May 23, 2025 – Springfield, Massachusetts – The Hampden District Attorney’s Office is proud to announce the graduation of two participants from its Emerging Adult Court of Hope (EACH) court, a program established to provide young adults aged 18-24 with an opportunity to break free from the cycles of adversity and incarceration.

Hendrick Allende, 23, of Springfield, and Steven Woodward, 20, formerly of Springfield, successfully completed the program this month. Their achievement reflects years of hard work, commitment to personal growth, and dedication to making positive changes in their lives and communities.

“We are incredibly proud of these graduates,” said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. “The EACH program is designed to meet young people where they are and support them with the tools, mentorship, and structure they need to thrive. Hendrick and Steven have taken that opportunity and made something of it, and we are honored to celebrate their success.”

The EACH program provides justice-involved young adults with counseling, education support, job training resources, and mentoring. The goal is to reduce recidivism and offer meaningful alternatives to incarceration, all while building stronger, safer communities.  The EACH program now has nine successful graduates, 12 current participants, and 14 pending applications.

Currently, Woodward is working in Florida as a landscaper, and through the EACH program, he passed his HiSET Exam, a high school equivalency diploma.

Allende has been working consistently at Heniff Transportation Systems and is working toward getting his commercial driver’s license.

The ceremony was attended by local leaders, family members, and members of the judiciary who have supported the program’s mission since its inception. Among them was the Honorable Judge Kevin Maltby, who presides over the EACH program and has seen firsthand the impact the program can have on a young person’s trajectory.

“We are talking about generational change,” Judge Maltby said to attendees.

As part of the ceremony, both graduates reflected on their personal journey and the role the EACH program played in helping them move forward. With courage and honesty, they shared how the support, structure, and second chances they received made a lasting difference in their lives.

“If you really want it, you can achieve it,” Allende said to his family, friends, and most importantly other EACH graduate-hopefuls in the room.

Woodward added, “What you value, put it first.” He explained that the EACH court team helped him redirect his focus. “They helped me see what I value more in life. I put my family first. I’m with my nieces and nephews, taking them to water parks, being the fun uncle. Work on what you value, man. What you want, you can achieve it.”

This graduation marks not just the end of a program cycle, but the beginning of new opportunities for three promising young people who will be entering the program, including the first young woman. The Hampden District Attorney’s Office remains committed to supporting their continued success, and the success of future participants, as part of its broader mission of prevention, intervention, and community healing.