This video introduces Street Action Network! Co-Directors Basaime Spate and Javonte Alexander share their cutting-edge approach to address gun violence in the communities that face the highest rates of gun violence. Led by a team with lived experience and high social capital in the streets, Street Action Network will build on the research approach from a groundbreaking gun violence report released in 2023 to combine rigorous research, community action, and policy change to engage and support people who are involved in gangs and street economy.
Led by a team with lived experience and high social capital in the streets, the Street Action Network connects directly with people involved in gangs and the street economy to amplify the power of their knowledge and stories, change narratives, and create sustainable solutions to address gun violence.
Despite the obvious need, most mental health interventions for court-involved people are brief and conducted inside the counter-therapeutic confines of the criminal legal system. The challenge for practitioners is making those encounters meaningful. Little research speaks to this reality. Our publication presents the highlights of a national convening we hosted to begin to fill the gap.
Before implementing the CCAT, jurisdictions should consider how the tool will be used and enact policies to support these goals. This module will explore the national landscape of CCAT implementation and offer tips for effectively implementing the CCAT, including stakeholder collaboration, data mining, decision-making frameworks, and revalidation.
Recognizing the inherent limitations of risk-need tools, it is critical that practitioners use assessments appropriately to minimize potential harms and create positive case outcomes. This practical session examines the development of the Criminal Court Assessment Tool (CCAT), reviews all assessment domains and scoring, and provides tips for effective implementation.
Modern criminal justice reforms have called for the use of risk-need-responsivity (RNR) theory to help reduce the inherent subjectivity in case processing. Yet there is growing concern over racial bias and misclassification in risk assessment. This research-based module dives deep into the origins and core principles of RNR and its inherent limitations.
In an effort to help practitioners consider the implications of applying Risk-Need-Responsitivy (RNR) principles and learn how to effectively administer risk-need tools, the Center developed the training series, Administering the Criminal Court Assessment Tool.
In recent years, justice reform efforts have included the use of risk assessments to inform pretrial decision-making and minimize subjective bias. However, risk-need tools must be used in a targeted way that reduces detention, identifies salient needs, and alleviates racial disparities. This guidesheet offers strategies for implementing the Criminal Court Assessment Tool (CCAT) to help mitigate bias and create positive case outcomes.
What would it mean to decriminalize mental health—to stop criminalizing the symptoms of what is very often untreated mental illness? And what would it mean to put racial justice at the center of that effort? The outcomes of the criminal legal system being what they are, those two questions are really one. Hear a lively discussion on our New Thinking podcast.
Is your jurisdiction seeking to strengthen Sixth Amendment protections? Watch the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Center for Justice Innovation, the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers discuss exciting opportunities for no-cost training and technical assistance through BJA’s Justice for All program.
