The Dress for Success Program at the Juvenile Court in Markham

This is a redacted and edited version of a friend’s facebook post about the Juvenile Court at Markham’s Dress for Success program. Please support this worthwhile cause. As I state, I have seen this program in action and it works. See the posting below:

Dress for Success!

The Juvenile Court at the Markham Courthouse has a remarkable program entitled “Dress for Success” where the juveniles are required to dress appropriately for court – shirts, ties, belts and nice pants for boys and modest clothing for girls. The idea started with Judge Stuttley, who became fed up with the way the teens in his courtroom dressed. Shorts, jeans below the butt and outrageous t-shirts were the norm. Judge Stuttley understood that these young people came from families that struggled with the most basic of needs – which made dressing appropriately for court difficult. But he felt, quite rightly, that when a person respects the law, the court and ultimately themselves, everybody wins. It begins with dressing in a respectful way.

A few weeks ago, a friend who initially posted this information on her facebook page received a call from Judge Donna Cooper, the Juvenile Court judge who replaced the now-retired Judge Stuttley. With school quickly approaching, the program is very low on clothes. My friend has been recruiting people to donate clothing to this important program. I have seen it work first hand and it is a good one.

Please go through your family closets, find clothes that you are no longer using and donate them to the “Dress for Success” program. Boys clothes can include dress shirts, polos, all ties (yes, even those ones in the back of the closet), belts and pants (anything other than jeans). Girls clothes can include blouses, pants, skirts and dresses that are modest. Don’t worry about the sizes – everything is welcome.

Kathy Passifume of the Orland Township Youth Program has, for the second time, generously agreed to spearhead the clothing collection for the “Dress for Success”
program. They are having a clothing drop-off next Saturday, August 9, 2013 from 9:00 am until 1:00pm at the Township offices located at 14807 S. Ravinia, Orland Park, Illinois.

Lori G. Levin
Attorney at Law
180 N. LaSalle, Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60601
312-767-2356
[email protected]
www.lorilevinlaw.com

By lorilevin | Published August 5, 2013 | Posted in Juvenile Law | Leave a comment

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The Dress for Success Program at the Juvenile Court in Markham

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