The Center for Justice Innovation—and our operating programs—are regularly featured in the media. Here is a sampling of the press coverage of our work.
Community members and local leaders gathered to celebrate breaking new ground on the first-ever dog park set to be built on a NYCHA campus. More than 800 residents of the Castle Hill Houses in the Bronx voted on the investment, which will include the dog park, a new barbecue area, and increased access to green space for the development. The project is led by Green Space Connections, a collaboration between NYCHA residents, our Neighborhood Safety Initiatives team, the Public Housing Community Fund, and Design Trust for Public Space. It is expected to be completed in Spring 2025. "What really draws me to this project is the resident engagement that brought it, the fact that we are really listening to our residents and producing something that you chose for yourself," NYCHA's Eva Trimble told Bronx Times.
The Women's Justice Commission, chaired by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, is a new nationwide initiative that will bring awareness to the unique issues women face in the criminal justice system. Formed by the Council on Criminal Justice, the Commission brings together a group of dedicated leaders from different sectors, including our Executive Director Courtney Bryan, to identify evidence-based solutions. In the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, read about the Commission's visit to our Brownsville Community Justice Center, where they learned about our team's efforts to prevent harm and bring support to women and families impacted by the justice system.
The Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice and Institute for State and Local Governance at the City University of New York have announced a $16.5M investment in restorative justice programs throughout the city, with $6.5M going to community-based programs including our Midtown Community Justice Center. Restorative justice responds to harm by facilitating dialogue between the people involved, fostering understanding and healing instead of punishment. Our Midtown Community Justice Center will use the investment to expand its new Youth PACT (Positively Advancing in Community Together) program, which offers teenagers arrested for weapons possession a supportive pathway out of the legal system.
Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon joined New York Chief Judge Rowan Wilson and other elected officials to lead a tour of what will become Staten Island’s first-ever community justice center. Housed in a former courthouse, the Staten Island Community Justice Center will build on the Center for Justice Innovation’s existing programming in Staten Island to provide critical resources and off-ramps from the criminal justice system for residents, thanks to a $5 million investment announced by Mayor Eric Adams and Council Member Kamillah Hanks. “Quite simply, the arrival of a Staten Island Community Justice Center would transform public safety and justice in our borough,” said District Attorney McMahon.
Staten Island will receive its first-ever community justice center on the grounds of a former courthouse thanks to a $5 million investment in the city budget. The Staten Island Community Justice Center will be a hub for mental health support, career services, and youth programming in the borough. In this round-up of New York news, Crain's highlights this crucial investment in community-based alternatives to criminal justice involvement, which will help expand the Center’s programming in Staten Island.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Council Member Kamillah Hanks, and Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon have announced a $5 million investment toward building the first Staten Island Community Justice Center. With a focus on youth and mental health programming, the Community Justice Center will bring much-needed resources to residents while working “upstream” to reduce involvement in the criminal justice system. The investment is a crucial step toward bringing what Mayor Adams calls a “proven model that has already succeeded in achieving lasting success under the leadership of our partners at the Center for Justice Innovation” to Staten Island.
Our Legal Hand program hosted a resume workshop in the Bronx to help residents craft strong resumes and boost their career skills. Topics included how to structure and format a resume, write compelling bullet points, tailor resumes to job descriptions, and succeed in interviews. The "Elevate Your Resume" workshop was led by Rachelle Brown, who specializes in workshop development, and gave residents the opportunity to ask questions and offer feedback.
Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has been appointed to chair the Women’s Justice Commision by the Council on Criminal Justice. The commission, which aims to address the unique challenges women face in the criminal justice system, marked its launch in July with a visit to our Brownsville Community Justice Center. Lynch and 15 other leaders serving on the commission toured the Justice Center and heard a presentation on our Brooklyn programs, which align with their commitment to reducing the flow of women into the justice system in the wake of rising incarceration rates.
Brownsville, Brooklyn, gained 19 young mental health advocates thanks to the B-Well program, a collaboration between the Brownsville Community Justice Center, Transformation Counseling Services, and Pitkin Ave BID. A cohort of young adults aged 16 to 24 gathered each week to learn how to care for themselves, their mental health, and the broader community in an initiative funded through participatory budgeting. “We would love to have this program again to continue to raise awareness and create a large network of mental health advocates throughout the community,” said Mallory Thatch, senior program manager at Brownsville Community Justice Center.
Our RISE team joined residents, New York City Council Member Farah Louis, and other community organizations like Sports United to rally for a violence-free summer with a basketball tournament and youth resource fair in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The event, in recognition of Gun Violence Awareness Month, brought the community together for a day of fun, performance, and urgent calls for an end to gun violence from respected leaders in the community.
