For the Media

Patterson Houses soon to receive outdoor space upgrades

BronxTimes

Workers are set to break ground on two new playgrounds, an outdoor fitness center, and renovations to a community basketball court for residents of the Bronx’s Patterson Houses. The project is the result of a community-led design process with support from our Neighborhood Safety Initiatives team, the Public Housing Community Fund, and the Design Trust for Public Space.

To Finally Close Rikers, Panel Suggests Making It Someone’s Only Job

The New York Times

The jails on Rikers Island are “decrepit, dysfunctional, and violent,” says a new report issued by the Independent Rikers Commission, which our CEO Courtney Bryan serves on alongside community leaders, criminal justice experts, and people with firsthand experience of Rikers. The report outlines concrete steps for closing the jail complex, from investing in community-based treatment to creating two new leadership positions specifically dedicated to closing Rikers.

In Red Hook, justice is dispensed with joy and support

amNY

For 25 years, the Red Hook Community Justice Center has helped shrink the footprint of the justice system and create restorative solutions to local challenges for the Red Hook community. The Justice Center is home to a courthouse, but it’s also much more than that—a hub for services and support for residents in need, whether they have a court case or not. In amNY, hear from our staff and Presiding Judge Devin Robinson on how the Red Hook Community Justice Center is transforming what justice looks like in Red Hook and surrounding neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

Chicago Was a Pioneer in Violence Interruption. Cities Across the Country Are Now Evolving the Approach

WTTW News

Chicago-based organization Cure Violence laid the foundation of what we know today as “violence interruption” work, where peers use their lived experience to settle interpersonal conflicts before they result in gun violence. Our Save Our Streets team shares with WTTW Chicago how we expanded the approach in New York to address broader community needs—like education and job opportunities—while decreasing violence in neighborhoods. Learn more about the community justice solutions that have grown from Cure Violence, and hear from Rahson Johnson and Anthony Rowe of our Neighbors in Action team.

Opinion: We’ll Never Address NYC’s Mental Health Crisis Until We Stop Funneling People to Jails & Prisons

City Limits

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.

Reanimating Community Life Through Community Justice Centers

New York Law Journal

Amid growing concerns about the decline in civic engagement, institutions and spaces that revitalize community and make room for collective problem-solving are more important than ever. A powerful example, writes Chief Judge Rowan Wilson, can be seen in community justice centers across New York, operated by the Center for Justice Innovation in partnership with the Unified Court System. In this piece for the New York Law Journal, Judge Wilson looks at the history and future of this innovative model, which brings courts and communities together to address neighborhood challenges and improve well-being for residents inside and outside the justice system.

What kind of programming would proposed Staten Island community justice center have?

Staten Island Advance

Staten Island’s first-ever community justice center is set to open on the grounds of a former courthouse, bringing an innovative model that the Center for Justice Innovation has implemented across the city to a new borough. Each community justice center reflects the unique needs of the community. The new justice center in Staten Island would provide services and positive activities for youth, people involved in the justice system, and the borough as a whole. Senior Director of Court Reform Kelly Mulligan shares details on what’s in store at the upcoming community justice center.

New Measures Launched to Reduce Delays in NYC Criminal Courts

Brooklyn Reader

Resolving criminal cases swiftly and effectively is essential for both safety and fairness. A new set of reforms that the Center helped shape, will help address chronic delays in processing felony cases across New York City’s criminal courts. Launching in Brooklyn under Judge Matthew D’Emic, the new measures will streamline the discovery process, where defense attorneys and prosecutors share evidence needed to move cases forward.

New court protocols unveiled to tackle felony case delays and prepare for Rikers closure

Brooklyn Eagle

New York’s court system has announced a sweeping set of reforms to ensure felony cases are resolved swiftly, effectively, and with care for everyone involved. The measures, which the Center helped to develop, aim to tackle systemic delays that leave people languishing in jail as part of a collaborative effort to fulfill the city’s commitment to closing Rikers Island. “Victims, defendants, and the public deserve a criminal justice system that proceeds swiftly, intelligently, and compassionately,” said Chief Judge Rowan Wilson.

Loretta Lynch leads national effort to address gender disparities in criminal justice

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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.

Castle Hill Houses breaks ground on new space featuring dog park and barbecue area

Bronx Times

Community members and local leaders gathered to celebrate breaking new ground on the first-ever dog park set to be built on a NYCHA campus. More than 800 residents of the Castle Hill Houses in the Bronx voted on the investment, which will include the dog park, a new barbecue area, and increased access to green space for the development. The project is led by Green Space Connections, a collaboration between NYCHA residents, our Neighborhood Safety Initiatives team, the Public Housing Community Fund, and Design Trust for Public Space. It is expected to be completed in Spring 2025. "What really draws me to this project is the resident engagement that brought it, the fact that we are really listening to our residents and producing something that you chose for yourself," NYCHA's Eva Trimble told Bronx Times.

New commission addresses women’s criminal justice challenges in Brownsville

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The Women's Justice Commission, chaired by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, is a new nationwide initiative that will bring awareness to the unique issues women face in the criminal justice system. Formed by the Council on Criminal Justice, the Commission brings together a group of dedicated leaders from different sectors, including our Executive Director Courtney Bryan, to identify evidence-based solutions. In the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, read about the Commission's visit to our Brownsville Community Justice Center, where they learned about our team's efforts to prevent harm and bring support to women and families impacted by the justice system.

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Patterson Houses soon to receive outdoor space upgrades

To Finally Close Rikers, Panel Suggests Making It Someone’s Only Job

In Red Hook, justice is dispensed with joy and support

Chicago Was a Pioneer in Violence Interruption. Cities Across the Country Are Now Evolving the Approach

Opinion: We’ll Never Address NYC’s Mental Health Crisis Until We Stop Funneling People to Jails & Prisons

Reanimating Community Life Through Community Justice Centers

What kind of programming would proposed Staten Island community justice center have?

New Measures Launched to Reduce Delays in NYC Criminal Courts

New court protocols unveiled to tackle felony case delays and prepare for Rikers closure

Loretta Lynch leads national effort to address gender disparities in criminal justice

Castle Hill Houses breaks ground on new space featuring dog park and barbecue area

New commission addresses women’s criminal justice challenges in Brownsville