Recently we announced a new partnership with local organizations: Breakthrough, BUILD, and Lawndale Christian Legal Center with the purpose of strengthening public safety via holistic social services and restorative justice. This initiative is called Justice Rising: Project 77. The goal is to break the cycle of arrest, incarceration and recidivism by addressing underlying issues that can lead to negative behavior – and ultimately expand this model to all 77 Chicago neighborhoods
The partnership will assign free attorneys to clients who have pending cases in the juvenile and adult courts of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Clients will be connected to services for employment, school, trauma counseling, health care, mental health, entrepreneurship, mentoring, housing, spiritual guidance, sports, violence prevention and substance use.
“The past 18 months have been extremely difficult. Our neighborhoods have been hit hard by COVID-19, violence and injustice. Our young people need hope, healing, restoration and justice. Justice Rising will work to transform the systems around us, focus on wrapping around young people under 25 caught up in the criminal justice system, and build something new for the future. New Life Centers is excited to be part of the Justice Rising movement,” said Matt DeMateo, Executive Director at New Life Centers.
