Colleen Smith - Center for Justice Innovation

Colleen joined Newark Community Solutions, the Center’s community justice initiative in New Jersey, as the Clinical Coordinator in 2014. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Director of New Jersey Programs at the Center for Justice Innovation, she now oversees Newark Community Solutions and supports the Center’s work throughout the state of New Jersey. Colleen possesses over a decade of experience working with people involved in the legal system in both community and custodial settings. In addition to her work at the Center, Colleen works in higher education and is an alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Clinical Scholars program, a national leadership program that helps interdisciplinary teams of clinicians build a culture of health in their communities.

Colleen holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree from McGill University.

Colleen's Updates

Starting Off Strong: Centering Parent-Child Relationships in Family Court

Family courts have an important role to play in breaking cycles of trauma. The Strong Starts Court Initiative shows how.

Reframe, Redesign, Reinvest: Building Housing Justice After Redlining

An interactive exhibit called “Undesign the Redline” walks participants through the history of systemic racism that has shaped America’s housing landscape while inviting us to imagine our role in designing a better future.

The Women of Rikers

The routine violence and inhumane conditions that have become synonymous with the jails on Rikers Island are well documented but to get a full picture of the harms we must also look at the impact on women and families.

Governor Hochul Announces $33 Million Investment in Mental Health Support for People in the Legal System

The investment will support more programs like the Midtown Community Justice Center, which fosters lasting safety by linking people in the legal system to services and care in their communities.