Based on more than 300 in-depth interviews with adults involved in New York City’s multifaceted sex trade, this study describes a murky and mutable continuum between involvement in the trade due to force and choice. It also examines a unique criminal justice response: New York City's Human Trafficking Intervention Courts, developed to mitigate some of the harm trafficking victims experience in the criminal justice system.
This publication documents how New York City’s domestic violence cases are handled at each stage of the criminal justice process, from pretrial to sentencing, and seeks to answer a series of questions specific to the unique legal, social, and personal issues raised by such cases.
In 2010, the National Institute of Justice funded the Center for Court Innovation and partners to complete an evaluation of eight reentry courts across the country created by the federal government's 2007 Second Chance Act. This page brings together the series of reports presenting the results of an impact evaluation, a cost-effectiveness study, and a multi-year process evaluation.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys alike believe in the benefits of social service mandates for young people charged with misdemeanor offenses but differ over the usefulness of jail sentences, according to a survey and interviews of legal practitioners across three New York City boroughs. Those findings are contained in a report setting out current justice system practices for handling misdemeanor offenses committed by young people (ages 16-24) in New York City.
This report highlights key lessons learned in implementing the Second Chance Act Adult Reentry Courts, created by the federal government in 2007. The report presents final implementation findings based on three years of process evaluation site visits funded by the National Institute of Justice and is the last in a series of three process evaluation reports.
This study of seven Second Chance Act Adult Reentry Courts across the U.S. found the courts differ in their respective approaches and, as a result, in their effectiveness at addressing the needs of formerly incarcerated individuals and reducing future criminal behavior. Key features of the most successful site are also highlighted.
A brief assessment tool designed for high-volume criminal justice environments is a strong predictor of recidivism as administered to pretrial defendants in New York City, according to this comprehensive validation study. Unlike many such tools, the Criminal Court Assessment Tool, developed by the Center for Court Innovation, identifies a defendant's risk of re-offending and also ascertains the needs potentially fueling criminal behavior, facilitating referrals to effective interventions.
Services for people who cause harm are a crucial part of our work to support survivors, foster healthful relationships and communities, and end violence. This blueprint is the product of a year-long process led by Purvi Shah, independent consultant to NYC’s Blueprint for Abusive Partner Intervention and hosted by the Center for Court Innovation.
This study examines 16 programs seeking to divert cases out of the criminal justice system finding significant reductions in the probability of a conviction, jail sentence, and future re-arrest, along with sizable savings in costs and resources.
