Mrs. Thompson cuts the ribbon with Kevin Livingston (right)
and Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez. Brooklyn DA’s offi ce
Caribbean Life, September 13-19 2019 11
By Nelson A. King
Looking to give a new lease
on life to formerly incarcerated
individuals, Brooklyn District
Attorney Eric Gonzalez opened
on Sept. 10 a new boutique
named for his late predecessor.
Gonzalez, together with
Kevin Livingston — the founder
and president of 100 Suits
for 100 Men — and Mrs. Lu-
Shawn Thompson — the widow
of the late District Attorney Ken
Thompson, Gonzalez’s immediate
predecessor — on Tuesday
announced the grand opening
of the Kenneth P. Thompson
Boutique.
The boutique, located in the
District Attorney’s Re-Entry
Bureau in Downtown Brooklyn,
will offer professional attire,
free of charge, to assist men
and women recently released
from prison or involved with
the criminal justice system
as they search for and secure
employment.
“In Brooklyn, we are committed
to strengthening community
trust in the criminal
justice system and our commitment
to justice does not
end when a person is released
from prison,” Gonzalez said.
“It is our obligation to aid
their reintegration into the
community.
“This boutique is a great tool
to help ex-offenders increase
their self-esteem and get on
the right path with access to
professional work attire as they
prepare for job interviews and
seek to obtain employment,”
he added. “The late District
Attorney Ken Thompson firmly
believed in fairness and second
chances and this boutique
named in his honor will continue
that legacy.”
Livingston echoed those sentiments
in praising the new
boutique as another way to provide
the recently released with
a fresh start.
“We are proud to continue
the legacy of service that was
a cornerstone of Brooklyn DA
Ken Thompson’s administration
and forms the basis of our
own mission,” Livingston said.
Lu-Shawn Thompson added,
“My husband would be so proud
to have his name associated
with 100 Suits for 100 Men and
would have been an avid supporter
of Kevin Livingston and
his amazing work. He would
also have been pleased that Eric
Gonzalez and the Brooklyn DA’s
office are continuing to keep
his legacy alive by continuing
to make strides in criminal justice
reform.”
The Kenneth P. Thompson
Boutique will provide clothing
for job interviews and employment,
as well as personal
empowerment support for individuals
who have been incarcerated
or otherwise involved with
the criminal justice system.
The outfit will be operated
by the not-for-profit organization
100 Suits for 100 Men, and
will provide its services free of
charge, primarily to individuals
enrolled in the District Attorney’s
re-entry programs.
Gonzalez said this partnership
reflects his commitment
to strengthen his office’s work
in re-entry programs.
The Re-Entry Bureau currently
includes three case management
based programs serving
individuals who have been
convicted of offenses and may
have experienced incarceration
or another form of removal
from the community.
Gonzalez said the Kings
County Re-Entry Task Force
is a partnership with the New
York State Division of Criminal
Justice Services and the
New York State Department of
Corrections and Community
Supervision (Brooklyn Region)
that serves 300 individuals.
The district attorney noted
that 100 Suits for 100 Men has
operated programs throughout
New York City and has sites in
Harlem and Jamaica, Queens.
This is its first permanent location
in Brooklyn, and the first
time it has partnered with a
DA’s office to establish a permanent
location.
New boutique at DA’s office
named for Ken Thompson
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