Engaging Communities News Archive

Our new illustrated guide walks New Yorkers living in public housing through what they need to stay safely, affordably housed.

The Inside Literary Prize, the first U.S. book award to be judged entirely by incarcerated people, will soon make its debut onto the national stage after months of reading and discussion by participants. “To choose an award is important for saying you’re part of the community, part of society. So much about being incarcerated says you’re not,” says Reginald Dwayne Betts, founder of Freedom Reads, which is supporting the award alongside the Center for Justice Innovation, the National Book Foundation, and bookstore owner Lori Feathers. In this issue of Poets&Writers, Betts and others expand on the humanizing impact of this literary experience on people serving time in prison.

With support from Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon and NYC Council Member Kamillah Hanks, the Center announced several new youth programs coming to its Staten Island Justice Center. Ranging from restorative justice to placekeeping to entrepreneurship programming, these initiatives will create lasting safety by investing in young people’s passions and neighborhoods. “In addition to directly engaging more community members, this project will pave the way for enhanced collaboration with other community organizations,” said Sonila Kada, the director of Staten Island Justice Center.

On a busy street just off Fordham Road in the Bronx sits the most visited library in all of New York City, the Bronx Library Center. Here residents, artists, social service providers, and our own Bronx Community Solutions team gathered to celebrate Juneteenth with art, performance, and a resource fair.

In Vital City’s special issue on New York City’s jails, Chidinma Ume, Senior Director of Community Justice at the Center, joins IntegrAssure’s Erin Pilnyak to share what it was like to be part of a citywide effort to reduce unnecessary case delays that leave people languishing in jail. Their conversation sheds light on how collaboration, data, and what Ume calls “a combination of patience and urgency” can help us safely reduce jail populations and ensure all people are treated with dignity as they navigate the legal system.

Residents of New York City’s public housing system are routinely forced to live without kitchen gas, electricity, and heat, sometimes for days or weeks on end. With support from the Red Hook Community Justice Center, some tenants of Brooklyn’s Red Hook Houses are seeking compensation—and a new bill sponsored by Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes proposes to reduce tenant rent during utility outages.

Our Neighbors in Action program received Brooklyn Org’s prestigious annual Spark Prize, which recognizes five nonprofits each year working to build racial and social justice in Brooklyn. The five winners of the award were honored at this year’s Spark Breakfast at the Brooklyn Museum. “We want to make Brooklyn a beacon for the world,” said Brooklyn Org president and CEO Dr. Jocelynne Rainey. “Not just in style, but in equity and justice.”

Strong communities are safe communities. What would change if all of our policies—inside and outside of the legal system—reflected that basic truth?

Read stories of justice, new perspectives, and bold ideas to share with your family and friends this holiday season.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy of service, the Staten Island Justice Center hosted a community event centered around improving the quality of life for residents. This fun, impactful day included giveaways, activities, plenty of food, and partner organizations joining to share community enrichment resources, such as assistance with SNAP applications, legal and business services, career building support, and more.