News

The Akron Municipal Court was the recipient of the Junior League of Akron’s January donation drive. The Junior League of Akron collected travel-sized bottles of hand sanitizer and winter accessories for participants enrolled in the Court’s specialized dockets and programs.

Twenty-eight pounds of items were collected including more than 100 hand sanitizer bottles and a plethora of winter gloves and hats.

Specialized dockets as a whole are courts that are dedicated to specific types of offenses or offenders and use a combination of different techniques for holding offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior. These are sometimes called problem-solving courts. The Akron Municipal Court is home to six specialized dockets: Recovery Court led by Judge Jon Oldham, Active Recovery Creates Hope (ARCH) Court led by Judge Nicole Walker, Valor Court led by Judge Jerry Larson, Mental Health Court led by Judge Annalisa S. Williams, Family Intervention Court led by Judge Ron Cable and Restore Individual Self-Empowerment (RISE) led by Judge Ron Cable. Judge Annalisa S. Williams and Judge David Hamilton also lead programs for underserved members of our community: Peace of Mind and Compassion, Opportunity, Mentoring, Purpose, Assistance, Survival, Stepping forward (COMPASS) respectively.

108 men and women are enrolled in these eight programming opportunities. The Akron Municipal Court began distributing these items immediately upon receipt.

“We are incredibly grateful for these items,” said Akron Municipal Court Chief of Probation Tony Ingram. “Many of those enrolled in our programming are indigent and in need of basic goods like hand sanitizer and cold weather gear. We appreciate the Junior League of Akron’s understanding of what we do, who we serve and the best way to make a positive impact for this population.”

The Junior League of Akron is proud of their members’ dedication and their commitment to the community.

“Our entire team loved the idea of providing these items to the Akron Municipal Court,” said Junior League of Akron Vice President for Community Impact Rachel Gilliams. “The Junior League is passionate about continuing our legacy of meaningful service to Summit County and delivering critical assistance to local people in need.”

Both organizations rely on partnerships with outside agencies to serve the community in the best way possible. The Akron Municipal Court has partnerships with agencies such as RAHAB Ministries, Oriana House, Inc., Victim Assistance Program and Community Support Services to best serve specialized docket and program participants. The Junior League has done past donation drives for various nonprofits including the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, ACCESS, Inc., Feeding Hope Food Pantry and Blessings in a Backpack.

Deputy Chief Service Bailiff David Soder and Probation Officer Michelle Smith hold a portion of the donations