Podcasts about court innovation

Every year, courts across the United States impose millions of dollars in fines, fees, and restitution charges on people for traffic violations, misdemeanors, and felonies. In theory, these assessments are intended to punish and deter unlawful behavior, compensate victims for financial losses, and raise money for the justice system. However, they don't often accomplish those goals; instead, research suggests they erode community trust in law enforcement and saddle community members with debt many will never be able to pay.   The Center for Criminal Justice Research at MDRC partnered with the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Alabama's Tenth Judicial Circuit Court, and the Center for Court Innovation on the Jefferson County Equitable Fines and Fees Project (Project JEFF) to better understand the impact that court debts have on citizens of Jefferson County, Alabama.   In this episode, Leigh Parise is joined by Sarah Picard, the Director of the Center for Criminal Justice Research at MDRC, and Leah Nelson, the then-Research Director at Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, to discuss some of the early findings of Project JEFF. The pair introduce the history of fines and fees, share the perspectives of those who are assessed court fines or fees; and describe the disproportionate impact of court debt across racial groups in Jefferson County. 

Child sex trafficking is not a new phenomenon. And thankfully, the general public and child abuse professionals have greater awareness than ever of it. But has the full story yet been told? To what extent has the experience of boys been a part of our understanding of sex trafficking of children and youth? What places boys at special risk for trafficking? What vulnerabilities do they have and how might that affect their recruitment? And how can we tailor programs to meet the unique needs and concerns of boys? Join us as we speak with Amanda Connella, graduate research assistant at the TIP Lab, and Dr. Sandra Stone, assistant dean for graduate studies at the University of South Florida, about how we can ensure that boys are no longer invisible victims.Topics in this episode:Origin story (01:14)Kids at risk of trafficking (05:17)Not enough service providers for boys (14:25)Not enough research (18:50)Misperceptions about boys (20:46)Prevention disconnected from data (26:02)Advice for parents (31:15)Advice for child abuse professionals (38:07)Public policy (47:40)For more information (50:27)Links:Amanda L. Connella, M.A., is a graduate research assistant at the TIP (Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience) Lab at the University of South Florida“The Invisible Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Boys and Their Barriers to Access to Services,” graduate thesis, Amanda L. ConnellaSandra Stone, Ph.D., professor and assistant dean for graduate studies, University of South FloridaJoan A. Reid, Ph.D., LMHCSelah FreedomColby Valentine, Ph.D.“Why Do People Believe Conspiracy Theories About Human Trafficking?”, with Maureen Kenny, Ph.D.NIJ, National Institute of JusticeBob's House of Hope“The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in New York City, Volume One: The CSEC Population in New York City: Size, Characteristics, and Needs,” by R. Curtis, K. Terry, M. Dank, K. Dombrowski, and B. Khan (September 2008); Center for Court Innovation and John Jay College of Criminal JusticeFor more information about National Children's Alliance and the work of Children's Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast site at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.Support the showDid you like this episode? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Greg Berman, the distinguished fellow of practice at the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, co-editor of Vital City, City & State columnist, former executive director of the Center for Court Innovation, and the co-author of Gradual: The Case for Incremental Change in a Radical Age (Oxford University Press, 2023), and Aubrey Fox, executive director of the New York City Criminal Justice Agency and the co-author of Gradual: The Case for Incremental Change in a Radical Age (Oxford University Press, 2023), make the case for incremental change, drawing on their many years of criminal justice reform advocacy.

