources for youth, they would be passionate about advocating for those whose voices have been eradicated by policing strategies. This led to my interest in the cycle of homeless youth that are criminalized for their methods of survival. 
                I am eager to tackle the challenges that children face in poverty-stricken communities by representing them in the court of law through legal advocacy. I have made a conscious choice to appreciate my community, taking pride in the values and guiding principles it has taught me and have used this drive to participate in multiple service opportunities for my peers. My experiences in the first semester of college have also illuminated my aspirations. I took an Urban Studies class called Crime and the City that has exposed me to different perspectives of urban cities and crime through lessons as well as hands on activities. I participated in a winter homeless count in Providence to ensure that homeless shelters had adequate space for homeless people, including youth in Rhode Island. I also learned more about policing strategies in various cities and the formation of these urban neighborhoods. These recent teachings and my experience with the Brownsville Youth Court have inspired me to work towards opening more Youth Courts in urban neighborhoods to help inner city youth return to paths of success after making mistakes. I will continue to strive to achieve these goals for the public interest.

Tynesia Fields served on the Youth Court between 2011 and 2013. Tynesia is currently enrolled at Brown University on a full scholarship. 

Brownsville Youth Court: Alumni Reflections

Ashia Barnes

Brownsville Youth Court was like a second family to me during my last two years of high school. At Brownsville Youth Court, it was about more than the job, it was about the passion that brought us all together to serve. Not only did Brownsville Youth Court teach me the fundamental tools necessary to be a leader, they believed in me and my dreams. Brownsville Youth Court taught me things I could use in my future, such as team building skills, resume writing, professionalism and interviewing skills! Brownsville Youth Court went above and beyond as a community justice center, creating a long lasting tie with every member that has joined.

During my time at Brownsville Youth Court, I didn't realize the amazing opportunity that was at hand. To come in every Tuesday and Thursday to hear court cases with a peer led jury began to feel like a regular routine. It wasn't until I graduated and shared my accomplishments with others that I realized the amazing opportunity I was offered and the special impact I had on my community. With Brownsville Youth Court, I realized that age is truly nothing but a number when it comes to service. Brownsville Youth Court taught me that my voice matters and that service is essential if we want our community to survive and to strive.

I salute the staff at Brownsville Youth Court. To them, Brownsville Youth Court was far from a job, it was almost like their baby. The staff I've had the pleasure of working with not only invested in the court to make it what it is today, but they invested in the members as well. Without Brownsville Youth Court, I would never have learned how to challenge myself to seek bigger and better. Without Brownsville Youth Court, I would never have had that humbling moment that causes you to realize you must give back to receive. I looked forward to every week at Brownsville Youth Court and until this day I still have a special place with them in my heart!

Opportunities like this need more recognition among high schools and New York City itself. This is a wonderful opportunity for students and future change makers. Brownsville Youth Court pushed me one step closer to my purpose and helped me realize that I am here to change the world one youth at a time.

My favorite thing about Brownsville Youth Court is knowing that I can come back tomorrow and still have a home.

Much thanks to B.Y.C.!

Ashia Barnes served on the Brownsville Youth Court from May 2011 to May 2012. Ashia is currently enrolled at Howard University and is the Co-Chair of the Build-A-Dream Mentorship program. 

Another Successful Year for the Brownville Justice Community Program

On Monday, December 16, 2013, the Brownsville Justice Community Program celebrated the culmination of another successful year. Participants, staff, and local community supporters came to congratulate the participants who successfully completed all of their milestones and internships and thank those participants who may not have completed but put in equal effort into the milestones they were able to accomplish.  Throughout the year, our participants took part in various activities from a plethora of community benefit projects and educational activities, to internships, and for completing each of these milestones they received stipends payments for various amount.

Benjamin Smith, Program Coordinator, offering words of
encouragement.

Abdul Nixon receiving his certificate of completion.

During the events, participants were asked to speak about what the Justice Community Project meant to them. Many stated that the project provided them with a positive outlet from the everyday life they were used to. They spoke about acquiring skills that they could use to obtain employment or successfully graduate from school. The Justice Community Project became their home away from home.

Staff from all departments from the Brownsville Community Justice Center gave the participants words of encouragement as they all played a role in the success of the program this year. Many of our participants volunteered with many activities ran by the Brownsville Anti-Violence Project from Call-Ins to the Changing the Narrative Art Gallery. They also were a part of the first pilot group for the new Learning Lab.

Dashawn Hayes(left) and his daughter receiving his certificate
 of completion from program coordinator Benjamin Smith (right).

This year we had a total of 16 participants who successfully completed the project. Full completion includes completing 12 community benefit projects, 12 community planning sessions, 12 educational activities, and 8 weeks of an internship. We also had several participants who completed at least 80% of the program.  We are very proud of all the work they accomplished and know that each one will use the skills they acquired during their time in the project to become successful men and women. We would like to thank each one for the contributions they made not only to this program, but to the Brownsville community.

We would like to also thank all of our partners including New York City Department of Probation, Mayor’s Young Men’s Initiative, The Center for Economic Opportunity, Pitkin AveBID, Brownsville Partnership, Groundswell, resident.connect.care, Opportunities for Better Tomorrow, Brooklyn BEOC, Career Gear, Hoods to Woods, Children ofPromise, Project Rhythm, Youth Represent, and Project East New York who all helped to make this year a great success. We look forward to the work we will accomplish together in the coming year!

We are now accepting applications for our 2014 enrollment year expected to being in February 2014. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in joining the Justice Community Program, contact our Program Coordinator, Benjamin Smith at (347)404-9585 or email at bsmith@courts.state.ny.us for more information.