Members of the Peaceful Coalition at Durfee High School attended a special presentation by Lisa Thurau-Gray, Esq., of the Juvenile Justice Center at Suffolk University Law School in Boston, in the school library on December 7, 2007. The session was designed to teach young people how to negotiate the juvenile justice system, especially young men of color who are more frequently subject to questioning by police. Ms. Thurau-Gray began by making it clear that youth under the age of 17 are considered juveniles and are treated differently by the criminal justice system. She went on to point out that while juvenile crime has declined 34% in the past few years, media coverage of juvenile crime has increased by 475% in the same period, creating the impression among the public that youth are dangerous. Ms. Thurau-Gray went on to illustrate through several skits how to act during a police encounter to minimize the risk of an unnecessary arrest. For more information about the Peaceful Coalition, contact Paul Leite at B.M.C. Durfee High School at 508-675-8100. Click here for more information about the Juvenile Defender Clinic.
 

(Top row, left) Peaceful coalition members Vyrack Chhem, Delano Ellis, Alex Pena, Keith Omosefunmi (hidden), Max Pierre-Paul and Robert Moeuy listen to the presentation. (Top row, center and right) Lisa Thurau-Gray, Esq., of the Juvenile Justice Center challenges Coalition members to answer questions about juvenile law while faculty advisors Paul Leite and Tom Khoury stand in the background. (Middle row) Gary Mewborn, Keith Omosefunmi and Ricky Landais meet with Ms. Thurau-Gray to plan their skit about an encounter with the police played by Gary and Ricky. (Bottom row, center) Elson DePina role-plays another encounter with police while Nate Reid, Michael Rivera, and Gary Mewborn listen. (Bottom row, right) Coalition members Dennis Hoeung, Pierre Sophy, Michael Nhem, and Jimmy Ling applaud the presentation.