By Candice Tolbert
SuperSeeds Executive Director
On October 11, 2023, U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker and U.S. District Chief Judge Algernon Marbley and the federal court personnel hosted Cincinnati non-profit SuperSeeds at the U.S. Potter Stewart Federal Courthouse in downtown Cincinnati.
The mission of SuperSeeds is to transform youth development and foster positive intervention in the region. It uses an innovative program that offers alternative resources for discipline, empowering schools and communities to cultivate change.
The goal of the meeting was to provide information to the young male participants regarding the Ohio Peace Council with so much more to offer in life. The meeting also reinforced that paths of positivity are always a better choice than roads that can lead to incarceration. The young men also received a tour of the courthouse and enjoyed an opportunity to meet with recently appointed U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey Hopkins.
U.S. Attorney Parker stated, “While these young men may find themselves at a crossroads in life today, wondering what the future holds, they should know that the community believes and sees so much more in each of them than a life of incarceration. Hopefully, one of them will grow up to be a U.S. Attorney or federal court judge. Regardless of the profession they choose, they stand to be great. Certainly, the potential lies inside of them.”
SuperSeeds Executive Director Candice Tolbert said such visits are vital in educating youth about criminal justice in a productive way.
“I appreciate the village that supports SuperSeeds,” said Tolbert. “In our Vision to disrupt the pipeline to prison, it is important to educate our youth about the pipeline. Not from a scared straight component, but in a way that exploits the various career opportunities in all areas of law enforcement. Educating youth on the various roles in law enforcement, allows youth to not only appreciate the work being done daily by our law enforcement officials but to understand how to govern themselves accordingly. This experience is life changing for these young people. I run into parents years later who tell me their son or daughter is still talking about their SuperSeeds experience. We need more of the community to invest in this proactive program to reach youth before entering the system instead of investing dollars after they get there. This is a Diversion Program with a mission to transform their thinking which in turn will change their behavior.”
Chief Judge Marbley remarked: “It was my distinct pleasure to come out and speak to this special group of young men at such a critical juncture in their lives. They were sharp, too – one even asked me how our perspectives might differ and how the message I was sharing with them might land, given the generational gap between us. The importance of this sort of diversionary work cannot be overstated, and I thank SuperSeeds for their impactful work and wish the very best to those young leaders.”