Center for Justice Innovation

“Community Justice is at the heart of everything we do—and we believe it can be the foundation of building truly just, thriving, safe communities across the globe.” Read from our executive director, Courtney Bryan, about why Community Justice forms the core of who we are and what we do: https://bit.ly/3zedMtq

Our mission hasn’t changed, but the way we’re talking about it has… ⬇️ As our work has evolved and expanded, our mission has only become clearer. That’s why we’re updating our mission statement to reflect our journey toward Community Justice. Community Justice has guided us since we launched our first program in Midtown Manhattan. Through it all, we have been committed to building equitable, holistic solutions to the challenges facing our communities—solutions that create healing instead of harm, address widespread racial disparities in everything from housing to system involvement, and lay the groundwork for lasting safety for all. Collaboration has always been at the core of what we do at the Center for Justice Innovation; that is how we achieve #CommunityJustice. Read more about our updated mission statement here: https://bit.ly/4g8T277

The overdose crisis has affected millions of our friends, family members, and neighbors. To save lives and build safer communities, we have to offer people low-barrier, meaningful services no matter where they are in their journey. This #InternationalOverdoseAwarenessDay, revisit our harm reduction work in the community: https://lnkd.in/ghsttSES

There are so many reasons to love NYC. Our board member, Adem Bunkeddeko, offers a few in the new issue of Vital City as he reflects movingly on his experience growing up here as the child of war refugees.  “My upbringing in New York City helped shape my moral sensibility to imbue a deep commitment to others who had even less than my family. That my parents, despite their struggle, could find a way to create a better life for their children, but also lend a hand to those in more dire straits than themselves, left a lasting mark on my conscience.” https://lnkd.in/gjJhDzTu

Everyone deserves meaningful opportunities to make a stable living. For our teams across the city, that raises a critical question: What does it look like to build economic justice from the ground up? The Summer Youth Employment Program, a program from the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development hosted by our teams across the city, answers that call. Read about how they invest in young people to learn new skills, co-create safety in their communities, and earn income for them and their families: https://lnkd.in/gUBkpCbq

Despite the need for mental health care, relatively few court-involved people receive traditional therapeutic interventions. Most will only have a series of brief, mandated meetings with clinical practitioners. That's why we convened a national roundtable to figure out how to make those encounters matter, putting treatment first in a system that often neglects it. Read about the realities, ideas, and questions that emerged from the discussion here: https://lnkd.in/eUGCr3-u

The end of summer in New York City means making the most of the good weather, cramming onto the subway to try and get a spot at the beach, and trying to avoid the squished Spotted lanternflies on the sidewalk... And it also means the Center for Justice Innovation's end of summer recap. 🎉 As the season draws to a close, take a look at some summer events we hosted to share resources with the community and build relationships. From breaking ground on a new dog park at a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) development to culture days across the boroughs, it was a summer full of fun, joy, and connection. See more: https://lnkd.in/ec8DzjhQ

There’s an urgent need to address the rising rates of incarceration of women and girls, as this recent report from The Sentencing Project. The number of women and girls currently incarcerated stands almost seven times higher than in 1980, and today there are over 975,000 women currently under the supervision of the criminal justice system. We know that women and girls experience unique challenges within the justice system, and that’s why our Executive Director Courtney Bryan recently joined the Women’s Justice Commission, a new commission facilitated by the Council on Criminal Justice. The Commission will address the challenges facing women in the justice system and work toward evidence-based reforms to advance safety, health, and justice for those often forgotten in the system. ➡️ Read more about the recent report from the Sentencing Project here: https://lnkd.in/ejAFHByE

Did you know that one in five children in the U.S. are served by child support programs? Our Parent Support Program in #NewYork has helped more than 3,100 non-custodial parents meet their child support obligations by offering meaningful support, like job skills development, vocational training, case management, family life skills classes, continuing education and literacy classes, legal advice and representation, and more. Our approach recognizes that parents are best able to care for their children when they have resources and economic opportunities. All of our Family Court programs work directly with parents and families with children to reduce system involvement and break intergenerational cycles of trauma. ➡️ Learn more about our family court programs today: https://lnkd.in/e9PKTEq4

Timothy Johnson, one of the judges of the #InsideLiteraryPrize, walks readers through what it was like to judge a national book award behind bars, including an inside look at the thought-provoking judging sessions led by our partners at Freedom Reads. This story was published in partnership with Prison Journalism Project, a national non-profit organization which trains incarcerated writers in journalism and publishes their work. https://lnkd.in/eca6vTXG