Celebrating a ‘Laboratory of Reform’
The Red Hook Community Justice Center celebrated 15 years of justice reform this week with a party at the Brooklyn Museum.
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson called Red Hook an international model of fairness.
Since its founding in 2000, the Justice Center has become an international model for those seeking to reduce the use of jail, improve public safety, and enhance trust in justice.
Featured speakers at the celebration included Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, Judge Alex Calabrese, and Errol Louis of NY1. Three people were honored: New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman; Stuart W. Gold, a partner with Cravath, Swaine & Moore; and Pauline Nevins, a former client.
D.A. Ken Thompson said, "Red Hook is a model not just for the country, but for the world... I’m determined … to make sure every neighborhood in Brooklyn benefits from the Red Hook model." [Watch Thompson’s complete remarks.]
Judge Lippman hailed Red Hook for being a "laboratory of reform" and helping to promote both access to justice and alternatives to incarceration.
More than 200 people attended the event, which was held at the Brooklyn Museum and co-hosted by the Center for Court Innovation and the Brooklyn Bar Association.
For more information:
Watch "They Treated Me Like a Person," a new short film about the Justice Center. Read the results of an independent evaluation of the Justice Center.
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