December 11, 2009

Dear Friends,

An argument during art class, misplaced belongings—these and any number of otherwise mundane infractions can spell disaster for a student in the New York City Public School system. After her involvement in a paint fight with another student at public school, police charged Christina, age 16, with a Class A misdemeanor. Although the dispute had been resolved with her teacher’s intervention, the school nevertheless notified the police, and Christina was arrested. Fortunately, Christina recognized the potentially grave consequences of having a criminal charge like this on her record and contacted Youth Represent. As a direct result of the legal expertise provided by the organization, the District Attorney eventually agreed to have Christina perform two days of community service and allowed her case to be dismissed after the successful completion of this condition.

Increasingly, students are being pushed out of classrooms and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Addressing this failing of the New York City Public School System that affects hundreds of students has been just one area where Youth Represent has strived to implement their mission of extracting the city’s youth from a deleterious cycle that limits their options for a brighter future.

We’re happy to share the news that in the three years that we’ve been working to educate youth about their legal rights and advocate on their behalf, strides have indeed been made. Last year we called on your generosity to help our growing organization expand the number of children we serve. This year, we’re excited to report the concrete measures that we’ve able to take toward that end as a result of your donations.

• Youth Represent provided legal services and advice to over 250 young people and their families in court cases, school suspension hearings, employment discrimination matters, and housing exclusion hearings.

• Youth Represent has educated over 1,200 young people, their families, and front-line staff working with at-risk youth on how to navigate the criminal justice system and reduce the many challenges that may keep youth from successful reintegration into their communities.

• Building on the wisdom and strategies garnered from our past experience, and as always, leaning on the expertise and unwavering dedication of our lawyers and staff, Youth Represent is excited to widen the scope of our efforts. In 2010, we will launch the Community Youth Reentry Project (CYRP) to provide much needed community based legal representation to youth who were previously court-involved. CYRP will allow us to broaden our reach and bring our services directly to those most affected by the criminal justice system.

The individual stories of young people like Christina demonstrate the vital need that we aspire to fulfill. Within our mission to transition youth from courtroom to the community, the staff and partners at Youth Represent have a shared ethic, a hope that we can always function within the fabric of the communities where we work.

As we forge ahead in our new ventures, mindful that there will always be a need for the services that Youth Represent provides, we recognize that the ripple effect the recent economic shift has had on our society will engender new challenges. We are community-based advocates, and as such, we rely on financial contributions from donors, friends who support the idea that the path to justice for our youth must be cleared, especially in times of national crisis. Your generous support fuels Youth Represent’s mission to provide holistic and quality representation to New York City’s children.

Sincerely,

Laurie Parise
Founder/Executive Director