DETROIT – An organization in Southwest Detroit is aiming to change lives through community service.
The Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center offers a Community Court program out of the 36th District Court on Wednesdays. The presiding judge for the program is Shannon A. Holmes. The program is for anyone who commits a misdemeanor crime in the 4th Precinct. Some of the typical offenses include loitering, solicitation offenses, being in the park after hours, driving without valid insurance or driving without a valid license. Driving while intoxicated offenses do not qualify for the program.
"At the end of the day, I feel like I'm here to change lives. I get to order them to do things to improve their quality of life, not just themselves, but in the community where they live and the community where they offend," said Holmes.
The participants in the program are sentenced to at least 20 hours of community service, and any other sentencing conditions, within 60 days. The service hours replace fines or jail time. More than 780 people have already gone through the program and 48 people are currently enrolled.
"I get to be in step with them where they come to see me on a regular basis. It's not just coming to jail or paying a fine. I try to reach them wherever they are so I can hopefully give them some hope to do something different and break the cycle," Holmes said.
The Community Court program in Southwest Detroit was inspired by the work of the Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Court in New York in 2012. The executive director of the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center is Tonya Phillips. She's a passionate director with a desire to help the participants grow.
"We're not just trying to run people through the treadmill of the justice system. We work hand in hand with the community. Some people are looking to continue their education. Some people are looking for jobs. Some people need mental health counseling. Some people are looking to go to college or take second language classes. So, everyone's individual," Phillips said.
Phillips said the participants have the opportunity to meet with case managers throughout the process. An average of 90 percent of people successfully completed the program.
"Our program is twofold. One, you have the restitution component. That's the community service. We view community service as restitution. The offense was committed in the community, therefore, you're giving back to the community. Then, we have the individual services component because we want everyone to leave our program in a better place from which they came so when you're meeting with the case manager, we're seeing how we as an organization can wrap our arms around a person and just help them get to the next level of their lives," she said.
Phillips said the program has had an impact in Southwest Detroit.
"The 4th Precinct is leading the way in crime reduction in the city of Detroit and we're proud to be a part of that. This is an effective way to meet people's needs in the community," Phillips said.
One of the participants was Alicia Zepeda Martinez, a proud mother in Southwest Detroit. She joined the program earlier this year after she borrowed a vehicle to take her children to a Head Start program. The vehicle had no insurance and she did not have a driver's license. She was pulled over and learned about the program at the courthouse.
"Because I was in the program, I was able to feel a little bit confident and not abandoned," she said in Spanish.
She graduated from the program in May and remembers her graduation ceremony vividly.
"You feel important. You feel accomplished that you completed the community service," she said.
Each participant has a graduation ceremony in which they receive a diploma and have the chance to talk about what they learned from the program. Tamika Dixon recently graduated.
"It just made me think about the impact I can actually have with the community. It made me realize what my surroundings were like and it made me see other people and their needs," Dixon said.
She landed in the program for an impeding traffic offense and was required to serve 20 hours of community service. She ended up serving more than 100 hours.
"I just saw a need in my community. I saw, like, 'Wow, OK, let me help these people in a way I can,'" she said.
The leaders of the program hope to be able to someday expand citywide.
"I want to change the mindset so people don't continue to offend. I'm here to change behavior, not just to wield the big stick and correct people because I have the authority or power to do it. I'm here to change lives," Holmes said.
The Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center works with a number of community-based organizations for the community service projects, including Urban Neighborhood Initiatives, Clark Park Coalition, Matrix Theater Company, Second Chance Ministries, HOPE Ministries, Chadsey Condon Community Organization, Springdale Woodmere Block Club, Friends of Patton Park, Bridging Communities, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, District 6 Board Up Team, Congress of Communities and many Southwest Detroit residents.
If a person does not complete their work, Holmes may remove the participant from the program and the participant can face any terms of statutory sentencing, including fines of up to $500 or jail.
In order to participate, a person must provide information to the program and complete a risk assessment, needs assessment, intake form and possibly a human trafficking assessment on the day of their arraignment. Then, the person completes their community service hours and addresses their personal needs before receiving their certificate of completion. If a person would like to participate, he or she can speak to Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center Staff at their arraignment or call 313-967-4880.
You can make a donation to the program by clicking here or mailing a check to Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center, 1211 Trumbull St., Detroit, MI 48216. You can also follow the program on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.