Harris County DA’S Office Launches A Teen Educational Initiative

Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson this week launched the inaugural Law and Order Program for teens at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center in downtown Houston.

"It's called law and order and we're going to do it quarterly with accredited high schools, about 100 kids. These are juniors and seniors from Eastwood Academy today," said Anderson. "And we're kind of presenting what our office does and how the criminal justice system works; hopefully to interest them in maybe careers with our office."

Eastwood Academy is a National Blue Ribbon school serving the at-risk children in neighborhoods to the east of downtown Houston.

Anderson, joined by several district attorneys throughout the daylong workshop, told the 75 students attending the program that her office serves every person within the county.

Diana Sisa, 18, a junior at Eastwood Academy, who one day hopes to work in cyber security for the CIA, said she felt lucky to be one of the students selected to attend the Law and Order Program.

Students learned about civil rights, forensics, gangs and the do's and don'ts of interacting with officers. Then they got to participate in a mock trial.

Anderson said she is planning other programs for citizens to learn more about her office and she hopes more high school students will apply to the DA's internship program.

Sisa admits that before attending the program, she wasn't familiar with District Attorney Anderson.

"Now that I've heard her speak, I'm more familiar with her," said Sisa. "She doesn't sound too bad."