Meet Lyle Wildes, the real life Breaking Bad / Walter White, a philosophy professor that acquired a brain injury crashing his truck into a bridge, losing all empathy, becoming a drug dealer making synthetic cocaine, being arrested and spending twenty years in jail, enabling him to discover the key to reducing recidivism;85% of inmates have 3 or more ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) factors, compared with 7% of the general population that have 3 or less.  And we can fix it before kids get to jail.Join us in this deep-dive into humanity, the brain and the link between Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs), as well as:- changing the culture of prisons- the 500 year old, failed model of incarceration- why it's an antiquated way of treating people who attack the power structure- domestic violence, neuroplasticity, Positive Attitude classes and ending cycles of trauma- the rolling door of the US prison population, with 25% being released each year and 25% being arrested (700,000 people) - how this creates the legal vehicle for slaveryI greatly appreciate those in our criminal justice systems who give so much to the safety and cohesion of our society, this conversation asks 'could we do it better?'Thanks to the ACLU, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Amnesty International USA, Center for Court Innovation, Charles Hamilton Houston Foundation, Inc., Color Of Change, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, FWD.us, Right On Crime, The Marshall Project, Southern Center for Human Rights, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ), The Gault Center, InsideOUT Writers, Californians for Safety and Justice, Coalition for Public Safety, Critical Resistance, Dream.Org, Prison Fellowship International, Prison Policy Initiative, Right On Crime, The Sentencing Project, Survived and Punished, Vera Institute of Justice.If you found this valuable, you are welcome to support the show on PatreonSupport the show

Child support agencies aim to secure payments from noncustodial parents to support the well-being of their children. When noncustodial parents fall behind on child support, they may face consequences, such as driver's license suspensions, civil contempt, and even jail time. These enforcement actions can make it harder for parents to make future child support payments. The Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC) demonstration, sponsored by the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), integrates principles of procedural justice into enforcement practices in six child support agencies across the United States. Procedural justice is the perception of fairness in processes that resolve disputes and result in decisions. Research has shown that if people perceive a process to be fair, they will be more likely to comply with the outcome of that process, whether or not the outcome is favorable to them. MDRC, MEF Associates, and the Center for Court Innovation are evaluating the effectiveness of the PJAC model. As part of the demonstration, the PJAC Peer Learning initiative provided training and support to several additional child support agencies that were interested in procedural justice but not part of the PJAC study. In this episode, Leigh Parise talks with Michael Hayes and Tanya Johnson from OCSE, Melissa Froehle from Minnesota Child Support Enforcement, and Maria Lasecki, Director of Brown County Child Support in Wisconsin, about the role of procedural justice in child support, how the Peer Learning initiative works, and what the sites have learned so far.

The United States has one of the biggest populations of incarcerated individuals in the world. According to the Sentencing Project, the number of people sent to prisons and jails had already increased by over 500% over the last 4 decades.And yet, a growing body of literature shows that as many as 20% of those incarcerated are wrongfully convicted. Worse, the country has a high recidivism rate. At least 65% are rearrested, while 50% go back to prisons and jails.What causes this? One of the foremost answers is the focus of the justice system on punishment instead of rehabilitation.This topic, however, is way beyond my scope. To better understand this point, I've invited one of the esteemed judges in New Jersey, Judge Victoria Pratt. She's the author of the Power of Dignity, a compelling book that champions her advocacy, which is criminal justice reformation.In this episode, we'll talk about the disparities that exist within the US justice system and how they disproportionately impact people of color, how broken our country's system is, and what we can do to change it.Topics Covered: Identify what people of color should learn to defend themselves properly and avoid becoming part of the convoluted justice system of the United StatesKnow the power of shutting up and listening in promoting dignity for the disadvantaged population and the defendantsLearn how community solutions programs can play a huge role in preventing thousands of individuals from being placed into the justice systemFind out how improving the lives of the disadvantaged makes other people's lives betterKnow the danger of the ego, which often leads to biases, and how to minimize itGuest Bio:Judge Victoria Pratt has gained national and international acclaim for her commitment to reforming the criminal justice system. During her tenure as the Chief Judge in Newark Municipal Court in Newark, New Jersey, she spent years gaining a deep understanding of how to deliver justice to court participants in a manner that increased their trust in the legal system and changed their behavior. While presiding over Newark Community Solutions, the Community Court, she used procedural justice and innovative problem solving to provide alternative sentences to low-level offenders including community service, counseling sessions, and her signature assignment of introspective essays. Her respectful approach has had a transformational impact on court participants, the community, and court practitioners. Her TED Talk, How Judges Can Show Respect, has been translated into 11 languages, has over one million views, and has a Facebook clip with over 30 million views. A globally recognized expert, she has worked with jurisdictions across the nation, and as far as Dubai, Ukraine, England, Scotland, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico facilitating workshops and presentations. She has also been featured in the Guardian, Forbes and The Tamron Hall Show, to name a few. She continues to champion criminal justice reform through her consulting firm Pratt Lucien Consultants, LLC, by sharing her skills and approach with others. She has worked with corporations such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Prudential, as well as other institutions and organizations about how to heighten and restore respect to their day-to-day operations so that their mission can be better achieved. She is currently a professor of Professional Practice and the Director of Strategic Planning and Program Development at Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in Newark, NJ. Previously she served as a Visiting Professor at Rutgers Law School in Newark where she taught Problem Solving Justice and Restorative Justice. She currently Chairs the Boards of the Center for Court Innovation and New Jersey's Edna Mahan Women's Correcti

