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Two municipal court judges are teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to work alongside the defendants enrolled in their HOPE Courts. They will help build a home for a local family who otherwise could not afford one. The event will take place from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 7, at 2325 Comstock, located at the southwest corner of Carey and Comstock.
Judge Cedric Kerns from Las Vegas Municipal Court and Judge Sean Hoeffgen of North Las Vegas Municipal Court each preside over a specialty court program called HOPE Court, which is aimed at rehabilitating the chronic inebriate.
“Working for the Habitat for Humanity project will give HOPE Court defendants the opportunity to give back to the community as part of their court-ordered program and experience the satisfaction of doing for others,” Judge Kerns said.
The mission of the HOPE (Habitual Offender Prevention and Education) Court program is to assist habitual offenders by providing alternatives to incarceration that will maximize program involvement and ultimately lead to long-term sobriety and self sufficiency. The program focuses on habitual offenders with issues related to homelessness, misdemeanor criminal activity and substance abuse addictions.
Las Vegas Municipal Court introduced its HOPE Court in March of 2005, focusing on a small group of 25 defendants who had been arrested 8,114 times in Las Vegas collectively. Since the inception there have been 23 graduates from the HOPE Court program. This group’s arrest rate has significantly dropped to an average of only three arrests, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, since they graduated from HOPE Court. Currently, there are 32 active defendants in good standing.
This is accomplished by bringing together a multidisciplinary team to support the defendants’ rehabilitation process. For example, Las Vegas Municipal Court’s team, under the direction of Judge Kerns, includes members of that court’s Alternative Sentencing and Education Division, community substance abuse treatment providers, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, transitional living centers and the city of Las Vegas Department of Neighborhood Services Educational and Vocational Opportunities Leading to Valuable Experience (EVOLVE) program.
North Las Vegas began the HOPE Program in July 2006 and since that time, six people have successfully graduated from the program.
"We feel this program has been a success here in North Las Vegas,” Judge Hoeffgen said.
Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas was established in 1991, and has completed 62 homes. Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas is a not-for-profit organization that builds decent, affordable housing with the help of volunteer labor and donated time and materials and funds. Each home is sold at no profit and with a no-interest mortgage to local working families who otherwise might be forced to live in substandard housing. These families contribute "sweat equity" by helping in the construction of their own homes.
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