Rethinking Incarceration News Archive

By offering people the support and resources they need to find a better path, Manhattan’s Felony Alternative to Incarceration Court is working to build a safer New York for us all.

After years of struggling with a cycle of mental health crises and criminal justice involvement, Ibrahim Ayu—a community activist, attorney, and author—graduated from our Manhattan Misdemeanor Mental Health Court program with a stable job, supportive housing, and robust mental health care. Mental health courts provide a pathway out of the justice system while addressing the underlying needs that brought people into it. In this op-ed for City Limits, Ayu shares his story and makes a case for expanding these vital programs across New York. “Far more people should be getting the genuine care and treatment that I got,” he writes.

Take a look at what Community Justice achieved in 2024.

The New Rochelle Community Justice Center is taking a new approach to building safety across the city by investing in young people's futures.

As our work has evolved, our mission has only become stronger and clearer. That’s why we’re updating our mission statement to reflect the approach at the heart of all of our work: Community Justice.

Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has been appointed to chair the Women’s Justice Commision by the Council on Criminal Justice. The commission, which aims to address the unique challenges women face in the criminal justice system, marked its launch in July with a visit to our Brownsville Community Justice Center. Lynch and 15 other leaders serving on the commission toured the Justice Center and heard a presentation on our Brooklyn programs, which align with their commitment to reducing the flow of women into the justice system in the wake of rising incarceration rates.

Supervised Release prevents trauma for countless New Yorkers waiting for their day in court. That makes all of us safer.

Who winds up on Rikers Island and why? What will it take to close the troubled jail complex? Those are some critical questions raised in Vital City’s special issue on New York City’s jails. In their contribution to the issue, our policy experts Daniel Ades and Virginia Barber Rioja make the case for investing in supportive housing, not jail, for people with serious mental illness—a desperately needed alternative that is cheaper, more humane, and safer for us all.

In Vital City’s special issue on New York City’s jails, Chidinma Ume, Senior Director of Community Justice at the Center, joins IntegrAssure’s Erin Pilnyak to share what it was like to be part of a citywide effort to reduce unnecessary case delays that leave people languishing in jail. Their conversation sheds light on how collaboration, data, and what Ume calls “a combination of patience and urgency” can help us safely reduce jail populations and ensure all people are treated with dignity as they navigate the legal system.

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.