News

Akron Municipal Court Judge David Hamilton has launched a new court-sponsored program entitled Compassion, Opportunity, Mentoring, Purpose, Assistance, Survival, Stepping forward (COMPASS). The program formally began on November 2, 2020 and is exclusive to the Court’s jurisdiction.

COMPASS has been created for males aged from 18 to 26 who are high risk to reoffend and will provide an alternative to jail. The target demographic will have a traumatic family history (including family members who also have a criminal history), a history of dealing with trauma/mental illness, a housing issue such as homelessness, a lack of work/underemployment and a lengthy criminal record.

Community partners will be involved to grant resources that will promote responsibility with the goal of helping the men enrolled lead productive lives. Examples of these resources include trauma therapy, counseling, formal mentorship, financial literacy and vocational services.

COMPASS will meet bi-weekly on predetermined dates. The curriculum will include group discussions with videos and homework assignments using a variety of tools designed to show young men how to deal with trauma as well as how to get them prepared for life after probation. Discussion topics include depression, job retention, anger, anxiety and guilt.

“Creating a program like COMPASS has been my desire since joining the bench in 2019,” said Akron Municipal Court Judge David Hamilton. “I am confident the COMPASS team and I will make a tremendous impact as mentors. I take my role as a Judge very seriously and strive to be a good role model in everything I do. COMPASS is believed to be the first program of its kind in Ohio.”

The Akron Municipal Court Judges and Probation Department will refer viable candidates to COMPASS.

COMPASS Advisory Board members are:

• The Honorable David Hamilton, Judge, Akron Municipal Court
• Anthony Ingram, Chief of Probation, Akron Municipal Court
• Mychal Brown, Probation Officer, Akron Municipal Court
• Evaughn Cagel, President and CEO, Urban Ounce Of Prevention Behavioral Health Services
• Donald Christian, President, Akron-Urban Minority Alcoholism Drug Abuse Outreach Program, Inc.
• Jeffrey Dennis, Senior Pastor, Mount Calvary Baptist Church and CEO, Minority Behavioral Health Group
• Michael Hairston, Area Volunteer
• James Lawrence, President and CEO, Oriana House, Inc.
• Marquita Mitchell, Executive Director, Project Learn of Summit County
• David Nelson, Senior Pastor, New Hope Baptist Church and Executive Director, Progressive Alliance Community
• Vincent E. Peterson, Pastor, Providence Baptist Church
• Michael Randle, Vice President of Correctional Programs in Summit County, Oriana House, Inc.
• Bernard Rochford, Executive Vice President of Administrative Services and Business Relations, Oriana House, Inc.
• Jacqueline Silas-Butler, Executive Director, Project GRAD Akron
• Mayceo Smith II, Pastor, City of Joy Life Enrichment Center
• Marco Sommerville, Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Affairs and Senior Advisor to the Mayor, City of Akron
• Margo Sommerville, President of Akron City Council and Ward 3 Representative, City of Akron
• Vernon Sykes, Senator, Ohio State Senate District 28
• Joe Tucker, Executive Director, South Street Ministries
• Frank D. Williams, President of Fatherhood Initiative of Akron

For more information about COMPASS, please call Judge Hamilton’s courtroom directly at 330.375.2054.

Judge David Hamilton