‘WORLD AIDS DAY’ OBSERVED AT THE BRONX COUNTY HALL OF JUSTICE WITH PUBLIC DISPLAY OF THE VISUALLY STUNNING ‘AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT’
Eight sections of the massive ‘AIDS Memorial Quilt’ are on display today in the Bronx County Hall of Justice as part of the 20th anniversary observance of World AIDS Day. The Quilt, which was established in 1987 by the NAMES Project Foundation, consists of more than 47,000 individual panels, each of which commemorates the life of someone who has died of AIDS.
Today’s observance of World AIDS Day is being sponsored by the Office of the Bronx District Attorney in partnership with the Bronx Mental Health Court, EAC-TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities) and PROMESA.
District Attorney Johnson says: “The presence of this Memorial Quilt in so prominent a display in this modern court complex, serves as a reminder that the AIDS pandemic is still a very serious health issue and touches every aspect of our society. This Hall of Justice, which symbolizes an important resource in promoting public safety, sits in the middle of one of the most at risk communities where heightened awareness of HIV/AIDS is imperative in promoting public safety from a costly, debilitating and often deadly illness.”
The Bronx Mental Health Court diverts from jail to treatment, defendants who suffer from either a mental illness by itself, or mental illness combined with problems of drug and/or alcohol abuse or HIV /AIDS. Treatment is supervised by the court and made available to defendants in appropriate cases. Sentencing for these defendants is deferred while the court actively monitors their progress as they undergo treatment. Defendants, whose cases are referred to the Bronx Mental Health Court, receive comprehensive diagnosis, treatment and risk assessment evaluation from a clinical team that is an integral part of the Court.
The court was established in 2002 when the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the Bronx State Supreme Court and EAC Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities (TASC) created a formal partnership to establish the first such court in New York State. The court has been so successful that in 2006 the U.S. Justice Department designated the Bronx Mental Health Court as one of five national learning sites for other jurisdictions across the country seeking to establish mental health courts.
This year’s observance of World AIDS Day at the Bronx County Hall of Justice includes an opportunity for the public to get tested for the AIDS virus, obtain pre and post test counseling and receive information on how to prevent infection by the AIDS virus and other STD’s. These services are being provided by PROMESA, a not-for-profit service organization which operates programs for substance abuse and AIDS treatment and prevention. A mobile service van has been stationed outside of the Bronx County Hall of Justice all day to conduct testing and counsel individuals seeking information.
The stunning display of eight 12 x 12 foot sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt is visible to everyone who enters the Hall of Justice and hangs from the big circular ramp outside the reception area where prospective jurors report for duty. The Quilt, which was created by the Names Project Foundation in 1985, has evolved as a most powerful tool in the effort to educate against the lethal threat of AIDS, by revealing the humanity behind the statistics.
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