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| Jeffrey Seplowe, BCS Resource Coordinator, in the grey shirt |
As a Resource Coordinator I am usually stationed in courtrooms, providing alternative sanction recommendations to judges that include but are not limited to community service, social service groups and longer-term programs that divert participants from otherwise serving out their sentences at Rikers Island. I was invited to come help out the crew, and learn first-hand what it's like for our clients to participate in community service.
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| The site, before we began our work |
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| The corner of 151st Street and Cedar Avenue, Bronx |
I was paired with one of the Community Service Supervisors, Ramon Semorile. As we approached the site with graffiti as well as garbage I began to get a better understanding as to what the crew supervisors go through on a daily basis. We took out the paint, put on gloves and started getting to work alongside the participants whom had been mandated to perform community service. Halfway through the day, two women from the neighborhood passed by and thanked the whole group for our service and smiled as they continued walking down the block. That community presence added to the experience and had showed the participants that participating really does make a difference in the community. We as a staff know that their participation also upholds one of the many goals of Bronx Community Solutions - to demonstrate restorative justice to the community and to the courts. This experience greatly helped improve my overall knowledge of our community service program. It also gave me direct insight as to what not only community service crew supervisors handle on a daily basis but also what our participants go through when mandated to community service.
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| Participants and BCS staff working on repainting the wall |
Update:
A few days later, I stood on a case in court on behalf of a client who was one of the participants in the community service crew that I joined the week before. Back in my role as resource coordinator, I reported to the judge on his completion of his community service mandate, which helped him avoid a criminal record. This made the experience even more impactful and allowed me to see the process come full circle.
- Jeffrey Seplowe
Resource Coordinator, Bronx Community Solutions
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| The finished product! |
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