2023 marks the 30th anniversary of our Midtown Community Court, which started as an experiment in a new, more human approach to justice. Today, that approach hasn’t just survived: it has even outgrown the walls of the courthouse.
The Human Cost: Five Podcast Episodes on Rikers Island
With the launch of the Lippman Commission 2.0, New York City has taken a decisive step towards closing Rikers Island. Much is at stake, first and foremost the lives of the people detained in the jail complex. In these five episodes of our New Thinking podcast, we take a closer look at the human cost of Rikers through the testimony of advocates, researchers, and—most importantly—those who have experienced the harms of Rikers Island firsthand.
From Pilot to Paradigm Shift: The Story of Project Reset
From a small pilot program to a citywide model for reform, Project Reset’s growth stands as a powerful example of how modest experiments can turn into lasting changes.
A Supreme Court Decision Keeps Children in Their Communities
Native children navigating the child welfare system are uniquely vulnerable. Read about the recent Supreme Court decision that protects their right to stay connected to their families and communities—and the smaller, no less inspiring efforts to support them on the ground.
Inclusive, Community-Led Research: What Is Participatory Action Research?
Too often, research in the justice field is divorced from the real experiences and needs of the people being studied. Participatory action research flips the script, giving communities the chance to tell their own stories—and to change them.
Mental Health and Criminal Justice in Brooklyn: In Conversation with Judge Matthew J. D’Emic
For over 20 years, the Brooklyn Mental Health Court has been working to keep people with severe mental illnesses out of jail and in treatment. Hear from Judge Matthew J. D'Emic, who has presided over the court since its inception, on the importance of this work.
“People, Not Charges”: Combating Racial Disparities through Early Diversion
As Los Angeles County has recently shown, decreasing incarceration overall doesn't necessarily reduce racial disparities in the criminal legal system. Early diversion programs can make a much-needed difference.
For someone faced with an arrest, prosecutors are arguably the most powerful figures in the legal system. Can this power be leveraged to reduce, rather than expand, the harms of incarceration?
The 2022 Community Justice International Summit provided perspectives from judges, prosecutors, defenders, social workers, treatment specialists, community members and others on collaborative strategies to address issues such as opioid abuse, inequities in justice system responses, and centering the voices of those with lived experience in the justice system.
