Why Supporting Families Is Crucial to Strong Communities
For many families, contact with the legal system comes after years of struggling to meet basic needs. When we invest in solutions that respond to those needs both inside and outside of the courts, we pave the way for safer, stronger communities.
Over the past decade, the Strong Starts Court Initiative has worked to transform the family court process to focus on strengthening parents’ relationships with their babies.
A new national commission bringing awareness to the unique issues women face in the criminal justice system started its journey with a visit to our Brownsville Community Justice Center.
How Restorative Justice Fosters Accountability and Repair
When our default response is to meet harm with punishment and isolation, it’s hard to imagine a different path forged with dialogue and understanding. But by taking that step, we can get closer to genuine accountability and repair.
The routine violence and inhumane conditions that have become synonymous with the jails on Rikers Island are well documented but to get a full picture of the harms we must also look at the impact on women and families.
Governor Hochul Announces $33 Million Investment in Mental Health Support for People in the Legal System
The investment will support more programs like the Midtown Community Justice Center, which fosters lasting safety by linking people in the legal system to services and care in their communities.
A Focus on the People We Serve: Reflections from the State of the Judiciary
At this year's State of the Judiciary, Chief Judge Rowan D. Wilson shared the podium with guest speakers who have seen firsthand what happens when courts treat people with care and compassion.
A conversation with our Recovery and Reform team on their new name, the intersection of the justice system and substance use, and taking on racial disparities in treatment courts.
Breaking the Cycle: Prioritizing Mental Health Needs in the Courtroom
Many people with mental health challenges wind up in the criminal legal system because they have virtually nowhere else to go. Take a look inside the special court program in Manhattan working to change that.
Midtown Community Court Celebrates 30 Years of Justice in NYC with Renaming to the “Midtown Community Justice Center”
This name change to Midtown Community Justice Center reflects the institution's holistic and community-based approach to delivering justice to New Yorkers.
2023 marks the 30th anniversary of our Midtown Community Court, which started as an experiment in a new, more human approach to justice. Today, that approach hasn’t just survived: it has even outgrown the walls of the courthouse.
Mental Health and Criminal Justice in Brooklyn: In Conversation with Judge Matthew J. D’Emic
For over 20 years, the Brooklyn Mental Health Court has been working to keep people with severe mental illnesses out of jail and in treatment. Hear from Judge Matthew J. D'Emic, who has presided over the court since its inception, on the importance of this work.
For someone faced with an arrest, prosecutors are arguably the most powerful figures in the legal system. Can this power be leveraged to reduce, rather than expand, the harms of incarceration?
