55 minutes / Color
Release: 2004
Copyright: 2004
Each year, our nation's courts process over 11 million low-level crimes, many of which involve repeat offenders. In 2000, an experimental court opened its doors in Red Hook, Brooklyn-a neighborhood plagued by a cycle of unemployment, poverty and crime. This new court seeks to stop the cycle of crime, and heal the surrounding community. It is at the center of a legal revolution-the community justice movement.
Over the course of nearly two years, the filmmakers were granted unique access to film the daily activities of the Red Hook Community Justice Center, a pilot project in Brooklyn that houses a court and an array of social services. RED HOOK JUSTICE takes an in-depth look at the defendants and staff who are part of this experiment.
This is a court that wants to give offenders a second chance. Before resorting to jail, the Red Hook judge mandates extensive drug treatment, job training and community service. But it's no easy way out. The Justice Center has an unprecedented involvement in defendants' lives, and cases that would be closed quickly in traditional courts can extend over many months.
RED HOOK JUSTICE focuses on the dramatic stories of three Red Hook defendants and a handful of staffers at the Center. As the cases unfold, we see that the theories behind community justice and the reality of this new court are rarely in synch. The cameras capture intense vérité scenes of intake interviews in the Center's holding cells, arraignments and other court proceedings, heated staff interactions, community meetings, counseling sessions, and other day-to-day workings of the Justice Center.
"Remarkable! A beacon of hope for those of us who care about justice." —New York Sun
"Absolutely outstanding! [It] was able to capture the true essence of what makes a community court tick. One is able to become part of the process, go behind the scenes and get a real sense of the daily lives of all of all of those involved in the court. For anyone interested in learning more about the changing face of the America's courts, this documentary is a must-see!" —David Bookstaver, Communications Director, New York State Court System
"Very good! RED HOOK JUSTICE offers the promise of addressing complex problems in humane and practical ways. It's a story that needs to be heard in every community." —Marc Mauer, Assistant Director, The Sentencing Project
"Highly Recommended! This carefully pieced together program offers a clear explanation of how the Red Hook Community Justice Center works, as well as providing an inside study into actual cases which play out on the screen before us." —Educational Media Reviews Online
"If Steven Bochco is shopping around for new drama material now that "NYPD Blue" is gone, he should catch RED HOOK JUSTICE."—The New York Daily News
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