Center for Justice Innovation
@innovatingjustice.bsky.social
Building community justice in partnership with communities, courts, and the people most impacted.
Learn more: https://www.innovatingjustice.org/
Learn more: https://www.innovatingjustice.org/
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Sow Seeds of Justice With Us - Center for Justice Innovation
innovatingjustice.org
Community Justice will not be stopped—but we need your support.
The recent cancellation of hundreds of federal public safety grants across the country—including seven of our own—jeopardizes this vital movement.
Will you help us plant seeds of justice? 🌱
innovatingjustice.org/seeds
The recent cancellation of hundreds of federal public safety grants across the country—including seven of our own—jeopardizes this vital movement.
Will you help us plant seeds of justice? 🌱
innovatingjustice.org/seeds
“We’re putting ourselves in a community where there’s a feeling of security and safety, in an area that feels a lot more familiar,” says Curtis Huggins, who helps run the new community office.
https://www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/pretrial-community-justice-east-new-york/
https://www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/pretrial-community-justice-east-new-york/
Why We Opened Our New Brooklyn Justice Initiatives Office in East New York
People awaiting trial in East New York can now find vital resources closer to their own communities.
www.innovatingjustice.org
December 10, 2025 at 3:46 PM
“We’re putting ourselves in a community where there’s a feeling of security and safety, in an area that feels a lot more familiar,” says Curtis Huggins, who helps run the new community office.
https://www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/pretrial-community-justice-east-new-york/
https://www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/pretrial-community-justice-east-new-york/
“That’s what keeps me going—knowing that the work we’re doing is meaningful and that we are making an impact.”
Thaddeus Canty, Project Director at Red Hook Community Justice Center, discusses what brought him to the work, overcoming challenges with empathy, and the future of community justice.
Thaddeus Canty, Project Director at Red Hook Community Justice Center, discusses what brought him to the work, overcoming challenges with empathy, and the future of community justice.
Voices of Justice: Thaddeus Canty on Leading the Red Hook Community Justice Center - Center for Justice Innovation
A conversation with Thaddeus Canty, Project Director of the Red Hook Community Justice Center.
www.innovatingjustice.org
December 9, 2025 at 6:36 PM
“That’s what keeps me going—knowing that the work we’re doing is meaningful and that we are making an impact.”
Thaddeus Canty, Project Director at Red Hook Community Justice Center, discusses what brought him to the work, overcoming challenges with empathy, and the future of community justice.
Thaddeus Canty, Project Director at Red Hook Community Justice Center, discusses what brought him to the work, overcoming challenges with empathy, and the future of community justice.
Over the past five years, Syracuse’s Community Ambassadors have worked to keep more than 1,100 residents safely housed.
They do that by serving as a bridge between residents, landlords, and city agencies amid widespread breakdowns in communication. ⤵️
They do that by serving as a bridge between residents, landlords, and city agencies amid widespread breakdowns in communication. ⤵️
How Community Ambassadors Help Their Neighbors Secure Stable Housing
Amid a housing crisis that has left many feeling helpless, the Community Ambassadors program in Syracuse restores communication and trust.
www.innovatingjustice.org
December 4, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Over the past five years, Syracuse’s Community Ambassadors have worked to keep more than 1,100 residents safely housed.
They do that by serving as a bridge between residents, landlords, and city agencies amid widespread breakdowns in communication. ⤵️
They do that by serving as a bridge between residents, landlords, and city agencies amid widespread breakdowns in communication. ⤵️
Our Chief Executive Officer Courtney Bryan was recognized as a 2025 Nonprofit Power Player by amNewYork. 🎉
politicsny.com/power-lists/...
politicsny.com/power-lists/...
2025 Nonprofit Power Players
PoliticsNY and amNY are proud to present the 2025 Nonprofit Power Players list. The leaders highlighted on this year’s list are the driving forces behind a
politicsny.com
December 3, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Our Chief Executive Officer Courtney Bryan was recognized as a 2025 Nonprofit Power Player by amNewYork. 🎉
politicsny.com/power-lists/...
politicsny.com/power-lists/...
Help us build community justice this #GivingTuesday.
Make a gift to join us in this life changing work. Whether it's $25, $50, $100, $250—any amount supports our mission! 🎁
www.innovatingjustice.org/donate/?c_sr...
Make a gift to join us in this life changing work. Whether it's $25, $50, $100, $250—any amount supports our mission! 🎁
www.innovatingjustice.org/donate/?c_sr...
Donate - Center for Justice Innovation
www.innovatingjustice.org
December 2, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Help us build community justice this #GivingTuesday.
Make a gift to join us in this life changing work. Whether it's $25, $50, $100, $250—any amount supports our mission! 🎁
www.innovatingjustice.org/donate/?c_sr...
