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

Seven people stand together in a row with green and pink Community Justice Connect shirts on

The Community Volunteers Helping Their Neighbors Resolve Legal Issues

Our Community Justice Connect team trains local volunteers to help their neighbors resolve legal issues before they get out of hand.

Gina Bijou, case manager with our Brooklyn Supervised Release Program.

Black History Is Now: Reflecting on a Life of Service

This Black History Month, Case Manager Gina Bijou reflects on what it means to pay it forward in her work with participants in our Brooklyn Supervised Release Program.

Lady Justice blindfolded holding up scales surrounded by binary 0's and 1's and redacted text.

The Do’s and Don’ts of AI in the Criminal Justice System

As artificial intelligence plays a growing role across our institutions, how can we make sure courts and justice systems use it responsibly?

Middle-aged man with yellow sunglasses and a button-down shirt on a park bench during the day.

This Court Aims to Build Safety by Focusing on the Individual

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.