Helping Youth to Think about Safety, Health and Service

Last Thursday the Harlem Community Justice Center's Help Center and Juvenile Justice Programs collaborated again on a public educational workshop. The name of the workshop was "Safety, Health and Service in the Community" and took place in the Harlem Art Park. There were healthy baked goods and snacks and refreshing lemonade to combat the summer heat. Speakers included Officers from PSA 5 who gave an informative presentation on public safety, and provided helpful information for youth participants on how to stay safe and protect themselves. They also provided helpful tips for the digital age with regards to safety and privacy. The Boriken Neighborhood Health Center joined as well and provided information for adults and teens on maintaining good health and promoting a healthy lifestyle. The NYC Parks Department also attended and a representative encouraged everyone to do their part to make NYC a cleaner place, including cleaning up after oneself and not littering. The Bronx Land Trust also participated and provided information on community gardens. Finally, Reverend Williams of the Harlem Clergy Leadership Coalition spoke about preventing youth violence and creating awareness within the community about the issue. Members of the public, the Harlem Community Justice, Harlem Hard H.A.T.S. and Harlem Youth Court attended. Thank you to everyone who participated, attended, assisted and prepared for this great community event.

By Tai Nickle, Help Center Coordinator

Library to Crack

Recently, I mourned the death of a friend of mine. His name was Nelson "Lotto" Reaves. I'm sure most of you have seen the news of his death on TV or the newspaper. Nelson was only 17 years old, like me. I remember when we were in 6th and 7th grade and we would always meet up in the library after school to read books and play the Nintendo Wii. We were all good friends. He even had a crush on my best friend so he would always ask me for advice on how to get her. As we grew up, we all went our seperate ways, and met up at the library less frequently. Once we got to highschool, we stopped hanging out. I didn't know much of what was going on in his life. This is part of the reason why his death shocked and hurt me so much. Nelson was killed by an undercover cop when he sold the undercover CRACK. When the police officer identified himself, Nelson pulled out a gun on him. The officer shot Nelson 5 times. Apparently, Nelson had been in and out of jail for a long time, and now he was dead at 17 years old. Why didn't anyone help him earlier? Maybe there was a reason why he was selling crack. Now I see why Restorative Justice is so important. Maybe if someone had actually cared the first time Nelson got arrested, he would be alive today. I wish i could have helped him... because to me he was an old friend. But to everyone else, he's just another dead black boy who fell through the cracks. RIP Nelson "Lotto" Reaves.

By: Waheera Mardah, Youth Court Member

Crime in East Harlem: A Report by a Youth

Today, in East Harlem, there exists an interesting difference of opinion regarding crime in the community. While those who live in the neighborhood claim that the area feels much safer, the police claim that crime has actually risen. A local, Michel Laregui said, “East Harlem is safe and I feel safe. Crime is not more common here than in any part of the city.” Despite such a viewpoint shared by many East Harlem inhabitants, the numbers suggest otherwise; in 2010, the number of robbery, killings, rape, and use of drugs increased by nearly 40 percent from 2009 levels. The police attribute this dramatic increase in criminal activity to the sluggish economy and the overall poverty in the region.

One especially startling statistic about East Harlem crime is the sharp rise in murders. According to a recent police report, the homicide rate has jumped approximately 400 percent in the 25th precinct in 2010. Once again, officials believe that high unemployment rate (16 percent) and cutbacks in social services have led to this unfortunate spike in violence. Peggy Morales, a member of Community Board 11, said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the economy had a lot to do with it; it makes people more desperate. Things have become harder. There are no resources so we can give programs to get these kids off the streets.” Maria Cruz, the property manager of Taino Towers, however, believed that increased gang activity and lax parental control were to blame.