For today's episode, Tyrell and Daphne explore problem-solving courts as a criminal justice reform. After catching up (00:30), the hosts discuss “Oh Lawd” news and current events (13:55). They then turn their attention to the topic of the week and discuss the origins and purpose of problem-solving courts (35:55). The hosts also have a conversation about how class and identity shape access and outcomes in problem-solving courts (40:35). Tyrell and Daphne close the episode by discussing recent critiques of problem-solving courts (47:00), shedding light on the process for adults and youth (56:40), and highlighting the potential downsides of problem-solving courts as a progressive reform (1:02:17). Resources:  BhD Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/bhdpodcast  The Dark Side of Reform- https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781793643759/The-Dark-Side-of-Reform-Exploring-the-Impact-of-Public-Policy-on-Racial-EquityDiscount Code (30% Off): LXFANDF30 Center for Court Innovation - https://www.courtinnovation.org

Hey 2Legit Crew, Today we have the pleasure of speaking with someone who uses their JD in a nontraditional way to challenge the status quo. She won the seat as a city council member in the city of Tukwila. She is the Associate Director of the Office of Court Innovation, Filipina community leader, wife, mom; please welcome—Councilmember Cynthia Delostrinos Johnson! Cynthia is helping to create more access to justice for all in diversity, equity, and inclusion through innovation in the courts. Please tune in to get the LEGIT-stics on what it means to be a political interrupter in today's society. As always, you can follow us on ---> OUR PLATFORMS: Instagram Facebook Please give us a 5-star rating & subscribe for more! xoxo stay safe and #2legit Onna & Cage #firstgen #firstgenlawyer #Filipina #challengethestatusquo #tukwila #diversityandinclusion #politicalinterrupter #gentrification #minoritiesinamerica #racetheory #redlining #racisim #fightthesystem #agentforchange

Hours after being born, some children in Staten Island are placed in the child welfare system. What impact can this have on their early development?Join Host Mila Myles for a conversation on early childhood (0-5 years of age) mental health care and advocacy with Jewish Board experts Angela Mendivil and Edward Boljonis from our Staten Island Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) program, and Kelsey Jorgensen, LMSW, a Clinical Coordinator for the Strong Starts Court Initiative with the Center for Court Innovation. They will discuss how they work with ACS and the court systems to keep their youngest clients and families together, and how CCP can help a child who has experienced trauma.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many jurisdictions to create or expand the use of video court proceedings. The practice has many benefits, particularly in minimizing person-to-person contact. It also poses some fundamental challenges that must be considered before or during implementation. People with language impairments—estimated to be at least 35% of adults and 50% of youth that enter the criminal and juvenile legal systems—are already at a disadvantage in court and may fare even worse when proceedings are virtual. In this episode, NCJA Executive Director Chris Asplen speaks with Lisa Vavonese, director of Research-Practice Strategies at the Center for Court Innovation and Michele LaVigne, emeritus distinguished clinical professor of law and former director of the Public Defender Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. These two subject matter experts discuss the pros and cons of video court and how it poses critical challenges for people with language impairments. Learn more about Lisa Vavonese's work at: courtinnovation.org/sixth-amendment. Learn more about Michele LaVigne's work at: https://secure.law.wisc.edu/profiles/michele.lavigne@wisc.edu.

A week after assigning listeners to read Mayor Adams's new public safety agenda, Anthonine Pierre, leader of Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) and the executive director of the Brooklyn Movement Center, Richard Aborn, president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City and a former Manhattan prosecutor and Elise White, deputy research director at the Center for Court Innovation join to discuss the city's Blueprint to End Gun Violence, and take your calls.

