Jersey City Live Wire

09/18/2026

Working with the Superior Court of New Jersey - Hudson Vicinage, the Hudson County Public Defender, and the private defense bar, the office of Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello has established the newly created Mental Health Diversion Program (MHDP). The initiative aims to redirect certain offenders toward community-based treatment options and away from incarceration.
Participation is voluntary and candidates charged with eligible offenses must apply through the HCPO, which will review the application with direct assistance from mental health professionals. If accepted, the applicant will receive mental health counseling, referrals to appropriate mental health professionals and facilities, and other customized treatment designed to deter future criminal activity.
Said Prosecutor Mello, “Promoting public safety is at the forefront of what we do at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and we cannot fully deter crime if we are not addressing the very issues that lead an individual to offend, The Mental Health Diversion Program is a new opportunity to connect individuals with treatment and other community-based resources that aim to reduce recidivism. This will be an invaluable program for Hudson County, and I appreciate our partners who have helped make this possible.”
Director of the Office of Alternative and Community Responses Tiffany Wilson, lauded the program’s fruition saying, “The Office of Alternative and Community Responses is honored to work with prosecutors around the state to find clinically focused alternatives to incarceration, when appropriate, for individuals whose crimes were committed as a result of a mental illness. Mental health diversion programs play a significant role in public safety, reducing recidivism, and leading to safer communities.”
Funding for the program comes from the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and will support evaluations by licensed mental health professionals, individual treatment plans, and various services offered through the County of Hudson.
“In New Jersey, we are taking innovative steps to build safer communities. Hudson County’s
commendable efforts are changing lives,” said Attorney General Jennifer Davenport. “The New
Jersey Office of the Attorney General is proud to support Prosecutor-led Diversion Programs
across the state as we recognize that treatment often leads to better long-term health and safety
outcomes for individuals and communities.”
Honorable David Katz, Assignment Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Hudson Vicinage, also commended the effort, adding that, “Through this partnership, we can establish earlier interventions so that individuals with mental health issues are connected with the help and services they need to reduce the potential for future involvement in the justice system,”
More information and applications for the program can be found at: https://hcpo.org/mental-health-diversion-program

09/14/2026

Hip-Hop Icon and Newark City Councilman Dupre 'Do It All' Kelly (Lords of the Underground) has co-authored a children's book with educator and producer Khairi Williams entitled "You Can Do It All". They'll be bringing their inspiration to the Jersey City Free Public Library's Communipaw Branch on Saturday, September 26th, to teach kids about the power of perseverance.
Boom Shocka Locka!
The library's branch website: https://jclibrary.org/branch/communipaw/

09/10/2026

From our friends at Flaster Greenberg PC: Who Invited the AI Notetaker? Managing the Unseen Guest in Your Zoom and Teams Meetings
AI notetakers have become the persistent and sometimes uninvited guest in Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings. They can capture, transcribe, summarize, and organize conversations with remarkable convenience, but they can also transform informal discussions into lasting, searchable records.

Join moderator William Burnett, Ethics Counsel at Flaster Greenberg, and speakers Peter Wakiyama, Practice Lead of the AI, Privacy and Cybersecurity Group, and John Koch, General Counsel, for a practical discussion of how organizations should handle this increasingly common technology.
The panel will explore the practical, strategic, litigation, technology, privacy, and ethical implications of AI notetakers. Topics will include federal and state consent requirements; attorney-client privilege; trade secrets, health information, and other sensitive data; ownership, storage, and security of cloud-based notes; document retention and production; and the potential use of AI-generated transcripts and summaries in disputes or litigation. Our speakers will also consider what happens when a summary is incomplete, inaccurate, or preserves information that participants never intended to create as a written record.
Against that backdrop, the panel will offer practical guidance on how businesses and professional firms can respond when an AI notetaker shows up, including how to evaluate these tools, determine when they should or should not be used, and establish appropriate safeguards, review processes, retention practices, and policies governing adoption, access, ownership, and use of meeting data.
The webinar is designed for business professionals, in-house counsel, attorneys, and business owners, and will conclude with a live Q&A.
Speakers:
William J. Burnett, Shareholder, Ethics Counsel, Flaster Greenberg PC
Peter T. Wakiyama, Shareholder, Practice Lead | AI, Privacy and Cybersecurity Group, Flaster Greenberg PC
John G. Koch, Shareholder, General Counsel, Practice Lead | Environmental and Energy Practice Groups, Flaster Greenberg PC
Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
(A Zoom link will be emailed to you the day before the webinar.)
Registration: https://www.flastergreenberg.com/eventsrsvp-who-invited-ai-notetaker.html

AI notetakers have become a common, and sometimes uninvited, guest in Zoom and Microsoft Teams meetings. While they offer convenience by capturing and summarizing conversations, they can also create lasting, searchable records of discussions that were never intended to be documented. Join William Burnett, John Koch, and Peter Wakiyama for a practical discussion of the legal, privacy, ethical, technology, and litigation implications of AI notetakers. Who owns it? Who can access it? Can it be subpoenaed? And what happens if the AI gets it wrong. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/4p867esw

09/10/2026

09/09/2026

Application deadline September 22nd.

Interested in a career protecting New Jersey? NJOHSP is seeking a Counter-Threat Watch Specialist to join our Mission Support Bureau and support our work to prevent and disrupt threats.

Applications close September 22. Learn more and apply: https://www.njohsp.gov/careers/26-16-S

09/03/2026

Our search for Riverkeeper's Major Gifts Officer (MGO) is still open! The MGO will be a frontline fundraiser, primarily responsible for the cultivation, stewardship and solicitation of Riverkeeper’s major donors.

The MGO will develop and implement strategies for identifying, researching, and cultivating donor prospects through one-on-one meetings, small group events, and Riverkeeper’s annual gala. They will build authentic, long-term relationships to connect a donor's philanthropic passions with organizational priorities.

Learn more and apply: https://ow.ly/S28e50ZIsLi

09/03/2026

September is here and the kids are heading Back to School. Take it slow in and around school zones. Please make this school year a safe one for all!

09/03/2026

Starting up again in 2 weeks on Friday, the 18th, for kids aged 6 up to teenagers.

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Friday Night Lights Has Been A Safe Haven Open To The Community, Children And Families For The Past 4 Years From 5pm-8pm. The Night Consist Of Food, Fun, And Games. A Safe Place To Be On A Friday Night. We'll Be Starting Back On September 18th So Mark Your Calenders. You Can Drop Them Off Or You Can Stay And Play Along. See You There💙💫

09/02/2026

An extraordinary collection developed over the course of 23 years. This exhibit, curated by librarian Patricia Vega, closes next Friday, the 11th, at the main library branch downtown.