Now in its second year, a local program designed to give high school students a glimpse into many aspects of America’s criminal justice system has now expanded to include participants from every school district in Texas County.
Started last year under the guidance of associate circuit judge Doug Gaston, the program was previously known as the “Justice Project” but now goes by the name “Constitution Project.” It allows students to interact with people who work in many different fields connected to the criminal justice system, including law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, medical technicians, and members of the media. Its instructional activities feature everything from informative lectures to enactments of mock crimes and trials.
The Justice Project’s inaugural session took place last spring and involved about 35 Houston High School students. For scheduling reasons, the project will now be an annual fall event, and this year involves about 120 students, including some from Cabool, Licking, Plato, and Summersville, as well as Houston.
Gaston said that plans for this year’s version of the project include spreading the program over most of a semester rather than a few weeks, and staging mock crimes and trials in at least three communities. Students from four districts gathered last Friday at the Texas County Justice Center in Houston for the kick-off of the second annual Constitution Project, and were treated to a two-hour program that included mock crimes, trials and other activities featuring acting and role playing by area law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, and other local citizens.