The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office takes a proactive approach to crime prevention. In doing so, we have created the Community Justice Unit. This Unit is dedicated to creating and putting forth programs aimed to provide children and adolescents with positive alternatives and interventional strategies to prevent delinquency. The Community Justice Unit engages the entire Essex County community by serving as a liaison between law enforcement and residents. The Unit promotes awareness about the role and functions of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Children & Adolescent Programs

The Community Justice Unit sponsors youth symposiums that address critical issues pertinent to young people; thus working to reduce risk factors of delinquency. Nearly five hundred middle and high school students from Essex County attend the full day conferences, which feature interactive workshops on making positive choices, the dangers of drugs and gangs along with ways to be safe while surfing the “Net”. Elementary school students learn about various careers in law, government and medicine through the Community Justice Unit’s “Project I C.A.N.” (I Can Achieve Now) program.

The Community Justice Unit holds a unique five week summer internship program to introduce rising high school seniors to various careers in law, law enforcement and local government (see current announcement on the [ahref-post id=”72″]COMMUNITY PROGRAMS[ahref-post-end] page). Prior to the COVID pandemic, the program offers a one week residential component at New Jersey State Trooper Academy, where they receive first hand knowledge of the troopers’ military style training. Interns visited various law enforcement agencies, including the Essex County Sheriffs Department, Drug Enforcement Agency and Federal Air Marshall. Interns also participates in college tours, cultural events, workshops and a mock trial. However, due to pandemic concerns, the program because virtual in 2020 and 2021, offering daily video group sessions running from 9 am to 11am, for two sessions each running five weeks, 5 days per week.

Over 1200 elementary and high school students participated in the Community Justice Unit’s Programs this past year!

Community Visibility

The Community Justice Unit wants to hear the issues that plague residents of Essex County. Armed with the assistance of local law enforcement agencies and non profit groups, the Unit addresses the needs of Essex County residents. Representatives from the Unit attend block association meetings and community forums to address issues of crime. The Unit partners with community members throughout Essex County in an effort to shed light on the positive side of law enforcement.

Speaker’s Bureau

Members from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office provide workshops on a range of topics for schools and local organizations. Workshops on bullying, child abuse, domestic violence, gang awareness, Internet safety, juvenile justice, victimization and an overview of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office are provided by experts in their field.

Contact

To contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Community Justice Program, please call: (973) 621-4317 or e-mail at nicole.graves@njecpo.org.