Think of probation as an enormous testing period: will you be able to adhere to the thicket of conditions governing your daily life? Fail at any of them and you could be sent to prison. At the heart of this testing ethos is drug testing, affecting almost all of the 2.9 million people on probation in the U.S. The tests are time-consuming, expensive, and traumatic. There is also little evidence justifying their use.
Traditional responses to driving offenses often fail to address the underlying issues that lead to unsafe driving while exacerbating racial and economic disparities. This evaluation of the Driver Accountability Program (DAP)—an alternative sentencing program for people arraigned on driving-related charges—builds upon a 2022 participant-focused evaluation of the program, finding that DAP has both improved street safety and cut back on the harms of the criminal legal system.
The Center for Justice Innovation is driven by a singular idea: local communities are critical to transforming justice. We believe the only way to create safe, flourishing neighborhoods is with a full-spectrum approach we call Community Justice, one that runs from communities to systems and back again. This guide outlines five key actions to drive community-led, evidence-based change in communities of all shapes and sizes.
Despite the devastating impact intimate partner violence has on communities, responses to people who cause harm have evolved little over the past few decades. This article, originally published in Families in Society, outlines New York City’s comprehensive approach to engaging people who cause harm in intimate relationships, featuring real examples from our court- and community-based programs.
New York City courts have been applying some of the principles of harm reduction to increase access to substance use treatment. But how much can they incorporate an approach which views individual wellness and avoiding coercion as axiomatic? NYC RxStat, an interdisciplinary group of public health and safety experts, partnered with us to facilitate an event on this question and more. This report documents the day's major themes.
This module in the CCAT Training Series explores the nuance to collecting and using criminal justice data in a way that acknowledges past system harms towards marginalized groups and that strives for equity and transparency in the present and future.
At the Center for Justice Innovation, Community Justice is at the heart of everything we do—and we believe it’s the foundation of strong, healthy communities. In this animated video, you'll see how with our innovative programs, field-leading research, and decades of experience, the Center for Justice Innovation is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between our communities and the systems that serve them. Together, we plant the seeds that grow Community Justice.
The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice in partnership with communities, courts, and the people most impacted. We have worked for nearly 30 years to build safe, thriving communities by creating and operating innovative programs, conducting field-leading research, and sharing what we learn with justice systems and communities across the country.
At its most basic level, a domestic violence court is a dedicated docket that schedules all domestic-violence-related cases involving intimate partners on the same days and times. In doing so, courts recognize that domestic violence cases involving intimate partners are high-risk and present unique safety concerns. Hearing these cases at the same time allows courts to efficiently dedicate staff and resources to ensure better and safer outcomes.
A brief, moving excerpt from the recent award ceremony at the New York Public Library announcing the inaugural winner of the Inside Literary Prize, the first major U.S. book award to be judged exclusively by people who are incarcerated.
Hear from Freedom Reads founder and CEO Reginald Dwayne Betts, and from this year’s winner…
