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.
Most people who come to New York City housing court are low-income tenants facing eviction. With the largest public housing complex in Brooklyn falling in Red Hook Community Justice Center’s jurisdiction, one of its top priorities is to keep tenants in their homes. The court's model—addressing the root causes of what drives people to court and responding to local concerns, rather than simply enforcing the law—has proven its success and is an example of what justice could look like in housing courts throughout the city.
Most people who come to New York City housing court are low-income tenants facing eviction. With the largest public housing complex in Brooklyn falling in Red Hook Community Justice Center’s jurisdiction, one of its top priorities is to keep tenants in their homes. The court's model—addressing the root causes of what drives people to court and responding to local concerns, rather than simply enforcing the law—has proven its success and is an example of what justice could look like in housing courts throughout the city.
"For too long, we have relied upon law enforcement and jail to be our primary response to those in mental distress."
In this opinion piece, Courtney Bryan and Times Square Alliance president Tom Harris share better solutions for supporting people with mental health needs. When the legal system, law enforcement, and social service providers work together, we can address health, psychiatric, and housing needs on an individualized basis, and ensure safety for all New Yorkers.
Center executive director Courtney Bryan joined CBS News to talk about the growing backlog of court cases since the onset of COVID-19 is slowing the progress of hundreds of thousands of cases and people across the country.
"These are not just cases or case files. These are people. Most who are sitting in jails around the country haven't yet been convicted of a crime. Because of this crisis, [they’re waiting] for much longer than they were prior to COVID. And in New York City, that means folks are sitting in Rikers Island, a place renowned for violence and horrible conditions."
She also shared outcomes from a 2019 pilot program by the Center and New York Office of Court Administration that succeeded in reducing felony case backlogs in Brooklyn Superior Court.
Youth participants of our Brownsville Community Justice Center considered how physical spaces can foster healing from traumatic events. They envisioned shared public installations and helped create them to cultivate healing and comfort. These unique spaces designed for their community were highlighted in NYC Public Design Commission's "Streetscapes for Wellness" report! Take a look at these "healing spaces" (page 58).
In a groundbreaking study on gun possession among youth in New York City, the Center for Court Innovation found that young people's decisions to carry a firearm overwhelmingly stemmed from concerns for their physical safety. The report surveyed up to 330 young people, ages 16 to 24, who expressed fears of being harmed both by violent crime and by interactions with law enforcement. The researchers concluded that strategies to reduce gun violence at the community level must be informed by the perspectives of affected young people themselves.
Judge Alex Calabrese is stepping down from his 22-year tenure as Red Hook Community Justice Center's presiding judge. The nation's first multijurisdictional court in the country with criminal, family, and housing court cases all appearing before a single judge, this courtroom put people—and the community—at the center of justice. The model has now been replicated in jurisdictions across the country, and internationally, showing the effects of a holistic approach to justice. In this op-ed published by both City & State and NYN Media, Judge Calabrese reflects on 22 years of service, recalling times when the courtroom was turned into a crisis center to meet the needs of the moment, and all the ways in which the Justice Center improves lives in the Red Hook, Brooklyn community.
After presiding over the Red Hook Community Justice Center for 22 years, Judge Alex Calabrese celebrated his retirement from the courtroom on October 14. Judge Calabrese has been a "warm and upbeat presence in the courtroom" throughout his tenure, touching the lives of many Red Hook residents and serving as a model for justice reformers around the country. In celebration of Judge Calabrese's pioneering work with the Red Hook Community Justice Center, Mayor Eric Adams declared October 26, 2022 "The Honorable Judge Calabrese Day."
In Los Angeles County, home to the country's largest jail population, the city and local organizations are partnering to create more equity in the legal process by focusing on mental health. The Center is helping to implement the LA-based Rapid Diversion Program, which helps individuals with mental health diagnoses connect with case management, treatment, housing and job services, and cases are dismissed when a participant completes the program. "If we’re able to help one person and change their trajectory, it can have compounding impacts for their families and their communities,” Chidinma Ume, our interim director of policy, says. Brett Taylor, senior advisor of West Coast Initiatives is also quoted.
The Center's executive director, Courtney Bryan, was honored on this list of the public officials, philanthropic leaders, and nonprofit executives leading the sector in New York. Her profile highlights her role directing the Center's work with government and communities, providing alternatives to incarceration, strengthening communities through safety and economic opportunity, and conducting research and evaluations on these initiatives.
