Newark Community Solutions

Newark Community Solutions

Newark Community Solutions improves public safety in Newark, NJ, through alternative sentencing programs in the Newark Municipal Court, youth-based services, housing justice initiatives, and other  trauma-informed, community-centered programs.

Newark Community Solutions seeks to re-engineer how justice is achieved in Newark, New Jersey, and the surrounding Essex County area. Headquartered in the Newark Municipal Courthouse, Newark Community Solutions is a team of social workers and criminal justice professionals who work to improve the quality of life in the communities they serve in partnership with the Newark Municipal Court, the Essex Vicinage, University Hospital, and numerous community-based service organizations. The diverse range of services offered through Newark Community Solutions all share the core goal of treating people with dignity and respect and improving relationships across systems and communities.

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Connect with Us

973.733.5180

31 Green Street
Newark, NJ 07102
United States

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Highlights

  • Youth Impact

    Youth can be transformative leaders, addressing inequity in their communities and the factors that lead to youth involvement in the criminal legal system.  

Our Impact

  • 10K+ individuals provided alternatives to fines, fees, and jailtime

  • $500K direct financial assistance distributed to 95 households to prevent eviction

  • 75% of Newark community members surveyed report holding positive views of alternative sentences for low-level offenses

Yaniris Gomez
“It’s extremely gratifying to work for an organization that uses creative solutions to address modern issues in criminal justice reform.”
Yaniris Gomez Associate Director of Community Justice Programs

Photo Gallery

Theo Dieujuste, Efren Mercado, and Jelani Reid table at and event
Community Outreach

Legal Navigator, Theo Dieujuste and Outreach Specialists, Efren Mercado and Jelani Reid attend local community events to offer legal and resource navigation services to Essex County, New Jersey residents.

Ella Yenigun and Lorenzo Nash pose for a picture in Center hoodies
Empowering Young People

Senior Social Worker, Ella Yenigun and Senior Case Manager, LorenzoNash assist young people who have experienced victimization or exposure to violence address legal + social service needs.

Youth Impact participant in green short reads from an agenda in a courtroom
Youth Impact Now in Session!

Newark's Youth Court trains young people to adjudicate real-life cases involving their peers while taking a restorative approach to misbehavior.

Clinical Coordinator Liseberde Colon-Blacknall poses for picture with a Center partner
Bringing Court to the Community

Clinical Coordinator, Liseberde Colon-Blacknall works in collaboration with the New Jersey Transit Police Department and Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey to help individuals with low-level offenses attend court, case management and receive a free meal.

Publications & Digital Media

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News

  • Why Eviction Prevention Is Vital For Justice

    As the nationwide shortage of stable, affordable housing has come into sharp relief, an important question is ringing out in cities and neighborhoods across the country: How can we help people stay in the homes they already have?

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Looking to Implement a Program in Your Neighborhood?

We work with communities across the country implement programs that reduce gun violence. Find out more about how we can help you.
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Partners

Newark Community Solutions is made possible through its relationships with government, community-based organizations, academic institutions, and philanthropic supporters. We are deeply grateful for current and past partnerships with the City of Newark, Newark Municipal Court, the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Rutgers University, the Institute for Social Justice, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, the Newark Public Library, Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey, Clinton Hill Community Action, the South Ward Special Improvement District, Further Justice, the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Related Areas of Focus

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

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