HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

This past week has been historic for our nation.  First, we celebrated Martin Luther King Day and remembered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech which inspired many people in our country.  It inspired us and gave us hope for change and optimism for a nation of equality.  Then we witnessed Barack Obama being inaugurated as the first African American President in United States history.  It was a great step towards fulfilling Dr. King’s dreams.  And it gave all of us hope for a brighter future.

District Attorney Charles J. Hynes addresses the annual Martin Luther King Day celebration held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on January 19.

I fully support President Obama as I believe that he will do a remarkable job of leading our country.  Little did we realize that just over four years ago when Barack Obama, a State Senator from Illinois, delivered a keynote address at the Democratic Convention in Boston, that he would accomplish something so significant.  First, he became the first African American candidate chosen by a national political party to run for President.  Then he became the first minority to become President and the first Democrat to win by majority vote of the people in 44 years.  President Obama gave an incredible speech which had a profound effect on me as well as millions of other Americans.  He talked about hope and he reminded us all that we can accomplish anything that we aspire to do.  There is widespread hope and belief across the nation that the Obama administration will help us recover from these difficult economic times.  There is hope and belief that the administration will finally put an end to the war and improve our healthcare system.  And from my perspective, there is hope and belief, especially after having spoken to President Obama’s criminal justice team, that they understand the need to continue to improve the criminal justice system and that they fully support what we are doing here at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.

We are fighting for and demanding more treatment beds and fewer prison cells, enhancing public safety.  The Obama administration sees the advantages of our reentry programs, rehabilitating individuals that need help as opposed to incarcerating them.  These programs save the nation millions of dollars and significantly reduce recidivism.  It is unacceptable that six out of 10 of the former prisoners return to prison within three years and that one quarter of all African American men are in prison, on parole, or on probation.  It shows that prison is not, by itself, solving our crime problem.  Through our reentry program, only two out of 10 return to prison within that same time period.  The Obama administration understands very well the positive effects on public safety that is produced by these programs.  So, there is hope that our next President will lead us in a national redesign of the criminal justice system, combining appropriate punishment with prevention programs. 

We need to be a nation that is undivided.  We share a common goal for a better America with greater prosperity and less crime.  As President Obama said in his inaugural speech, “Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

My job here in Brooklyn is to fight crime.   In my office, we are dedicated to helping our citizens by educating them, making Brooklyn a safer place to live and rehabilitating those people who committed non-violent crimes, but are able to turn their lives around with some guidance and assistance.  My reentry programs help formerly incarcerated individuals make a successful transition from prison to home by providing drug treatment and counseling, mental health training and counseling, housing, job skills, and employment assistance.  Our innovative programs are largely responsible for the significant increase in public safety in Brooklyn.  And we are never satisfied, always looking for new ideas to do even better.  These programs give people hope for a future just like President Obama gives hope to our country for a brighter future. 

One part of President Obama’s speech that really struck me was when he talked about the American people taking responsibility for their actions, and being selfless and helping others.  He said, “For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.”  It is this kind of selflessness that makes my office effective.  Our goal is not to just imprison everyone who commits a crime.  We are here to help people, whether it’s defendants who can be rehabilitated or victims who need help coping and readjusting to their lives after the crimes in which they were victimized.

So, as a new administration takes office in Washington, the people maintain hope that conditions will get better.  On a more local level, here in Brooklyn, we must also maintain hope that things will get better by working together to reduce crime.

The news articles listed below may be of interest to you or members of your community. 

Gary Post Tribune – Gary, IN

Encouraging To See Narcotics Unit Expand
 

For the first time in 10 years, the Porter County Drug Task Force is working at maximum strength with a full complement of police officers. Overseen by the county prosecutor's office, the task force is a combined group of police officers from Valparaiso, Portage, Chesterton and the sheriff's department and largely works undercover, busting drug offenders.

Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel, whose office has overseen the task force since 1995, pushed for the additional funding to allow the unit to expand. The task force has doubled its size and will likely receive the biggest budget in its history if the County Council next week earmarks the proposed $250,000 in casino taxes to fund the task force.

The move is a strong signal that the county is taking its drug problem seriously. The increased manpower will enable the task force to conduct full-scale investigations.

Porter County has a drug problem. Last year, a record number of 31 drug-related deaths were recorded by the end of November. Porter County Coroner Victoria Deppe says she often sees prescription bottles at the death scenes she's called to investigate.

Heroin is one of the favored drugs in Porter County and has claimed several lives. The county has responded to the challenge by opening a methadone clinic, a drug court and and a family-oriented drug treatment program. Still, authorities daily witness the abuse of prescription drugs, like painkillers.

In addition, the prosecutor's office hopes a new WeTip hotline that started Jan. 1 will reap new information for authorities.

There is more to be done for sure, and appropriating the $250,000 to the Drug Task Force would be a positive move.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/opinion/1390663,editorial.article

Seguin Gazette-Enterprise, TX

8-Liner Proceeds To Go To Good Use

It’s not every day that something positive comes from illegal activity.
Last year, Guadalupe County Sheriff’s deputies and investigators from County Attorney Elizabeth Murray-Kolb’s office raided illegal 8-liner operations, seizing nearly 200 of the gambling machines.

Tuesday, Sheriff Arnold Zwicke and Murray-Kolb asked and got permission from commissioners to auction the machines and use whatever proceeds were available from the sale to help fund the county’s misdemeanor drug court.

The drug court, run by County Court-at-Law Judge Linda Z. Jones seeks not only to hear drug-related cases, but also to rehabilitate the offenders through treatment.

Instead of simply punishing drug users with probation and jail time, the drug court program would help them to break the pattern of substance abuse and move on to lead more productive lives.

The court seeks to turn illegal activity into a second chance for those who go before the judge.

While Zwicke said he could not promise how much money the county’s program would be allowed — by state law — to get back, he believed that using some of the proceeds for a drug court program would be a worthwhile endeavor.

Jones said funding is needed if it is to become permanent.

She said any proceeds that the drug court gains from the sale would be used for treatment options, drug testing of participants, training of staff and possibly for additional office supplies.

“I can promise the money, whatever amount it is, will go to good use. This is great news,” she said after Tuesday’s commissioners court meeting.

The gambling machines are not illegal in themselves, but cannot pay out prize money or tokens that can be exchanged for goods or cash, which was the case with the seized machines.

If income derived from illegal activity or the equipment used to create that income can be somehow diverted to good work, that’s a good thing and Zwicke and the county deserve credit for trying to find creative ways to fund a proactive drug treatment program.