As a former prosecutor, as a private attorney, and now as a City Court judge, Van Henri White has been, as he says, “hanging out at the courthouse for decades now.”
He saw the courthouse through a similar prism as most — where justice and accountability are expected to be hallmarks — but also began to wonder if there were other accompanying possibilities. “It’s a place of accountability, no doubt about it, and that is a priority of ours,” he said. “It should also be a place of opportunity.”
From that belief blossomed an initiative that turns the lobby of the courthouse into a location for job and college recruiters. The court has now hosted the event twice, and expects more events this year and into the future.
“I thought, ‘Why don’t we use this space for crime prevention, like job fairs?’ ” White said.
He approached state Supreme Court Justice William Taylor, who is the administrative judge for courts in the region, and Taylor signed onto the proposal, which took on the name the Career and College Fair.
Court can be a “crisis for many” but the “Career and College Fair casts the Hall of Justice as a place of opportunity for people to grow and do better,” said Taylor, who commended White for the plan.
Last year was the second year of the program and Taylor said he expects it to grow.
Career and college fair
A total of 25 vendors were in attendance for the fair to offer employment opportunities and training programs. Some of those vendors included Rochester Works, Pathstone, TogetherNow and Monroe Community College.
Many who come into the Hall of Justice, the county’s courthouse, leave the same day. They may be there for family members, or facing minor charges, or as witnesses or victims. The fair allows them to search for job and educational opportunities if they’d like to do so.
“The message we wanted to send to people is, ‘You’re worthy,'” White said.
As well, the City School District brought seniors to the event to also learn about job possibilities in the courthouse and local justice system.
Shawn Futch, adult workforce development coordinator, said approximately 100 young adults walked through the fair last year and received information on upward mobility opportunities and where to seek help removing barriers to employment and education.
“We also had 40 high school students get the opportunity to gather information, visit the Hall of Justice, speak with judges, learn about HOJ employment opportunities, and more,” Futch said.
Plans for the next fair are being discussed, but according to Futch there will likely be an increase in collaboration of vendors, employers, and higher education facilities.