Photo of the Week

Antonia Vann of The Asha Project, left, Umi Hankins of the National Institute on Transformation and Healing in the Black Community, and the Rev. Dr. Cheryl Dudley of the American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York participate in a Project SAFE roundtable, "Addressing the Needs of Criminalized Black Women Survivors" at Duane Morris, LLP. Project SAFE is a collaborative effort of the Center for Court Innovation, Black Women’s Blueprint, and the National Black Women’s Justice Institute.

Former New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman speaks at a press conference announcing a deal between New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio, left, and the City Council to replace the notorious Rikers Island jail complex with modern community-based facilities. Building the facilities, near the borough courthouses they serve, was a central recommendation of the blue-ribbon reform commission chaired by Judge Lippman whose work we helped coordinate. The agreement ensures a single public review of four identified sites, one in each borough with the exception of Staten Island. The city's 10-year timeline for closure remains unchanged. (Photo courtesy NYC Mayor's Office.)

Maria Almonte, the director of our Bronx Community Solutions, speaks at a news conference introducing the new opioid treatment court in the Bronx. A first in New York City, the initiative offers treatment and services in lieu of a guilty plea and incarceration for defendants judged to be at risk of an overdose. In 2016, 308 people died from drug overdoses in the Bronx, the most of any New York City borough. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, to the right of the podium, Executive Assistant D.A. Odalys Alonso, and Criminal Court Supervising Judge George A. Grasso are helping to lead the effort. After two months of operation, 52 defendants have been placed in treatment overseen by Bronx Community Solutions. (Photo: Bronx D.A.'s Office)

A new cohort is inducted into Staten Island's youth court at a recent ceremony at the Staten Island Justice Center. As with all of our youth programs, youth court engages the voices of young people to improve justice for all. We operate five youth courts in the New York City-area, with a sixth slated for the Bronx. The courts take a restorative approach to misbehavior, and train young people to adjudicate real-life cases involving their peers. Photo credit: Michael Falco

Staff and community partners of the Restorative Justice Community Court on Chicago's west side debrief in a circle meeting after a day of hearings. A member of our Community Court Grant Program, the new court serves young adults between the ages of 18 and 26. It is testing the relationship between the formal justice system and community-based restorative justice practices, including sentencing circles to repair harm.

Our Red Hook Community Justice Center marches in southwest Brooklyn on Martin Luther King Day to honor Dr. King's legacy and to highlight ongoing struggles for equality and civil rights. Save Our Streets, our community violence prevention program, also held a day of service, preparing school supplies and winter clothes for children in shelters. You can also read the reflections of our director, Greg Berman, on King's extraordinary deeds and "a dream as yet unfulfilled," and learn more about our work to address racial disparities in the justice system.

Our Restorative Justice in Schools team gives the audience a taste of one of its ice-breaker exercises at a recent meeting at the Center. We've implemented school-wide restorative justice programs in five high schools in Brooklyn, N.Y. Our researchers are evaluating the programs' effectiveness at reducing disparities in punishment by race and disability. One of the staff explained, "For some of these kids, our discussion circles are the only chance they get to really talk." Photo credit: Samiha A. Meah

John Bryant, with the tech lab at our Brownsville Community Justice Center, speaks at a recent NYC Media Lab panel on how virtual reality technology is changing our experience of urban environments. John was explaining the Justice Center’s work developing innovative technology to solve community problems and create new opportunities for youth-led community development.

A graduate of our Parent Support Program in Brooklyn addresses the crowd after receiving his diploma. In partnership with Brooklyn Family Court and the Office of Child Support Enforcement, the program helps non-custodial parents find work, increase their support payments, and engage with their children. The graduate was praised for his determination to support his child and for keeping the court informed of his progress. Photo credit: Samiha A. Meah

In a new TED Talk, 'How Judges Can Show Respect,' Judge Victoria Pratt draws on her experience at our Newark Community Solutions to explain the promise and principles of procedural justice, and how recognizing the humanity of every defendant can transform lives, and the practice of justice.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams gets an introduction to a new augmented reality app created by a team of young coders at our Brownsville Community Justice Center. The app offers users a chance to reimagine under-utilized spaces in the community.

To mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month, staff of our Red Hook Community Justice Center were joined by police officers, community members, and youth program participants in a peace walk. The event was organized by Red Hook CARES, the Justice Center’s victim services program providing counseling and restorative services to individuals who have witnessed or been the victim of violence.