Brooklyn DA’s office announces creation of new Young Adult Bureau
Will Handle Misdemeanor Cases Against Defendants Ages 16-24; First Such Court in New York State and Second in the Nation Funded by DOJ Grant
Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson on Friday announced the creation of a Young Adult Bureau that will operate in the newly formed Brooklyn Young Adult Court, in partnership with the Office of Court Administration and the Center for Court Innovation. The new specialized court — the first in New York state — will handle all misdemeanor cases of defendants between the ages 16 and 24, offering risk-needs assessments, counseling and services tailored to the specific requirements of that particular age group, including substance abuse, mental health, anger management, GED, vocational and internship programs.
“Young adult offenders who enter the criminal justice system are at a higher risk of re-offending after being incarcerated,” said Thompson. “Many return to our society, not rehabilitated, but as hardened criminals. Recognizing that, our office, in partnership with the Center for Court Innovation, applied for a grant and created a specialized Brooklyn Young Adult Bureau that will offer young misdemeanor offenders who may be facing incarceration the appropriate help and services they may need to help set them on the right path and avoid a prison sentence.”
Thompson thanked the U. S. Department of Justice, which provided funding; the Center for Court Innovation, which is providing services; and the Office of Court Administration.
“This is one more example of the criminal justice system working together to implement an innovative approach to low-level criminal activity,” remarked Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks. “By focusing on young adults charged with low-level offenses, this new court part seeks to identify the underlying problem that led these cases to come into court, and develop an age-appropriate solution to address that underlying problem.
“Research has shown that young people are more amenable to rehabilitation,” Marks continued. “Ensuring that these individuals are referred to appropriate services and programs will lower recidivism and help them go on to become productive, law-abiding adults.”
Thompson said that the Brooklyn Young Adult Court (BYAC) will begin operations at a dedicated court part in Brooklyn Criminal Court, located at 120 Schermerhorn St. It will be presided over by Judge Craig S. Walker, under the leadership of Supervising Judge Michael Yavinsky and the overall supervision of Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks. BYAC will handle cases involving defendants between the ages of 16 and 24 who are charged with misdemeanors, with an eye toward expanding to low-level felonies in the future. The new bureau will be headed by bureau Chief Johanne Macajoux and consist of several assistant district attorneys, two paralegals and a project coordinator.