Make a gift to join us in this life changing work. Whether it's $25, $50, $100, $250—any amount supports our mission! 🎁
www.innovatingjustice.org/donate/?c_sr...
Instead of responding to children and parents in isolation, Strong Starts does something unique and focuses on the relationship between them. ⤵️
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/star...
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/star...
Starting Off Strong: Centering Parent-Child Relationships in Family Court - Center for Justice Innovation
Family courts have an important role to play in breaking cycles of trauma. The Strong Starts Court Initiative shows how.
www.innovatingjustice.org
November 28, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Instead of responding to children and parents in isolation, Strong Starts does something unique and focuses on the relationship between them. ⤵️
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/star...
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/star...
We are proud to bring our vision of community justice to the Mayor-elect @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social transition team.
We hope our nearly 30 years of experience crafting public safety solutions and building bridges between courts and communities will help make New York City safe and just for all.
We hope our nearly 30 years of experience crafting public safety solutions and building bridges between courts and communities will help make New York City safe and just for all.
November 26, 2025 at 8:05 PM
We are proud to bring our vision of community justice to the Mayor-elect @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social transition team.
We hope our nearly 30 years of experience crafting public safety solutions and building bridges between courts and communities will help make New York City safe and just for all.
We hope our nearly 30 years of experience crafting public safety solutions and building bridges between courts and communities will help make New York City safe and just for all.
When David, a single father, came to Family Court a decade ago with his then 1-year-old daughter Ovenia, the Strong Starts Court Initiative was a brand-new pilot program in the Bronx.
10 years later, the program has become a staple in family courts throughout New York City and upstate. ⤵️
10 years later, the program has become a staple in family courts throughout New York City and upstate. ⤵️
Reflecting on Strong Starts, 10 Years On
Over the past decade, the Strong Starts Court Initiative has transformed Family Court to strengthen parents’ relationships with their babies.
www.innovatingjustice.org
November 25, 2025 at 8:59 PM
When David, a single father, came to Family Court a decade ago with his then 1-year-old daughter Ovenia, the Strong Starts Court Initiative was a brand-new pilot program in the Bronx.
10 years later, the program has become a staple in family courts throughout New York City and upstate. ⤵️
10 years later, the program has become a staple in family courts throughout New York City and upstate. ⤵️
With collaboration and care, we can transform the family court system in ways that are responsive to the unique needs of each family.
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/supp...
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/supp...
Why Supporting Families Is Crucial to Strong Communities
For many families, contact with the legal system comes after years of struggling to meet basic needs. When we invest in solutions that respond to those needs both inside and outside of the courts, we ...
www.innovatingjustice.org
November 19, 2025 at 7:00 PM
With collaboration and care, we can transform the family court system in ways that are responsive to the unique needs of each family.
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/supp...
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/supp...
“Although gun violence and intimate partner violence often are seen as separate issues, they are overlapping and interdependent.”
www.macfound.org/press/perspe...
www.macfound.org/press/perspe...
Coming Together to Prevent Gun Violence and Intimate Partner Violence
www.macfound.org
November 18, 2025 at 9:14 PM
“Although gun violence and intimate partner violence often are seen as separate issues, they are overlapping and interdependent.”
www.macfound.org/press/perspe...
www.macfound.org/press/perspe...
Did you know that low-level misdemeanors make up over 80% of cases in the justice system?
Drawing on insights from practitioners around the country, our policy brief highlights ways to help people charged with low-level offenses resolve their case and get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
Drawing on insights from practitioners around the country, our policy brief highlights ways to help people charged with low-level offenses resolve their case and get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
A Moment for Misdemeanor Policy Change - Center for Justice Innovation
This policy brief lays out ways to successfully implement reforms to increase early case resolution for most people arrested for lower-level misdemeanors. Doing so frees up resources to reinvest in th...
www.innovatingjustice.org
November 14, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Did you know that low-level misdemeanors make up over 80% of cases in the justice system?
Drawing on insights from practitioners around the country, our policy brief highlights ways to help people charged with low-level offenses resolve their case and get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
Drawing on insights from practitioners around the country, our policy brief highlights ways to help people charged with low-level offenses resolve their case and get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
Implementing more thorough psychological assessments can help connect people in the justice system to care and increase their chances of success in programs that keep them out of jail and prison.
Find key aspects of those assessments and explore examples of how they can support better outcomes. ⤵️
Find key aspects of those assessments and explore examples of how they can support better outcomes. ⤵️
Advancing the Psychology of Diversion - Center for Justice Innovation
Jails and prisons remain the largest institutional providers of mental health treatment in this country. But the screenings generally used when people are detained pretrial are not designed to detect ...
www.innovatingjustice.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Implementing more thorough psychological assessments can help connect people in the justice system to care and increase their chances of success in programs that keep them out of jail and prison.
