Treatment Courts

treatment court
By using a combination of community-based treatment and rigorous monitoring, treatment courts reduce recidivism and the use of incarceration.

We developed New York City’s first drug court, the Brooklyn Treatment Court, and New York’s first mental health court, the Brooklyn Mental Health Court. Today there are thousands of such treatment courts across the country.

Drug courts bring together judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, treatment providers, and court staff in a collaborative effort to address defendants’ substance use disorders. Due in part to a groundbreaking study by researchers from the Center for Justice Innovation, there is a broad consensus that drug courts reduce substance use and recidivism. In recognition of its work in this domain, the Center received the National Leadership Award from the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.

Mental health courts similarly link participants who would ordinarily be prison-bound to long-term community-based treatment. They rely on thorough mental health assessments, individualized treatment plans, and ongoing judicial monitoring to address both the mental health needs of offenders and the public safety concerns of communities.

Initiatives

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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.

  • People With Serious Mental Illness Need Housing, Not Jail

    March 12, 2024
    Vital City

    Who winds up on Rikers Island and why? What will it take to close the troubled jail complex? Those are some critical questions raised in Vital City’s special issue on New York City’s jails. In their contribution to the issue, our policy experts Daniel Ades and Virginia Barber Rioja make the case for investing in supportive housing, not jail, for people with serious mental illness—a desperately needed alternative that is cheaper, more humane, and safer for us all.

  • Gov. Hochul adds millions for mental health treatment services

    April 24, 2024
    NY1

    “We don’t want to see people locked up as the solution. We want them to get the help they need, get the stability, get the path toward a healthy life.” Governor Kathy Hochul visited our Midtown Community Justice Center to share exciting news of a $33 million investment into expanded mental health support for New Yorkers in the criminal legal system. On NY1, hear from the people working on the ground to link people who have been arrested to those life-changing services, including Mel Hodor from our Midtown Community Justice Center team.

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