Jeff Simmons and Celeste Katz Marston speak with Zephyr Teachout, candidate for New York state attorney general, discuss bail reform with Michael Rempel of the Center for Court Innovation, and take your calls. Original air date: December 2, 2021.

Danielle Sered envisioned, launched, and directs the nonprofit organization Common Justice. She leads the project's efforts locally and nationally to develop and advance practical and groundbreaking solutions to violence that advance racial equity, meet the needs of those harmed, and do not rely on incarceration.  Before planning the launch of Common Justice, Sered served as the deputy director of the Vera Institute of Justice's Adolescent Reentry Initiative, a program for young men returning from incarceration on Rikers Island. Prior to joining Vera, she worked at the Center for Court Innovation's Harlem Community Justice Center, where she led its programs for court-involved and recently incarcerated youth.Her book, Until We Reckon, received the Award for Journalism from the National Association for Community and Restorative Justice and was selected by the National Book Foundation for its Literature for Justice recognition. An Ashoka fellow and Stoneleigh fellow, Sered received her BA from Emory University and her masters degrees from New York University and Oxford University (UK), where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar.As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of The Aspen Institute.Visit us online at The Aspen Institute Criminal Justice Reform Initiative and follow us on Twitter @AspenCJRI.

Erika has studied human rights, law, criminal justice, Peace and Conflict studies, and more. She was involved in creating the Red Hook peacemaking program, and she was the director of restorative practices at the Center for Court Innovation, for over a decade she oversaw CCI's restorative initiatives across a broad range of disciplines. You will meet Erika (1:45), hear about her experiences in the courtroom (7:40), and learn how she lives restoratively (25:24). She discusses her law experiences (31:48) and working in schools (54:10). Finally, she unpacks her privilege (1:06:00) and answers the closing questions (1:14:45).Learn more about the Redhook Peacemaking Program:https://www.courtinnovation.org/publications/red-hook-peacemaking-programRedhook Peacemaking Program Doc: https://narf.org/nill/documents/2014_red_hook_peacemaking.pdf CCI Healing from Conflict: Restorative Approaches and a Path Forward for Justicehttps://www.courtinnovation.org/publications/healing-conflict-restorative-approaches-and-path-forward-justice Watch clips of the podcast: http://youtube.com/c/amplifyrj See all our workshops and courses at http://amplifyrj.com/learn Future Ancestor Collective (Community Gatherings): http://tiny.cc/ARJcommunity Rep Amplify RJ Gear at http://amplifyrj.threadless.com You can connect with Amplify RJ:Email list: http://tiny.cc/ARJemail Instagram: http://instagram.com/amplify.rjLinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/restorative-justice Facebook: http://facebook.com/amplifyrjTwitter: http://twitter.com/amplifyrjWebsite: http://amplifyrj.comReading list: http://amplifyrj.com/reading-list