Find key aspects of those assessments and explore examples of how they can support better outcomes. ⤵️
Find key aspects of those assessments and explore examples of how they can support better outcomes. ⤵️
Drawing on our experience providing hands-on guidance in three rural jurisdictions, this new report offers concrete tips to improve data capacity for rural public defense systems. ⤵️
www.innovatingjustice.org/resources/gu...
www.innovatingjustice.org/resources/gu...
A Guide for Building Data Capacity in Rural Defense Systems - Center for Justice Innovation
Drawing on expert assistance projects in three rural jurisdictions seeking to expand their data capacity and interviews with eight organizations that have successfully built data systems, this guide o...
www.innovatingjustice.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Drawing on our experience providing hands-on guidance in three rural jurisdictions, this new report offers concrete tips to improve data capacity for rural public defense systems. ⤵️
www.innovatingjustice.org/resources/gu...
www.innovatingjustice.org/resources/gu...
The evidence is clear: counsel at first appearance strengthens both public safety and the fairness of the system.
This new policy brief offers practical advice for how to ensure the push for counsel at first appearance transforms into reality on the ground. ⤵️
This new policy brief offers practical advice for how to ensure the push for counsel at first appearance transforms into reality on the ground. ⤵️
Counsel at First Appearance: An Object Lesson in Policy Implementation - Center for Justice Innovation
This policy brief approaches the ongoing efforts to secure early counsel as a challenge of implementation and offers practical advice on ensuring the push is transformed into change on the ground.
www.innovatingjustice.org
November 12, 2025 at 8:31 PM
The evidence is clear: counsel at first appearance strengthens both public safety and the fairness of the system.
This new policy brief offers practical advice for how to ensure the push for counsel at first appearance transforms into reality on the ground. ⤵️
This new policy brief offers practical advice for how to ensure the push for counsel at first appearance transforms into reality on the ground. ⤵️
By shifting to responses that provide support, we can build a justice system that puts people on track for a better, safer future.
Find our latest resources here: www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/just...
Find our latest resources here: www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/just...
The Justice System Shouldn’t Be a Revolving Door. Here’s How to Prevent That.
New resources to help practitioners and reformers break cycles of rearrest and create a justice system that leaves people better off.
www.innovatingjustice.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:36 PM
By shifting to responses that provide support, we can build a justice system that puts people on track for a better, safer future.
Find our latest resources here: www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/just...
Find our latest resources here: www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/just...
Strong communities are safe communities. What would change if all of our policies—inside and outside of the legal system—reflected that basic truth?
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/what...
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/what...
To Achieve Public Safety, Invest in Strong Communities
Strong communities are safe communities. What would change if all of our policies—inside and outside of the legal system—reflected that basic truth?
www.innovatingjustice.org
November 5, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Strong communities are safe communities. What would change if all of our policies—inside and outside of the legal system—reflected that basic truth?
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/what...
www.innovatingjustice.org/updates/what...
Community justice takes all of us. We look forward to continuing our work building safety and justice across New York City with @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social and in New Jersey with @mikiesherrill.bsky.social.
November 5, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Community justice takes all of us. We look forward to continuing our work building safety and justice across New York City with @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social and in New Jersey with @mikiesherrill.bsky.social.
Engaging people who have caused harm in intimate relationships is a crucial part of supporting survivors, fostering healthier relationships, and ending domestic violence in our communities.
www.innovatingjustice.org/resources/ac...
www.innovatingjustice.org/resources/ac...
Building Multiple Pathways to Healing, Safety, and Accountability to Address Intimate Partner Violence - Center for Justice Innovation
Created by TM Migration
www.innovatingjustice.org
October 31, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Engaging people who have caused harm in intimate relationships is a crucial part of supporting survivors, fostering healthier relationships, and ending domestic violence in our communities.
www.innovatingjustice.org/resources/ac...
www.innovatingjustice.org/resources/ac...
"As we wring our hands about the state of masculinity, or about how isolating our AI-dominated future might be, groups like Healing Connections are all the more essential."
A practitioner shares his experience with an accountability group for people who have caused harm in their relationships. ⤵️
A practitioner shares his experience with an accountability group for people who have caused harm in their relationships. ⤵️
What Do Restorative Responses to Domestic Violence Look Like? - Center for Justice Innovation
A practitioner shares his experience with Healing Connections, a restorative accountability group for people who have caused harm in their relationships.
www.innovatingjustice.org
October 30, 2025 at 8:53 PM
"As we wring our hands about the state of masculinity, or about how isolating our AI-dominated future might be, groups like Healing Connections are all the more essential."
