Colleen Smith - Center for Justice Innovation

Colleen joined Newark Community Solutions, the Center’s community justice initiative in New Jersey, as the Clinical Coordinator in 2014. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Director of New Jersey Programs at the Center for Justice Innovation, she now oversees Newark Community Solutions and supports the Center’s work throughout the state of New Jersey. Colleen possesses over a decade of experience working with people involved in the legal system in both community and custodial settings. In addition to her work at the Center, Colleen works in higher education and is an alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Clinical Scholars program, a national leadership program that helps interdisciplinary teams of clinicians build a culture of health in their communities.

Colleen holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree from McGill University.

Colleen's Updates

Why Housing Is Essential to Justice

A note from our Executive Director Courtney Bryan on why we prioritize housing justice.

From Idea to Action: Making Policies Work for People

A policy win is a major step, but how do you make it work on the ground? Our Community Justice team has grappled firsthand with that question in Los Angeles, where they’ve helped transform what the legal system looks like for people with mental illness.

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.

The Future of Recovery and Reform

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.