FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez Announces Opening of
The Kenneth P. Thompson Boutique Located At
The DA’s Re-Entry Bureau in Partnership with 100 Suits for 100 Men
To Provide Men and Women Involved with the Criminal Justice System
With Clothing for Job Interviews and Employment, At No Cost
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with Kevin Livingston, founder and president of 100 Suits for 100 Men, and Mrs. Lu-Shawn Thompson, widow of the late DA Ken Thompson, today announced the grand opening of the Kenneth P. Thompson boutique located in the District Attorney’s Re-Entry Bureau in Downtown Brooklyn. The boutique 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.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “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. 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.
“The late District Attorney Ken Thompson firmly believed in fairness and second chances and this boutique named in his honor will continue that legacy. I’m proud to partner with Kevin Livingston and 100 Suits for 100 Men in this important endeavor.”
Mr. Livingston said, “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. 100 Suits works with men and women who have justice involvement and having a location inside Brooklyn’s Re-Entry Bureau will greatly improve access to the services we provide.”
Mrs. Thompson said, “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 boutique 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.
This partnership reflects DA Gonzalez’s 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. 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. ComAlert (Community and Law Enforcement Resources Together) serves a similar number of clients and is growing. The Gender-responsive Re-entry Assistance and Support Program (GRASP) serves younger people, primarily women.
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.
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