Reducing Trauma

Studies show that many defendants, victims, and witnesses have histories of trauma; striving to reduce that trauma is central to our work.

Trauma-informed care—practices designed to identify and treat the symptoms of trauma—is critical to meeting the needs of those involved in the justice system. Recognizing this, the Center’s operating programs and national training and technical assistance are rooted in trauma-informed approaches. Specifically, we train staff working in courts on trauma and its impacts, design courtroom practices to create a sense of safety, and help communities to better understand the impacts of trauma and prevent future crime.

A number of our initiatives also focus on specific populations affected by trauma, including Make it Happen, which works with young men who have experienced violence; the Child Witness Support Program, which offers trauma-informed services to children and adolescents; and the Strong Starts Court Initiative, which supports Family-Court-involved infants and their families.

On 'New Thinking,' an audio portrait of our Make It Happen program.

Initiatives

Bronx Child Trauma Support

Bronx Child Trauma Support provides trauma-focused services to young people who have been exposed to violent crime.
Make It Happen

Make It Happen helps young men between the ages of 16 and 24 who have experienced violence acquire the tools necessary to overcome traumatic experiences.
Save Our Streets (S.O.S.)

Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) seeks to end gun violence at the neighborhood level by changing local norms.
Strong Starts Court Initiative

The Strong Starts Court Initiative is a Family-Court based, specialized, intergenerational collaborative approach to handling abuse and neglect cases involving children birth to three years of age.

Publications & Digital Media

Label:Publication

"Two Battlefields": Opps, Cops, and NYC Youth Gun Culture

by Elise White, Basaime Spate, Javonte Alexander, and Rachel Swaner

Our study of more than 100 young gun-carriers in Brooklyn identifies fear—for themselves and their loved ones—as the overwhelming factor behind the decision to carry. Under constant threat from other gun-carriers, as well as from police, and deprived of economic opportunities, participants describe a world with vanishingly few options. This report is part of a first-of-its-kind project using street participatory research to explore the socio-cultural roots of gun-carrying in U.S. cities.

Reducing Violence, Reducing Trauma, Addressing Racial Disparities, Youth Initiatives
Label:Publication

Plenty of Science, Not Enough Passion: Accelerating the Pace of Felony Decarceration

by Julian Adler and Joseph Barrett

Our knowledge about what works and what doesn’t in the field of justice reform has grown significantly in recent decades, but our willingness to pilot new initiatives has not kept pace. Through a focus on a pioneering New York City court, this article argues alternative-to-incarceration programs should follow the research and open participation to more charges, including violent ones, and seek to address a wider array of needs.

Reducing Trauma, Reducing Violence
Label:Publication

Fact Sheet: Bronx HOPE

Bronx Heroin Overdose Prevention and Education (HOPE), a new initiative of Bronx Community Solutions, addresses substance use issues with a harm-reduction model at the precinct level. By giving clients the option of accessing community services instead of appearing in court, Bronx HOPE gives Bronx residents the opportunity for rehabilitation and connection to community rather than jail or options that don’t address the underlying issues.

Reducing Trauma, Rethinking Incarceration

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News

Meeting the Needs of Veterans in the Justice System

By building effective, people-centered practices in veterans treatment courts across the country, we can strengthen networks of support for our veterans to keep them in their communities and connected to the services they need.
Healing Together from Domestic Violence

Healing and accountability took center stage at our RISE team's Domestic Violence Awareness Month rally and resource fair in Harlem.
Healing Haircuts: Reimagining Masculinity in the Barbershop

Barbershop talks hosted by our RISE team give men a chance to work through their feelings about relationships, self-love, and masculinity in a space they feel comfortable.

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Initiatives

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We work with reformers around the world.