Brooklyn Justice Initiatives

Recess

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives seeks to improve how the centralized criminal court in Brooklyn responds to misdemeanor and felony cases.

Operating out of Brooklyn Criminal Court on Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Justice Initiatives is staffed by a team of social workers, case managers, and court liaisons. By providing meaningful early diversion, pretrial supervised release, and post-conviction sentencing options, Brooklyn Justice Initiatives seeks to use an arrest as a window of opportunity to change the direction of an individual’s life and avoid unnecessary incarceration.

More About the Program →

Connect with Us

See Location →

Highlights

  • Brooklyn Young Adult Court

    The Brooklyn Young Adult Court seeks to provide meaningful alternatives to conventional prosecution for young people, ages 18 to 24, charged with misdemeanors.

  • Supervised Release Program

    The Supervised Release Program reduces the number of people held in jail simply because they cannot afford bail.

  • Driver Accountability Program

    The Driver Accountability Program is an innovative response to driving-related offenses that seeks to improve traffic safety and increase accountability among dangerous drivers. 

Photo Gallery

Tyler Morse, Office Manager, greeting a client

Office manager Tyler Morse greets a client.

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives at the 2019 National Night Out.

The team participates in the 2019 National Night Out to promote police-community partnerships and neighborhood unity.

Publications & Digital Media

  • Video

    Community Justice Is... Connecting over Coffee

    At the “Coffee Corner,” a partnership between our Brooklyn Justice Initiatives team and Fountain House, participants in New York City’s Supervised Release Program can stop by for a friendly conversation and free coffee, tea, or soda. There are no strings attached—just a human exchange over a refreshing drink. This is Community Justice. Read more about this important work.

    Rethinking Incarceration, Community Justice

  • Publication

    Community Justice Today: Values, Guiding Principles, and Models

    The idea of community justice encompasses a diverse and growing range of evidence-based initiatives which seek to reduce crime by strengthening communities and redressing longstanding inequities. In recognition of the ways in which the approach has evolved over the years, this publication presents a new set of guiding principles of community justice and offers inventive models for putting them into practice, both inside and outside of the courtroom.

    Community Justice
See All Publications and Digital Media →

News

View Archive →

Looking to Implement a Program in Your Neighborhood?

Find out more about how we can help you.
Contact Our Experts →

Partners

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives is a unique collaboration involving the New York State Court System, the Mayor’s Office of the Criminal Justice Coordinator, Kings County District Attorney’s Office, Brooklyn Defenders, Legal Aid Society, Criminal Justice Agency, Robin Hood Foundation, the Probitas Foundation, and the Center for Justice Innovation.

Related Areas of Focus

We rely on the generosity of supporters to do the work we do.

Donate →