Center for Justice Innovation

“Our evaluation of the Driver Accountability Program shows that we can make our city safer by reducing recidivism and traffic offenses while improving fairness,” said our CEO Courtney Bryan. ➡️ Find out more about our recent impact evaluation of the citywide alternative sentencing program that works with people charged with traffic violations to foster safer driving habits: https://lnkd.in/e2-GSPWm

With a 50% reduction in recidivism in Brooklyn and success at improving street safety in both Brooklyn and Staten Island, the Driver Accountability Program emphasizes education, awareness, and reflection on participants’ driving habits and beliefs to improve driving behaviors and make our streets safer. A new impact evaluation of the program shows promising signs of success at both reducing rates of reoffending and shrinking the footprint of the justice system. ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/e2-GSPWm

Look back at creative new initiatives, fresh perspectives on justice policy, and milestones in Community Justice from our teams across the Center in 2024. 🎉 https://lnkd.in/eqn3gPcM

📣 Calling all mental health professionals, victim advocates, child welfare workers, prosecutors, defenders, and judges who work with child victims and witnesses! ➡️ Apply now to receive FREE printed resources for child victims and witnesses: https://lnkd.in/eRbEQSAu Applications close January 31, 2025.

Case backlogs? Issues with access to counsel? Using virtual court appearances? The Bureau of Justice Assistance is offering free assistance to jurisdictions across the country to enhance Sixth Amendment protections. ➡️ For a chance to collaborate with the Center for Justice Innovation, system actors, and community, find out more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gDuTFxqM Applications are competitive and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Probation means living with a host of conditions, often for years—everything from “avoid injurious habits” to unannounced inspections of your home. Fail at any of these, and you can be sent to prison. One standard condition is drug testing. Almost everyone on probation is required to submit to regular drug tests. The tests are time-consuming, expensive, and, for some, traumatic. Learn more about the experience of probation through the topic of the drug test on our latest New Thinking episode: https://lnkd.in/esMqw4pC

We were saddened to hear about the passing of Valerie Raine, whose positive impact on the Center for Justice Innovation was matched only by her positive contributions to justice reform. Valerie was a dynamic leader who inspired everyone to always do their best. Before retiring in 2017, she played many roles at the Center and in the world of drug treatment courts, helping hone the drug court model and encourage its adoption in NY and around the country. Her first contact with drug treatment courts came when she led the Criminal Division of the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, where her outlook as a defense attorney led her to approach drug courts with a healthy dose of skepticism. She then joined the Center for Justice Innovation, where she improved the model from the inside, using her compassion and acute sense of fairness to serve as director of the first drug treatment court in New York City, the Brooklyn Treatment Court. Under her, the court adhered to the highest levels of excellence, and she brought the same high standards to her work developing and training drug treatment courts across New York State. She served as president of the New York Association of Drug Treatment Court Professionals and on the board of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. During her 20 years at the Center, she was a model of integrity, and everyone who had the privilege of working with her, appreciated her candor and compassion. She was a friend, mentor and teacher to many. She never minced words, hardly ever missed work, and never failed to be kind and considerate. If she wasn’t asking a pointed question in an effort to get the system or people to work better, she was asking how your kids were doing, offering supportive advice and going out of her way–even volunteering her free time and opening her home–to friends, colleagues, and strangers in need. Valerie Raine was, in sum, a wonderful human being and will be sorely missed.

At the Center for Justice Innovation, we know that healing begins by truly understanding each other. With roots in long-standing indigenous practices, restorative justice urges us to look beyond the default response of meeting harm with punishment. Instead, restorative justice allows people to foster real accountability and repair after harm, activating what our restorative practices team calls “our innate ability as human beings to really care for each other.” Your support helps connect the people we serve to care, vital resources, and a path to a better future. 🎁 Donate to support community healing today: https://lnkd.in/eburbhjZ

It’s the holiday season, and that means Bronx Community Solutions held their second annual winter community event in the Bronx. ❄️ The team spent yesterday giving back to the Bronx community with giveaways of toys, cozy winter coats, and festive snacks. We were joined by Council Member Althea Stevens, who generously presented a check of $75,000 to Bronx Community Solutions to continue with their commitment to community justice in the Bronx. 🎉 Check out some of the highlights and share to spread the holiday cheer. ⬇️

What could programming at the proposed new Staten Island Community Justice Center, created with Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon and other key collaborators, look like? Kelly Mulligan-Brown, a senior director on our court reform team, spoke to Staten Island Advance/SILive.com about the Center for Justice Innovation’s mission, and plans to create tailored programming for Staten Island residents including a youth leadership development and a placemaking program. https://lnkd.in/ez-NhrKT