New Justice Center in Wilmington aimed at 'fighting crime by building community'

Molly Wilhelm, Wilmington StarNews
·2 min read

A new Community Justice Center is expected to open in downtown Wilmington this summer.

"Simply put, we will be fighting crime by building community," District Attorney Ben David said in a news release. The Community Justice Center will be housed within the existing Harrelson Center, located across the street from the New Hanover County courthouse.

As a nonprofit corporation, the Harrelson Center currently houses about 20 nonprofits in the building on North Fourth Street and works closely with another 20 nonprofits located outside of this location.

The Harrelson Center currently "works with its partners to meet the needs of the community in areas such as safe and affordable housing, education, employment, healthcare and family support," according to their webpage. A full list of partners working alongside the Center can be found on their website.

Members of the media and others had the opportunity to tour the future Community Justice Center at the Harrelson Center, Thursday Jan. 4, 2024, in downtown Wilmington.
Members of the media and others had the opportunity to tour the future Community Justice Center at the Harrelson Center, Thursday Jan. 4, 2024, in downtown Wilmington.

The building's Vicki Dull Annex recently underwent construction, transitioning what had previously been the New Hanover County jail into over 13,000 square feet of office space, according to the release.

"Our combination of available space, ideal location and community partners already on site, make the Harrelson Center a perfect location for this integrated center to support public health and safety,” said Harrelson Center Executive Director Meade Van Pelt.

The fourth floor of this annex will address intimate partner violence, family violence and sexual assault cases. Youth violence cases will be addressed on the fifth floor.

The launch of the center was supported by a "strategic grant funded through the New Hanover County Endowment," according to the release.

Combined grants, issued to the District Attorney's Office and the Harrelson Center, totaled over $5 million. This money will support the Justice Center's first three years of operations.

The Harrelson Center’s Executive Director Meade Horton Van Pelt talks about the future Community Justice Center.
The Harrelson Center’s Executive Director Meade Horton Van Pelt talks about the future Community Justice Center.

More: How 19 New Hanover Community Endowment grants totaling $53 million will be spent

More: How millions awarded to Wilmington groups will address healthcare workforce challenges

The center was founded on the family justice center "evidence-based model," which the Family Justice Center Alliance webpage says has documented and published positive outcomes such as reduced homicides, increased victim safety, increased prosecution of offenders, and more.

Expected benefits of the Justice Center detailed by the press release include:

  • Convening a multi-disciplinary team of top professionals.

  • Providing a single-point access to services for victims and families that operates 24/7 365 days a year.

  • Embracing the police/prosecutor team approach for solving, proving and preventing crime.

  • Supporting victims as they work toward safety, stability, and self-sufficiency.

  • Providing mental health services and rehabilitation to reduce recidivism.

  • Improving community safety and ending the generational cycle of violence through early intervention, education, and prevention.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Community Justice Center opening in Wilmington at Harrelson Center