By transforming the process of criminal court in Brooklyn, New York, the program helps people avoid the harmful effects of incarceration while connecting them to services for a variety of needs. It provides meaningful pathways out of the justice system, supervised release for people awaiting trial, and alternatives to typical sentences like prison.
It provides meaningful pathways out of the justice system, supervised release for people awaiting trial, and alternatives to typical sentences like prison.
“I would just like to thank Brooklyn Justice Initiatives for helping me so much, especially through the dark
time I was experiencing. It shows how much NYC is changing when it comes to crime and punishment.”
– Response from a BJI Exit Survey
Operating out of Brooklyn Criminal Court on Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Justice Initiatives is staffed by a team of social workers, case managers, and court liaisons. We aim to use an arrest as a window of opportunity to change the direction of an individual’s life and prevent unnecessary incarceration.
The Project Reset team at Brooklyn Justice Initiatives distributing resources to a community member while tabling at Coney Island’s National Night Out in 2022.
The team working to brighten a community garden with program participants on National Gardening Day in 2021.
A young participant working alongside Groundswell Community Mural Project’s art staff on a new mural for the community space.
The Brooklyn Justice Initiatives team gathered at Brooklyn Bridge Park for the National Night Out in 2019, getting ready to serve the community.
“My favorite part of this experience was just feeling comfortable enough to talk
about everything instead of holding things in...it felt nice to talk to
someone who also understood me.”
– Response from a BJI Exit Survey”
2024 in Review
2,000
people referred to the Alternatives to Incarceration program
95%
attended an intake appointment
92%
of participants completed their mandate
Beats & Bars: Hip Hop Therapy as an Alternative to Incarceration
As a part of a special Alternatives to Incarceration program in 2023, Brooklyn Justice Initiatives participants took part in a therapeutic beat-making and MC’ing workshop and combined their work to produce original music that spoke to their experiences, both individual and collective.
Black History Is Now: Reflecting on a Life of Service
This Black History Month, Case Manager Gina Bijou reflects on what it means to pay it forward in her work with participants in our Brooklyn Supervised Release Program.
