Red Hook in Recovery

Mixed news to report from my trip to Red Hook today.  As previously reported, the Justice Center is in pretty bad shape.  The basement floor, which contains our computer lab, youth programs, holding cells, storage area, and court officer space will have to be almost completely re-built -- the water came to about chest level, destroying all files, furniture, and computers.

The neighborhood also seemed in a fragile state.  There is still no power, the weather is getting colder, and frustration is rising among both residents and business owners.  In the absence of hard news about when the electricity would go back on, how food would be disbursed, and what monies would be available to support restoration, rumors were swirling through the community.

On the positive side, we had a crew of a couple dozen Center for Court Innovation staffers in Red Hook to help out with recovery efforts.  When the National Guard arrived with food, our team was on hand to distribute supplies to those in need in public housing.  They will be at it again tomorrow morning.

Here are a couple more photos from my walk through the neighborhood.