The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will offer Community Justice Academy throughout October in an effort to further educate and engage citizens in crime prevention strategies and the criminal justice process.
“Our Community Prosecution Division works with citizens at the neighborhood level to implement creative crime fighting strategies,” said Prosecutor Terry Curry, who will lead one of the first sessions. “The Community Justice Academy builds on this work by offering sessions that are tailored for areas of interest and specific community needs.”
The academy will start on Oct. 3 and will run on Monday evenings from 6 to 7 p.m. during the month. Two tracks will be offered to participants and will cover topics such as community prosecution, faith-based initiatives, domestic violence, and community policing. One session on gangs and domestic violence in the Latino community will be conducted entirely in Spanish by IMPD Detective Jose Torres and MCPO Latino Affairs Director Maria Wildridge. The academy will be housed at the Shortridge Magnet High School for Law & Public Policy and is sponsored by the prosecutor’s office, the Jake Laird Memorial Fund, Citizen’s Energy Group, Davis and Associates, Inc., Far Eastside Weed & Seed, Fervent Prayer Church Outreach, and the Professional Police Officer’s Credit Union.
Sessions and presenters are:
Track 1:
- Oct. 3: “Justice and Community Prosecution,” Prosecutor Terry Curry and Deputy Prosecutor Michelle Waymire.
- Oct. 10: “Faith and Justice in Our Communities,” Rev. James Jackson, Fervent Prayer Church.
- Oct. 17: “Juvenile Defendants and Consequences,” Deputy Prosecutor Peter Haughan.
- Oct. 24: “Small Claims Court and Your Rights,” Judge Garland Graves, Warren Township Small Claims Court.
Track 2:
- Oct. 3: “Mental Health and the Courtroom,” Judge Barbara Collins, Criminal Court 8.
- Oct. 10: “Policing Designed to Impact Communities,” IMPD Lt. Richard Snyder.
- Oct.17: “Gangs and Domestic Violence,” (conducted in Spanish), IMPD Detective Jose Torres and Latino Affairs Director Maria Wildridge, prosecutor’s office.
- Oct. 24: “Ending the Cycle of Domestic, Child and Elder Abuse,” Deputy Prosecutors Linda Major, Kim Rasheed and Julie Batt.
To learn more about the Community Justice Academy, or to register, contact Annie Kern at (31P7) 327-3642 or annie.kern@indygov.org.