Overall, in New York City, crime has decreased by 1.4 percent. Unfortunately, however, crime in East Harlem has risen as a result of the recent economic downturn and high unemployment. The disparity between East Harlem and the rest of the city, in respect to crime, is a call for change. At the heart of the matter, one sees that the poor economy is aggrandizing the issue of crime in the region. Therefore, if any improvement in crime in East Harlem is to be seen, one must endeavor to ignite the economy in the area. The city must work hard to increase jobs and to attract businesses. In addition, studies show a negative correlation in the number of police officers to the crime rate; for the crime rate to truly decrease, it is imperative that East Harlem strengthen its police force and tighten its regulation of the streets. One last problem to address would be the high rate of juvenile crime in East Harlem. In order to prevent youth from being involved in drugs or gangs, the East Harlem community must push for an increase in funding in education and must invest in after-school programs to keep youth off the streets.

By Daniel Ryu, Youth Court Member

Repeated Suspensions Predict Later Involvement in Juvenile Justice System

The Council of State Government Justice Center, in partnership with the Public Policy Research Institute at Texas A&M University, has released a statewide study of nearly 1 million Texas public secondary school students, followed for at least six years. The findings are interesting and its hoped that the information disclosed will assist policymakers and practitioners. A few findings are listed below:

1. The majority of students in the public school system (59.6%) experienced
   some form of suspension or expulsion in middle or high school.
   


2. African-American students were more likely than students of other races
   to be disciplined during their seventh- to twelfth-grade school years.
   


3. Nearly three out of four students who qualified for special education
   services during the study period were suspended or expelled at least
   once between their seventh- and twelfth-grade school years. The level of
   disciplinary involvement by these students, however, varied significantly
   according to the specific type of educational disability they had.85
   


4. Students who experienced suspension or expulsion, especially those who
   did so repeatedly, were more likely to be held back a grade or drop out of
   school than students who were not involved in the disciplinary system.
   
   


5. More than one in seven students were in contact with the juvenile
   justice system between seventh and twelfth grade. Students who were
   suspended or expelled had a greater likelihood of contact with the
   juvenile justice system in their middle or high school years, particularly
   when they were disciplined multiple times.
   


6. Schools that had similar student populations and were alike in other
   important regards varied signficantly in how often they suspended or
   expelled pupils.
   

To read the full report click here.

Safety, Health and Service in the Community Workshop

Please join us for our
Safety, Health and Service in the Community

Healthy Bake Sale & Lemonade!
Harlem Art Park, 120th Street b/t 3rd & Lexington Avenue
July 21st, 2011 from 3:00 – 4:30 PM
Join us to learn more about public safety, community service, environmental awareness, healthy living and youth programs!

For more information, please contact the Help Center at (212) 360-4988.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Continues to Strive on its Mission to Keep Children Safe

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has published its final plan for their fiscal year in 2011, with the hopes of advancing the Department’s priorities. OJJDP has placed its priorities on addressing youth violence, victimization and improving the protection for youth involved with the juvenile justice system. OJJDP states its self as the authority dedicated to the “future, safety, and wellbeing of children and youth in, or at risk of entering, the juvenile justice system.” In addition, they try to serve for children, families, and community organizations to protect children from harm and exploitation. Some of the main issues OJJDP will focus on this year will be youth transitioning back to their communities from a detention or corrections facility, tribal youth, juvenile justice reform, research, evaluation and data collection, substance abuse and treatmentthis year.

To view the program plan, click here.

Don't Miss the Cyber Bullying Summit on July 18th

The New York Times Company is sponsoring the Cyber Bullying Summit on Monday, July 18th, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Times Center. The goal of this event is to provide parents with the information on how to protect their kids from cyber bullying. This event will host renowned leaders in technology and Internet safety, along with social media outlets such as Facebook and MTV to speak to parents about what they can do to keep their kids safe. counselors, child advocates, and representatives from the NYC Department of Education, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, and the NYC District Attorney's Office will also be at the summit, as will cyber bullying and cyber safety expert, Parry Aftab. Parry is the founder of WiredSafety.com and the creator of CyberBullying.org.

To see a video of on the event, click here.

Friday Nights Positive Presence For Peace

Join Reverand Vernon Williams and other Harlem Community members for a night of peace this Friday and every Friday until October 7, 2011. The event starts at 6:30pm every Friday.

If you are an organization that would like to contribute to the event contact Rev. Williams at 917-545-4619.