NEIGHBORHOOD JUSTICE CENTER INC
500 LAUREL AVENUE, ST PAUL, MN 55102 www.njcinc.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF NJC IS TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE CRIMINAL DEFENSE AND CRIME PREVENTION SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME PERSONS, EMPHASIZING OUTREACH TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION & ADVICE: THE NEIGHBORHOOD JUSTICE CENTER PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO DISADVANTAGED AND UNDERSERVED PERSONS WHO FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES AND NEED EXTENDED LEGAL REPRESENTATION, BRIEF SERVICE AND/OR ADVICE ONLY TO OBTAIN THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME. THIS PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY SEEKS TO SERVE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND OTHER POPULATIONS WHO ARE TARGETED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND NOT ALWAYS TREATED EQUALLY UNDER THE LAW. MANY OF THE CLIENTS REPRESENTED ALSO FACE IMMIGRATION CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE DEFENDANTS INCREASINGLY ARE REFUGEES OR IMMIGRANTS WITH CHARGES AGAINST THEM THAT COULD RESULT IN DEPORTATION PROCEEDINGS. STAFF LOOK BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE LEGAL PROBLEMS TO SERVE THE WHOLE PERSON, HELPING TO ARRANGE SUCH SERVICES AS HOUSING ASSISTANCE, CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY AND/ OR MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT. BILINGUAL, BICULTURAL COMMUNITY ADVOCATES FILL PARALEGAL AND RESEARCH NEEDS, SERVE AS LIAISONS BETWEEN CLIENTS AND THE COURT SYSTEM, AND HELP EDUCATE CLIENTS TO AVOID FUTURE PROBLEMS. THIS PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES LEGAL DEFENSE SERVICE NJC PROVIDES THROUGH THE RAMSEY COUNTY TREATMENT COURTS. IN THE 2019-20 FISCAL YEAR NJC SERVED APPROXIMATELY 700 CLIENTS IN THIS PROGRAM, ON CASES RANGING FROM LOW LEVEL MISDEMEANORS TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL FELONIES. THIS NUMBER INCLUDES APPROXIMATELY 250 CLIENTS SERVED THROUGH OUR DEFENSE ROLE IN THE RAMSEY COUNTY TREATMENT COURTS. FURTHER, TO MEET OUR ONGOING GOAL OF SERVING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WHO ARE DISPROPORTIONALLY REPRESENTED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, NJC STATISTICS DEMONSTRATE THAT 74% OF NJC CLIENTS IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR WERE PEOPLE OF COLOR, WITH OUR CLIENT-IDENTIFIED STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN BEING 50% AFRICAN AMERICAN/ BLACK, 26% CAUCASIAN, 10% HISPANIC, 6% AMERICAN INDIAN, 2% EAST ASIAN, 2% EAST AFRICAN AND 4% THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS OTHER/ MIXED RACE. THESE STATISTICS ILLUSTRATE THAT NJC IS STILL TRUE TO OUR ORIGINAL MISSION OF SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND ARE REACHING OUT TO NEW COMMUNITIES TO ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS TO THE LAW FOR ALL, REGARDLESS OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S ABILITY TO PAY. IT IS PRUDENT TO NOTE THAT DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR COVID19 GREATLY IMPACTED THE COURTS AND OUR ABILITY TO LITIGATE CASES AND OPERATE NORMALLY. NJC REMAINED REMOTELY OPEN DURING THE PANDEMIC AND ACTIVELY SERVING THE PUBLIC.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH: OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM FOCUS ON SERVING LOW INCOME PERSONS, JUVENILES, REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS FROM VARIOUS CULTURES. THIS PROGRAM'S GOAL IS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE LAW BY CLARIFYING WHAT CONSTITUTES ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR, HOW TO AVOID CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, AND HOW TO EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY INTERACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHILE STILL RETAINING YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR JUVENILES FOCUSES ON HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE AVOID ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR AND ENCOURAGE PRODUCTIVE INTERACTIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. THIS COMMUNITY OUTREACH CAN TAKE MANY FORMS FROM LARGE PRESENTATIONS TO SMALL DISCUSSION GROUPS. WE PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS, SHELTERS, NON-PROFITS AND OTHER HUMAN SERVICE PROGRAMS TO HELP LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS GAIN ACCESS TO VITAL LEGAL INFORMATION. IN THE 2019-20 FISCAL YEAR NJC REACHED APPROXIMATELY 500 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS.

EXPUNGEMENTS: NJC OFFERS CRIMINAL EXPUNGEMENT SERVICES TO ASSIST THOSE WHO HAVE CRIMES OR ARRESTS IN THEIR PAST AND ARE NOW FACING ONGOING REPERCUSSIONS OF THIS RECORD. NJC BELIEVES THAT OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM RELIES ON THE FACT THAT PEOPLE CAN BE REHABILITATED, AND THOSE WHO HAVE SHOWN A COMMITMENT TO CHANGE DESERVE TO HAVE THEIR RECORDS EXPUNGED AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE ON FROM PAST MISTAKES. EXPUNGEMENTS BENEFIT BOTH THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY NEEDS REFORMED PEOPLE BACK IN THE WORK FORCE AND USING THEIR TALENTS TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY. IN TURN, THE INDIVIDUAL CAN BETTER PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY, THUS BRINGING STABILITY TO THEIR COMMUNITY. NJC PROVIDES FULL SERVICE EXPUNGEMENT REPRESENTATION, FROM THE INITIAL CONSULTATION THROUGH ALL STAGES OF LITIGATION. IN THE 2019-20 FISCAL YEAR NJC PROVIDED COMMUNITY MEMBERS LEGAL ASSISTANCE ON APPROXIMATELY 59 EXPUNGEMENT PETITIONS, AND OF THOSE CLIENTS WHO RECEIVED FINAL DECISIONS ON THEIR EXPUNGEMENTS 100% OF THESE INDIVIDUALS HAD THEIR RECORDS EXPUNGED AS REQUESTED.

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