This year the City School District of Albany and Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon will partner on the return of Legal Lives, an initiative that introduces grade 5 students to the criminal justice system.
Legal Lives is led by 46 district attorney office staff members and students at , , and during social studies class.
"Legal Lives will build trust and establish pathways to justice in our community," said City School District of Albany Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter.
"Teaching our students about the law and civic responsibility now will also grow a new generation of judges, attorneys and police officers to serve, protect and advocate in Albany County."
Students will participate in skits and mock trials, taking on various roles to explore the judicial process concerning drug possession, shoplifting, harassment, assault, gun violence, drug possession and domestic violence.
“Our newly formed Restorative Justice Bureau is dedicated to diverting people away from the criminal justice system, so it just made sense to re-establish Legal Lives as a way to reach youth and educate them about the perils of crime,” DA Kindlon said.
“I think we can inspire kids by showing them that there’s an entire patchwork of professionals who are rooting for them to be successful members of society.”
Legal Lives was founded in 1990 by Charles J. Hynes, the District Attorney of Kings County, in response to the rising incidence of drug-related and bias-related crimes. Former Albany County District Attorney Sol Greenberg established an off-shoot of the program locally in the early 1990s, but the program fell dormant in recent years.
The 35-week-long program began in our buildings in October and will run through May.