The County of Essex has a very complex and diverse population, and shares many of the problems experienced by America's major cities. Within such an environment, the trust and understanding that benefits both law enforcement agencies and the neighborhoods they serve is sometimes diminished. Many community stakeholders have lost confidence in the ability of the criminal justice system to deliver fair and impartial treatment to individuals who have been impacted by crime. Police and prosecutors ultimately rely on a cooperative populace that will serve as witnesses, jurors, employees and in other supporting roles. Therefore, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office continuously seeks to rebuild and reinforce understanding and cooperation through proactive outreaches such as the Community Justice Program.

The mission of the Community Justice Unit of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office is to address quality of life issues that negatively impact the Essex County Community. Recognizing that crime prevention and reduction is not the sole responsibility of any one agency or organization, the Community Justice Program has committed itself to re-build and strengthen relationships between Essex County residents, businesses, schools, agencies, etc. and the law enforcement and criminal justice system. Through collaborative partnerships and a proactive approach to crime prevention and community education, the Community Justice Program incorporates various aspects of law enforcement, criminal justice and public health in an effort to bridge the gap between the Prosecutor's Office and the community at large. The Program also seeks to facilitate linkages between public, private and non-profit organizations so as to assist in the enhancement and development of effective crime prevention and crime reduction initiatives.

Implemented in January 2000 with the support of the New Jersey L&PS Division of Criminal Justice, the Community Justice Program continues to work with various law enforcement agencies, governmental agencies, schools, and various community-based and faith-based institutions to facilitate a change in the perception of law enforcement and to address the public safety concerns of residents and other stakeholders in Essex County. Through collaborative partnerships, the Community Justice Program has implemented a multifaceted program that incorporates various aspects of law enforcement, criminal justice and youth outreach in an effort to bridge the gap between the ECPO and the community at-large.

The Community Justice Unit has the following objectives:

• To promote awareness about the role and function of the Essex County Prosecutors Office within the State’s criminal justice system.

• To raise awareness about issues concerning gangs and youth violence.

• To develop effective partnerships and collaborations with community policing efforts throughout the County of Essex.

• To collaborate with programs for youth that will encourage positive growth and development.

• To strengthen existing partnerships and create new partnerships with faith-based organizations, community agencies and groups, schools and relevant stakeholders in an effort to address quality of life issues that negatively impact the Essex County Community.

• To establish an interfaith council to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the Essex County Community.

The Community Justice Unit is run by the Assistant Prosecutor / Director for Community Justice Programs together with a Community Justice Coordinator. Many other ECPO employees, including investigators, assistant prosecutors and administrative staff also support the Program. The Program sponsors annual one-day Youth Summits held in Newark. Over 400 teenagers from various Essex County schools come to listen and discuss the problems of violence and youth gangs within Essex County with a panel of academians, government leaders and law enforcement officials. The Program also runs the Essex County Prosecutor's Summer Youth Internship, an exciting 5-week program in which high-school juniors from throughout Essex County gain first hand knowledge and experience about the criminal justice and judicial systems. During the Internship, students have an opportunity to learn about the many aspects of the criminal justice and judicial systems, and generally leave the program with a much better understanding of what police and prosecutors do and why they do it.

In addition, the Community Justice Unit hosts various town meetings; directs the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Speakers Bureau; participates in programs such as: United Way's Celebrity Read event, the ongoing Weed and Seed projects in the cities of Newark and East Orange, various community policing programs, and the New Jersey Orators; and coordinates with the faith-based community, including an interfaith council to address community trust and participation in law enforcement.

Recent accomplishments include:

ECPO Speakers Bureau - During the 2008 and 2009 calendar year, the Community Justice Unit coordinated more than 350 presentations through its Speakers Bureau to various communities, civic, educational and faith-based organizations in Essex County.

ECPO Service Awards - In 2009 the Community Justice Unit coordinated the first office service awards breakfast that recognizes the outstanding achievements of ECPO personnel in the community.

Project I C.A.N. (I Can Achieve Now) - In 2006 this program was created and designed by ECPO as a new approach to crime prevention. Our collaboration began with the Newark Public Schools and has expanded to include collaborations with the Irvington Board of Education and the East Orange Board of Education. Middle school students are encouraged to begin thinking about careers they may want to pursue as adults. The students have field trips to various agencies once every six weeks during the school year. The three most popular field trips are the following:
a) A day at the Essex County Prosecutors Office
b) A day at University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (U.M.D.N.J.)
c) A visit with members from the NJ Symphony Orchestra

F.I.T. (Fellas in Training) - Through our collaborations with the Irvington Board of Education and The Bridge, Inc. male students in grades 4 and 5 are mentored to learn the game of chess. The students are then encouraged to apply those rules to their everyday lives.

2008-2009 Summer Youth Internship Program - The Community Justice Unit annually hosts a six-week program from June through August, where rising high school seniors from public schools in Bloomfield, Belleville, East Orange, Irvington, Montclair, Newark, Orange, South Orange, Maplewood and West Orange are exposed to the positive roles of law enforcement and the Essex County criminal courts. The comprehensive curriculum includes learning about the role and function of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office; participating in New Jersey State Trooper Youth Week, which is a one week residential program; observing a jury trial and participating in a mock trial. Interns have the opportunity to work with local law enforcement agencies and tour the law enforcement agencies of the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Federal Air Marshall. Interns visit various detention centers such as the Essex County Youth Detention Center and Northern State Prison.

Essex/Union Fugitive Safe Surrender Program (November 4 - 7, 2009) - The Unit worked in partnership with various law enforcement agencies, including but not limited to the U.S. Marshal's Office, the Essex County and Union County Sheriffs' Offices, the Union County Prosecutor's Office, the Police Institute at Rutgers School of Criminal Justice, Newark, and various faith based organizations such as Bethany Baptist Church, Newark and the Salvation Army, to coordinate and implement the second largest and most successful program in the nation for nonviolent offenders to surrender to law enforcement. More than 4,100 persons surrendered and had their warrants judiciously handled. This Unit was responsible for the organization of more than 200 volunteers who assisted law enforcement personnel in this program.

World Against Violence (W.A.V.) IX through XII Youth Conferences - The Community Justice Unit hosted these conferences at Rutgers University, Newark and NJ Institute of Technology (NJIT) Newark. Approximately 500 Essex County students attended each conference. The students are comprised of private and public school students beginning in grades 6 through 12. The conferences informed students how to stay safe in various environments such as when using the internet, gang and gun awareness, dating and domestic violence, and driver safety.

The Photography/Video Department - In 2008 the department was formed to document the office's outreach programs and various other media events sponsored by ECPO.

For an update on current events in the Community Justice Program, please see our latest newsletter The Observer, available in PDF format (Adobe Reader needed).

Summer 2007 Observer

Winter 2008 Observer

Winter 2009 Observer

To contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Community Justice Program, please call: (973) 621-4700 or e-mail at communityjustice@njecpo.org.

For a review of nationwide community justice strategies that was prepared for the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, visit the National Criminal Justice Reference Service website.