The idea of community justice encompasses a diverse and growing range of evidence-based initiatives which seek to reduce crime by strengthening communities and redressing longstanding inequities. In recognition of the ways in which the approach has evolved over the years, this publication presents a new set of guiding principles of community justice and offers inventive models for putting them into practice, both inside and outside of the courtroom.
This fact sheet summarizes the mission of Newark Community Solutions, an initiative of the Center for Court Innovation that seeks to re-engineer how low-level cases are handled at the Newark Municipal Court in Newark, New Jersey.
As the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizations and institutions to shift to operating remotely, disparities driven by the digital divide became a shared problem across major cross-sector systems important to a community’s well-being. The Health, Housing, and Justice Alliance sought to eliminate inequities of fully virtual legal, healthcare, and social services through the creation of pop-up navigation centers and court hubs throughout Newark, New Jersey.
As the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizations and institutions to shift to operating remotely, disparities driven by the digital divide became a shared problem across major cross-sector systems important to a community’s well-being. The Health, Housing, and Justice Alliance sought to eliminate inequities of fully virtual legal, healthcare, and social services through the creation of pop-up navigation centers and court hubs throughout Newark, New Jersey.
With support from the Clinical Scholars Program, a national health leadership initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Newark Community Solutions convened a group of cross-sector service organizations and community members as part of the Health, Housing, and Justice Access (HHJ) project. The goal was to increase equity and accessibility for virtual health, social service, and court proceedings during the pandemic.
Meet the teenagers of the Newark Youth Court. These young people fill the roles of judge, bailiff, advocates, and jurors, hearing low-level cases involving their peers. The sentences are always restorative, meant to provide a positive experience for the respondent and avoid a criminal record.
Victoria Pratt, chief judge of the Newark Municipal Court, provides a short answer to the question: What kinds of alternative sentencing options are available to you through Newark Community Solutions?
Newark Municipal Court Chief Judge Victoria Pratt discusses procedural justice and her work with Newark Community Solutions on MSNBC with Melissa Harris-Perry.
This report provides results of a 2013 community survey in Newark, New Jersey. Working alongside local residents and Newark-based nonprofits, researchers sought to learn community perceptions of the justice system, public safety, and community life in Newark.
In an impromptu interview after the opening ceremony for Newark Community Solutions, then-Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker explains why he supports the initiative, which provides punishment and help for low-level offending.
