Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and U.S. Attorney John H. Durham announced that a Connecticut crime prevention organization is the recipient of one of 16 awards presented today during the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. The awards recognize individuals and groups for their dedication and contribution to the success of PSN, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is making our prosecutions more targeted and more effective - and that makes the American people safer," said Acting Attorney General Whitaker. “Today the Department recognizes 16 examples of those who go above and beyond the call of duty in using PSN to reduce violent crime. We had a lot of impressive nominees, but even with tough competition, these 16 stood out. I want to thank each one of them for their service and congratulate them on a job well done."
The Justice Education Center, Inc., based in West Hartford, received a PSN award for Innovative Prevention/Reentry Strategy. This award is given to those who have made an impact to reduce offenses, prevent crime by mitigating risk, and prevent recidivism on the part of those reintegrating into society.
Specifically noted during today’s ceremony, the Justice Education Center and the Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office developed the Career Pathways Technology Collaborative, a program designed to provide skilled vocational, credentialed training to at-risk youth, 16 to 24 years of age. Career Pathways enables young people to acquire credits toward their high school diploma or GED, obtain entry or competitive level employment, or seek further technology certifications through union or community college programs. This collaborative is deeply community-based, as the Justice Education Center has developed partnerships with local boards of education, community colleges, workforce development boards, and unions. Of the 133 youths enrolled in the program since 2015, more than 70 percent received credit towards graduation. The success of the partnership between the Justice Education Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut has fostered the development of new investments in education, risk reduction and career readiness - with PSN funds serving as critical leverage for additional state, municipal and foundation support.
“The Justice Education Center is dedicated to finding creative ways to prevent crime, improve public safety and strengthen our communities in Connecticut," said U.S. Attorney Durham." “For more than a decade, the Justice Education Center and U.S. Attorney’s Office have collaborated closely on initiatives to reduce violent crime and curb juvenile crime. I congratulate the Justice Education Center - under the dedicated, tireless and enthusiastic leadership of its executive director Sherry Haller - for this well-deserved national recognition."
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