A practitioner shares his experience with an accountability group for people who have caused harm in their relationships. ⤵️
A practitioner shares his experience with an accountability group for people who have caused harm in their relationships. ⤵️
“The real invitation of municipal courts is community accountability… Because they’re created and controlled by cities, accountability is no farther away than City Hall."
Read more about the potential of municipal #courts in our interview with Alexandra Natapoff, professor at #Harvard Law School. ⤵️
Read more about the potential of municipal #courts in our interview with Alexandra Natapoff, professor at #Harvard Law School. ⤵️
Voices of Justice: Professor Alexandra Natapoff on the Promise of Municipal Courts
A conversation with Professor Alexandra Natapoff of Harvard Law School on the overlooked impacts of municipal courts.
www.innovatingjustice.org
October 27, 2025 at 8:35 PM
“You’re not walking this alone,” Magaly Melendez, senior program manager of our Bronx HOPE, said. “This is for the community.”
Learn more about the new mobile outreach van that's bringing harm reduction to people in the Bronx: www.bxtimes.com/new-bronx-co...
Learn more about the new mobile outreach van that's bringing harm reduction to people in the Bronx: www.bxtimes.com/new-bronx-co...
New Bronx Community Solutions mobile van hits the streets to address drug addiction in the borough – Bronx Times
The Center for Justice Innovation last month unveiled its new Bronx Heroin Overdose Prevention and Education (HOPE) mobile outreach van, designed to address
www.bxtimes.com
October 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM
“You’re not walking this alone,” Magaly Melendez, senior program manager of our Bronx HOPE, said. “This is for the community.”
Learn more about the new mobile outreach van that's bringing harm reduction to people in the Bronx: www.bxtimes.com/new-bronx-co...
Learn more about the new mobile outreach van that's bringing harm reduction to people in the Bronx: www.bxtimes.com/new-bronx-co...
“Restorative justice is fundamentally about communication, enabling people who have been harmed by a crime to articulate its effects to the person who committed it, and to ask questions that perhaps only that person can answer.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/t...
Could You Embrace the Man Who Killed Your Son? They Did.
www.nytimes.com
October 23, 2025 at 6:07 PM
“Restorative justice is fundamentally about communication, enabling people who have been harmed by a crime to articulate its effects to the person who committed it, and to ask questions that perhaps only that person can answer.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/t...
We’re proud to work alongside Artistic Noise, bringing artistic expression to our Project Reset participants in New York City. 🎨
Learn more about their work here. ⤵️
Learn more about their work here. ⤵️
Artistic Noise helps at-risk youth express themselves through art
Artistic Noise helps at-risk youth create art. Staff and alumni reflected at a central New York incarceration group event at SU Monday.
dailyorange.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:26 PM
We’re proud to work alongside Artistic Noise, bringing artistic expression to our Project Reset participants in New York City. 🎨
Learn more about their work here. ⤵️
Learn more about their work here. ⤵️
“We criminalize low-level, often harmless, conduct, sweeping in millions of people in ways that have flown beneath the radar.”
Revisit our New Thinking #podcast episode featuring Alexandra Natapoff, professor at Harvard Law School, on the realities of misdemeanors in the US criminal justice system.
Revisit our New Thinking #podcast episode featuring Alexandra Natapoff, professor at Harvard Law School, on the realities of misdemeanors in the US criminal justice system.
Misdemeanors Matter #2: Alexandra Natapoff on a Legacy of Injustice - Center for Justice Innovation
Alexandra Natapoff calls the misdemeanor justice system a "quiet behemoth": making up four of every five criminal cases in the U.S., neglected by scholars and reformers, and potentially harming those ...
www.innovatingjustice.org
October 23, 2025 at 1:24 PM
“We criminalize low-level, often harmless, conduct, sweeping in millions of people in ways that have flown beneath the radar.”
Revisit our New Thinking #podcast episode featuring Alexandra Natapoff, professor at Harvard Law School, on the realities of misdemeanors in the US criminal justice system.
Revisit our New Thinking #podcast episode featuring Alexandra Natapoff, professor at Harvard Law School, on the realities of misdemeanors in the US criminal justice system.
Expanding access to treatment and reducing incarceration makes our communities safer.
Read about the push to expand mental health courts in @nysfocus.bsky.social: nysfocus.com/2025/10/17/m...
Read about the push to expand mental health courts in @nysfocus.bsky.social: nysfocus.com/2025/10/17/m...
Lawmakers, Top Judges Push to Expand Mental Health Courts
Statewide diversion courts could keep thousands out of jail, but they'll need more investments in treatment to succeed.
nysfocus.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Expanding access to treatment and reducing incarceration makes our communities safer.
Read about the push to expand mental health courts in @nysfocus.bsky.social: nysfocus.com/2025/10/17/m...
Read about the push to expand mental health courts in @nysfocus.bsky.social: nysfocus.com/2025/10/17/m...