A Tribute to Nwachi Hartley, 1986 - 2008

From Jennifer Saladis, Program Manager of the ACE Program
Nwachi O. Hartley was born on September 12, 1986. A quiet and simple spirit, he was dedicated to helping his family and achieving his goals. He attended New Dorp High School, but decided he would work towards achieving his GED instead.

He came to the ACE program in October of 2006, motivated and ready to earn his GED. He was reserved and a loner, but completed his work and developed a strong relationship with his teacher, Professor Huntley James and the ACE Program Staff.

Although sometimes distracted by his game-boy or his music in class, he always did what he needed, and made tremendous strides toward his personal and educational success.

He was a hard worker and enjoyed working with his hands. He held various jobs in construction and maintenance and was happy getting dirty and using his strength. He was even more pleased to earn extra money to help out his family, especially his mom, Joanne.

One of Nwachi’s passions however, and the thing that kept him focused, was boxing. As a member of the Park Hill Boxing Program, Nwachi (nicknamed Speedy) trained for the Golden Gloves and was highly successful in his matches. He helped the club by recruiting young men from the neighborhood and encouraging them to use their fighting skills in the ring and not on the street.

Nwachi put all of his talents and skills to work and was able to earn his GED. In the midst of his preparation, he was received the “Outstanding Student Award” from the Continuing Education Program at the College of Staten Island. Professor James recognized his ability to multi-task, get things done and motivation to succeed.

He was an inspiration to his classmates and a proven example that setting your sites on the prize and working hard will get you that trophy.

After obtaining his GED, Nwachi continued to work with the ACE Program looking for jobs, applying to training programs and traveling down the path to improve his life. Always with a desire to succeed and respect in his heart, Nwachi’s participation in the ACE Program was as beneficial to him as it was to the program staff. He helped us to be on top of our game, learn new ways to deal with our students, and revel in the fact that all things are possible.

Late in January 2008, at only 20 years old, Nwachi was taken from us. He passed away from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

The shock and sadness of this tragic loss is still being felt within the ACE Program and the Parkhill Community. The impact he has had on his family, the community and this program will be felt for a long time.

He is an inspiration to all our participants and has exemplified the characteristics we expect from all of our participants. New York Center, The ACE Program and the College of Staten Island are all so honored to have been able to work with Nwachi, get to know his wonderful character and play a part in helping him achieving his goals.

Our deepest condolences and sympathies are extended to his family, friends and all who loved him.

The Public Wants Youthful Offenders Rehabilitated

During the 1990s state legislatures across the country enacted statutes under which growing numbers of youths can be prosecuted in criminal courts and sentenced to prison.

Polling data released by the Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP) show that more than 70 percent of the general public agree that incarcerating youthful offenders without rehabilitation is the same as giving up on them. The Center also reported that nine out of 10 people surveyed believe that “almost all youth who commit crimes have the potential to change.”

Separate research conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice (ADJJ) found that when given the choice, the public is more willing to pay for juvenile rehabilitation than incarceration.

• Eight in 10 favor reallocating state government funds from incarceration to programs that provide help and skills to enable youth to become productive citizens (CCLP poll).
• More than eight in 10 said that providing community-based programs and services – including education, job skills, mentoring, mental health treatment, counseling, and community service – is an effective way to rehabilitate youth (CCLP poll).
• Those surveyed were more willing to pay additional taxes for rehabilitation than they are for incarceration (ADJJ research).
• The average amount in additional annual taxes that respondents are willing to pay for rehabilitation is almost 20% greater than it is for incarceration (ADJJ research).

These new findings indicate a far greater desire for rehabilitation and more moderate reforms than our legislators currently believe.

Lend your voice to the need to change focus. Talk to your elected representatives.

Additional information about the studies is available on www.macfound.org.

Photo by Millzero Photography

Staten Island Advance Article:Transfer school, designed to cut dropout rate, proposed- SILive.com

The Advance published this article Sunday, February 17th, 2008. We think they missed the point.

From our perspective, the point is that although our proposal has been given the go-ahead, we have to open in Carnarsie instead of Staten Island. The reason given -- no space. But insiders know that's not accurate.

Tell us what you think. Comment below.

Transfer school, designed to cut dropout rate, proposed- SILive.com: "STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island high school students at risk of dropping out could get a second chance at a proposed school that would make graduation a likelihood instead of a longshot.

It might even be their very last chance, according to officials at the New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID) in St. George, which has partnered with New Visions for Public Schools, to open a transfer school here by September 2008 or 2009...."

"This is a quality proposal and we did want to open a transfer school on Staten Island, but we had difficulty in siting the school," she said. "That's not to say we don't want to bring a transfer school to Staten Island but it takes a long time for new buildings to come up and we didn't have any usable space for this purpose in existing DOE buildings."

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