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 “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.
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…
Language is central to our experience, and should be an ongoing focus for anyone implementing new approaches in the criminal justice system. The way treatment court practitioners speak to and about court participants can impact their success. Research shows that language has the power to exacerbate or lessen stigma, change participants' perceptions of court and treatment, and even affect the quality of the treatment provided. Examining how team members speak to and about participants is a best practice for all treatment courts.
The Inside Literary Prize is the first major U.S. book award judged by people who are incarcerated, some of the most prolific readers in the country. Yet the walls we erect around incarcerated people also disappear them from conversations about culture, politics, history—conversations to which they can make vital contributions. On New Thinking, hear a behind-the-scenes portrait of a day of judging in Minnesota's Shakopee women's prison.
Public defense attorneys have a crucial role to play in addressing racial inequities in the justice system, while often feeling the effects of those inequities themselves. This report—based on a survey of 690 public defense attorneys from across the country—aims to inspire deeper reflection within public defense agencies by shedding light on how attorneys think about their role in combating racial injustice and the impact of their own identities on their work.
