Center for Justice Innovation

Calling teams working at the intersection of housing and criminal justice! The NYU Furman Center’s Housing Solutions Lab and the Center for Justice Innovation (CJI) are inviting teams working on housing and criminal justice issues to apply by February 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET to join the 2025 Housing Justice Peer Network. People who have interacted with the criminal legal system often face a wide range of barriers to accessing stable, affordable housing. And, conversely, if a person is not stably housed, they are more likely to be arrested and have worse outcomes in the legal system. Despite the connected nature of criminal justice issues and housing stability, these systems often operate in silos. The Network is accepting applications from teams of three to four members that are interested in addressing barriers to expand access to housing for justice-involved people. Please apply by February 14 at 11:59pm ET.  https://lnkd.in/e5GitRYC  Those selected to participate in the Network will be notified by the first week of March. #research #housing #criminaljustice #housingjustice #socialjustice #affordablehousing

Artificial intelligence is a growing force in our society and institutions, including the justice system. As the technology becomes ubiquitous, how can we ensure that AI is used responsibly in criminal legal spaces? Our new policy brief—based on insights gleaned from a working group of tech and criminal justice leaders—looks at the dangers of using AI to make decisions that can impact people’s freedom, while proposing strategies for safely and thoughtfully implementing new technologies where appropriate. https://lnkd.in/eb6rX_6V

Coming into contact with the justice system can have a wide range of collateral consequences, from job loss to custody issues to eviction. But for many people coming through the courts, there’s another challenge, too: fines and fees. Debt that exceeds a person’s ability to pay can exacerbate the basic challenges that bring people into court, put a burden on families, and erode public trust in the justice system. There is work going on to alleviate these burdens on people in the justice system, from local policy reforms to data-driven initiatives that evaluate people’s ability to pay before imposing fines. For nearly 30 years, our work in the courts has reduced the harms of fines and fees in another way: reimagining the justice system as an opportunity to address life challenges. Discover more here: https://lnkd.in/eKAvUMyg

TODAY at 3pm ET ⏰ Explore the role of the municipal court system, its effects on communities, and its potential for significant change in our webinar hosted in partnership with JustLeadershipUSA. ⤵️

To reflect our expanding role in connecting community members to a wider range of justice services, our Legal Hand storefronts in Brooklyn, the South Bronx, and Queens are relaunching as Community Justice Connect. 🎉 The storefronts remain a network of centers that train community volunteers to provide free legal information, resources, and referrals to people facing civil legal problems in areas like housing, public benefits, employment, family law, and immigration before they require court intervention. Focusing on legal information and guidance, the goal is to empower community member volunteers with knowledge, resources, and ongoing support to help their fellow neighbors resolve legal issues. Check out these photos from Community Justice Connect's recent volunteer orientation and learn more about the program here: https://lnkd.in/edX4BTr2

Hear from the people leading our work to keep tenants in safe, affordable homes. Our Bronx Community Justice Center partnered with the NYC Human Resources Administration, The Bronx Defenders, and our Community Justice Connect team to help public housing residents in Mott Haven build knowledge around rent, repairs, lease renewals, and preventing evictions. The session was part of a series of housing workshops we’re hosting across the city for NYCHA tenants to get connected to vital resources and find support with their housing needs. 🏘️

Layman Lee, senior director on our Neighborhood Safety Initiatives team, joined the Design Trust for Public Space and the Public Housing Community Fund last week to launch their resource guide to improve NYCHA's open space. The accessible resource is a call to action to collectively invest in, co-design, and activate NYCHA's green open spaces. At about three times the size of Central Park—just over 2,400 acres—these third spaces are central to improving the health and well-being of over 300,000 New Yorkers. Together, with NYCHA residents, we can create beautiful, long-lasting impact on the ground and in the community for many generations. 🛠️ You can access the toolkit here: https://lnkd.in/gE6k7xAP 

https://lnkd.in/dVMTHDU Excited to announce the 2025 Spring Child-Parent Psychotherapy Learning Collaborative, a training for qualified mental health providers in New York and New Jersey starting March 10, 2025.  Led by CPP Trainer, Ana M. Rodriguez, PhD, clinicians and providers working with children aged 0 to 5 will learn about the CPP model and be eligible to be rostered as a CPP provider after the completion of the 18-month program. Whether you are a clinical social worker, mental health counselor, family therapist or psychologist, you will gain new skills and knowledge that you can apply directly into your practice. Follow the link to learn more and apply to join.

📣 Event reminder! 📣 Make sure you check out this webinar tomorrow, hosted in partnership with JustLeadershipUSA. Register and attend here: https://lnkd.in/ekWRKkzy

🎧 Revisit our podcast series which explores the unfulfilled potential of public defense through the lens of the Supreme Court’s 1963 Gideon decision: https://lnkd.in/eScMwrJZ