For the Media

Young People Carry Guns Because They Fear Death, Study Finds

The Trace

“It’s not about being cool or being tough. It’s just more about being safe.” In-depth conversations we had with 103 young gun-carriers in Brooklyn, New York (ages 15 to 24), reveal that they primarily carry guns out of fear. In its daily bulletin, The Trace discusses our new study—entitled “Two Battlefields”: Opps, Cops, and NYC Youth Gun Culture—and explores how its findings tie into other recent research on guns in youth culture.

‘Kids trying to live’: A novel study in Brooklyn explores why teens are carrying guns

WNYC

Elise White, Basaime Spate, and Javonte Alexander—researchers with the Center—join WNYC to discuss their recent study on why young New Yorkers are carrying guns. It’s fear, above all, that drives these young people towards gun-carrying, and hearing what they have to say is a crucial step towards more effective strategies to stop gun violence. “When we’re talking about gangs and guns, we really got to bring in the gangs, bring in the Big Homies, and give them a platform or a table to speak at,” Basaime Spate said.

‘Kids trying to live’: A novel study in Brooklyn explores why teens are carrying guns

Gothamist

Gun violence spiked during the pandemic in 2020, making headlines, but little is known about why young people carry guns in the first place. In a new study exclusively previewed by Gothamist, our researchers worked to change that, asking 100 young people from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, why they carry. Hear from the research team about how they gained these young people’s trust, the fear that drives youth towards guns, and what policymakers can learn by listening to young gun-carriers.

NYC Finds a Way to Balance Mental Illness and Criminal Justice

New York Daily News

A look into a participant's journey with a specialty mental health court is bolstered by Center data from the Brooklyn Mental Health Court, showing that participants are 46% less likely to be arrested than their peers in criminal court and 29% less likely to be convicted. Despite limited resources, Judge Matthew D’Emic has presided over the borough’s mental health court for 21 years and stretches resources to accommodate 300 participants at a time.

NYC’s Supervised Release Program Swelled after Bail Reform

Gothamist

Today, people in New York City are more than four times more likely to be released through supervised release as compared to cash bail. The Gothamist covers how the city's supervised release program has grown exponentially since bail reform went into effect in 2020. And explores its approach to keeping people out of jail by connecting them to resources and support while awaiting trial.

N.Y. needs criminal justice reform: Mandatory minimum sentences are unjust

New York Daily News

Mandatory minimums place a fixed minimum prison sentence on certain criminal cases, effectively making incarceration automatic. From the systematic harm they cause to Black and Brown communities, to the unfair bargaining power they confer on prosecutors, to their inability to make communities safer, there are many reasons to oppose these laws. With decisive reform on the table, see our op-ed in New York Daily News for the case against mandatory minimum sentences.

L.A. criminal court program diverts mentally ill offenders from prosecution

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles County’s jails house a staggering number of people with mental illnesses, where these conditions go untreated and can even get worse. Under the county’s Rapid Diversion Program, operated in partnership with the Center, more than 1,500 people have been given the chance to receive treatment in their communities instead. So far, 350 people have graduated from the program to see their charges reduced or dropped.

Speaker Adams Outlines Vision to Prioritize ‘People Over Everything’ with Focus on Workers and New Yorkers’ Access to Economic Mobility, Fair Housing, and Healthier, Safer Neighborhoods in State of the City Address

New York City Council

In her State of the City address, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams spoke about prioritizing people and creating safer neighborhoods. Executive Director Courtney Bryan added a statement commending Speaker Adams for her commitment to closing Rikers. "The Center for Justice Innovation is committed to working with the City to close Rikers in the next four years through expanding the availability of community-based alternatives to incarceration, partnering with communities to prevent crime involvement, and creating a fairer, more effective justice system for all.”

Sherene Crawford Rejoins Center for Justice Innovation

New York Law Journal

The Center is proud to add three new executive staff positions: Sherene Crawford will return to the organization as Chief of Staff; she was previously with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office’s Pathways to Public Safety Division, leading alternatives-to-incarceration programs. Dan Lavoie is the Chief of External Affairs and Theron Pride is the Managing Director of National Initiatives and Research.

‘A Space for Everyone to Come To’: Placekeeping in Brownsville

Vital City

This photo essay displays Brownsville Community Justice Center's work in placekeeping and includes personal narratives from members of the Youth Leadership Council who dreamt up the spaces that will foster healing in their community.

Designing New York: Streetscapes for Wellness

NYC Public Design Commission

Youth participants of our Brownsville Community Justice Center considered how physical spaces can foster healing from traumatic events. They envisioned shared public installations and helped create them to cultivate healing and comfort. These unique spaces designed for their community were highlighted in NYC Public Design Commission's "Streetscapes for Wellness" report! Take a look at these "healing spaces" (page 58).

NYCHA resident’s own experience with homelessness fuels her housing advocacy

Pix11

Sharing how her own experiences drive her housing work, Yvette Rouget—program manager at our Brownsville Community Justice Center’s Housing Resource Center—recently spoke with Pix11 News about New York’s housing crisis and how expanding rental assistance funding will be essential to help folks pay their rent. In her work towards safe, secure housing in the last decade, Yvette and her colleagues have helped prevent over 600 evictions in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

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Young People Carry Guns Because They Fear Death, Study Finds

‘Kids trying to live’: A novel study in Brooklyn explores why teens are carrying guns

‘Kids trying to live’: A novel study in Brooklyn explores why teens are carrying guns

NYC Finds a Way to Balance Mental Illness and Criminal Justice

NYC’s Supervised Release Program Swelled after Bail Reform

N.Y. needs criminal justice reform: Mandatory minimum sentences are unjust

L.A. criminal court program diverts mentally ill offenders from prosecution

Speaker Adams Outlines Vision to Prioritize ‘People Over Everything’ with Focus on Workers and New Yorkers’ Access to Economic Mobility, Fair Housing, and Healthier, Safer Neighborhoods in State of the City Address

Sherene Crawford Rejoins Center for Justice Innovation

‘A Space for Everyone to Come To’: Placekeeping in Brownsville

Designing New York: Streetscapes for Wellness

NYCHA resident’s own experience with homelessness fuels her housing advocacy