Westchester Youth Shelter Will Lead New Emerging Adult Court

MOUNT VERNON, NY — A clearer picture of plans for Mount Vernon’s new court for young adult criminal defendants is starting to develop.

The city announced on Tuesday that the Youth Shelter Program of Westchester (YSOW) will be the lead agency in the new partnership between the 9th Judicial District and Mount Vernon City Court. The Emerging Adult Justice Part of the Mount Vernon City Court is a newly created initiative with the idea of reaching young people in the justice system who are too old to qualify for resources and diversion programs dedicated to juvenile offenders.

The stated mission of the so-called “Emerging Adult Court” is to resolve criminal cases through alternatives to conventional prosecution, sentencing and incarceration. Young people between the ages of 18-25 will be eligible for the new program.

YSOW will be tasked with coordinating services and managing cases of those referred to the new program. The youth shelter’s Executive Director Joanne Dunn said the objective will be to connect the young adults with the services, resources, and opportunities they need.

“What we know here at the shelter is that young people are far better than the worst thing that they've done,” Dunn said. “We focus on their dreams, their aspirations, and their ambitions to become successful members of their communities. And after 40 years of successfully providing meaningful opportunities for young people to turn their life around, I am grateful to the City of Mount Vernon to allow us to take the lead here.”

Dunn said the Emerging Adult Court will employ a collaborative effort, including both public and private stakeholders with the goal of putting those in the new program on the path of success and self-autonomy in becoming productive members of society. She notes that this is something that the YSOW has been lobbying and advocating in favor of for years.

The launch of The Emerging Adult Justice Part of the Mount Vernon City Court will be marked June 17, at noon on the steps of city hall. The public is welcome to attend the ceremony for the new court that many in the community believe was a long time in coming.