Judge Matthew D’Emic beams with pride in his chambers, holding the Lifetime Achievement Award he earned for his transformative work at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice. Photo courtesy of the Center for Justice Innovation.
A beacon in the realm of mental health and criminal justice, Brooklyn Mental Health Court Justice Matthew D’Emic, has been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative.
The award pays tribute to his tireless work over the past two decades to improve outcomes for people grappling with behavioral health issues who are involved with the criminal justice system.
“It was a very pleasant surprise,” said Justice D’Emic, who serves as the administrative judge of the Kings County Supreme Court, Criminal Term. “And I’m happy to see that mental illness in criminal justice is in the forefront of this recognition.”
The Brooklyn Mental Health Court, under the guidance of Judge D’Emic, has been pivotal in keeping individuals suffering from severe mental illnesses out of jail and in treatment for over 20 years. As the first of its kind in New York State, the program’s success has ignited the development of special court programs for people with mental illness nationwide.
Judge D’Emic has been a fixture in the court since its establishment in 2002, spearheading the innovative approach of offering individuals with mental illnesses an alternative to jail by committing to treatment. Under his watch, more than 1,300 people have graduated from the program to date.
The judge illustrated the work of the court with compelling stories of the lives it has transformed, such as a college student diagnosed with schizophrenia after his arrest for robbery. The student successfully completed the court’s treatment program, avoided a lengthy prison sentence, and is now pursuing a master’s degree in graphic design, having stayed out of trouble for two decades.
Similarly, a…
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