New York Legal Policy Team

The New York Legal Policy Team’s work has two primary functions: to develop and implement innovative operational and policy reforms to improve the fairness and efficacy of New York’s legal system through long-term projects in New York City and State, and to respond in real time to New York’s most pressing criminal justice policy questions as they emerge. Made up of clinicians, attorneys, and data scientists with extensive experience working within the criminal legal system, the New York Legal Policy Team takes an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates a broad range of perspectives to identify solutions that can work for all stakeholders. This team advises government officials, court practitioners, policy makers, law enforcement, and community-based organizations in order to build consensus on pragmatic policy reforms.

Meet the Team

Current Projects

Jail Population Review

In partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, and pursuant to Local Law 75 of 2023, the Center launched the NYC jail population review program to safely reduce the number of individuals awaiting trial on Rikers Island by reducing systemic inefficiency that leads to unnecessary delays in case resolution. As an alternative to incarceration, people are connected to appropriate community supports and supervision. This project began on October 1, 2023 and reinforces the Center’s long-standing commitment to the closure of Rikers Island.

Reducing Case Processing Times

The case processing project, in partnership with the New York Office of Court Administration and the New York Governor’s Office, aims to reduce case processing times in criminal courts across New York City. Through multiple convenings of NYC’s criminal justice system stakeholders, we have identified long-term solutions for case processing efficiency and are working with the Office of Court Administration to develop a comprehensive reform plan.

Data Tracking and Analysis

In 2023, the Center collaborated with the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and New York City Council to draft legislation mandating the creation of a jail population review program in New York City.

Learn more here: Local Law 75 of 2023.

Recent Work

Substance Use, Overdose Prevention, and the Courts: A Citywide Collaboration

On September 19, 2023, RxStat and the Center for Justice Innovation facilitated an all-day conference focused on the role of the courts as an intercept point in addressing substance use disorder and preventing fatal overdoses, with an emphasis on communication among stakeholders in the criminal justice system and across boroughs. A key theme of the event, Substance Use, Overdose Prevention, and the Courts: A Citywide Collaboration, was how harm reduction approaches are a means to reduce overdose deaths and problem substance use.