In this episode of In Practice, Rob Wolf discusses the history, trends, and current innovations in the abusive partner intervention field with Juan Carlos Areán, program director of Children and Youth Programs at Futures Without Violence. They highlight the Abusive Partner Accountability and Engagement Training and Technical Assistance Project, a collaboration between the Center for Court Innovation and Futures Without Violence to help communities enhance their responses to people who cause harm through intimate partner violence.The following is a transcript of the podcast:We talk about that intergenerational cycle of violence but there's such thing as the intergenerational cycle of love and we don't talk about that so much. To change that, to change that legacy is not only to change it on your children, but it's changing it in many generations to come. Rob Wolf: I'm Rob Wolf at the Center for Court Innovation with a new episode of In Practice, our podcast that tells the stories of practitioners -- people who work in or closely with the justice system, who are trying to make the system live up to its name, that is, make justice, more just. Today we're going to talk with a national leader in efforts to respond to domestic and intimate partner violence. Juan Carlos Areán, is a program director in Children and Youth Programs at Futures Without Violence. For the past two years, Juan Carlos has been working with the Center for Court Innovation and other organizations to enhance intervention programs for abusive partners. As part of this project the Center and Futures have developed guiding principles for this kind of programming and Juan Carlos has also hosted a series of podcasts, looking at abusive partner intervention programs from various angles. As a leader in the field, he has numerous areas of expertise, including the intersection of fatherhood and DV, cultural approaches to end violence, and curriculum writing. He was previously the director of the National Latino Network at Casa de Esperanza and the Sexual Assault Prevention Specialist at Harvard University. He has led hundreds of workshops and presentations throughout the United States and around the world, and he is also an ordained interfaith minister and holds a master's degree in music composition. Hey, Juan Carlos. Welcome to In Practice.Juan Carlos Areán: Thank you so much Rob. Thanks for the introduction and thanks for having me.Wolf: Well, it is a pleasure and an honor to have you here. So, why don't we just dive in, and for people who may not be familiar with some of the terminology, if you could just define what is abusive partner intervention programming and maybe you can reflect a little bit too on how it has evolved over the years and the factors that have fed its evolution.Areán: Well, so what we call abusive partner intervention programs is basically working with people who use violence in their intimate relationships and that cause harm in those relationships. We are at a period in history for this field that we're changing language around it and different people use different names for this kind of work. It traditionally has been called batterer's intervention, although some people prefer to call it battering intervention. And I think some of us are trying to talk more about intervention of the behavior, rather than the person. But whatever you want to call them, these programs work with people who use violence -- originally men, but in the last few years, more people across the gender spectrum. These programs started in the 1970s pretty soon after the battered women's movement started with the second wave of feminism. I think there were men who were allies to the women in this movement, and, as I hear from people who are originators of this kind of programming, these women basically told the men, go do something with the abusers, help them change. So, it's a relatively new field in some ways, but somewhat established now after 40 years. I have been doing the work for 30 years now, this is my 30th anniversary year. And one of the things of having been doing it for a while, one of the advantages is that you do see evolution. Sometimes evolution that you may agree with. And sometimes that you might not agree with, but in general I think this field has evolved in ways that I do agree with. Well, at the very beginning, people really didn't know what they were doing. There were no laws against domestic violence in the mid 70s and people were just trying to figure out how to do this work. As the domestic violence movement became more and more aligned with the criminal and legal systems, the programs did that, too. So, we are now in a situation in which most of these programs are very connected with the criminal justice system, some of them with also the civil system and with child welfare, but not so much. And I think historically, there was a lot of emphasis on what a traditional definition of accountability. And what I mean a traditional definition is like mainly focusing on consequences, legal and sometimes also outside the legal system, and not so much focusing on the process of change, if you will. That's something that has been changing in the last few years. And even though not everybody is in the same boat with this, this is by no means a monolithic field. In fact, there's a lot of disagreement in many things, but more and more people are starting to realize that in addition to having very strong limits and consequences, what some people would call accountability or traditionally, you also have to be thinking about support for positive change and for barriers that might be on the way for people to make choices that are more healthy for their families. So that's one way in which I have seen the field change and it's a significant change, by the way.Wolf: That's so interesting and before I ask, and move on, move the conversation forward. I thought maybe just to make sure so I understood correctly, it sounds like when these programs first emerged in the 70s because there wasn't a lot of legal leverage or it wasn't even recognized necessarily as a crime everywhere, domestic violence, that the effort was on, just do something. And it sounds a little more like, get them to change. And then it became more punitive as the justice system got involved. And now we're at a place where both have a role to play if there's change and there's also the accountability that comes with having laws in place. If I summarize that correctly, I'm wondering if I did.Areán: I think that's a great way to put it. I myself had not thought about it that way. One thing I do want to add is that I think at the beginning, even when there were no mandates for people to go to these programs. A lot of people approach the work from, kind of like a righteous perspective, if I might use that word. There was either purposefully or not, there was a lot of shaming happening. And a lot of kind of separation between practitioners, some people that participated in the program. And I think there's now plenty of research to show not only in this field, but in general and when you are trying to invite someone to change that shame might not be the best way to do it. It might work for some people and guilt might work, which is different from shame. Guilt is more about feeling bad about what you've done and shame for me is more about who you are. So even though at the beginning, there was no that legal mandate, I think the approaches and again, I totally understand that back then people were trying to figure out okay, how do we do this, how does this work? But I think through the years we have to realize that to invite people to change from a more compassionate way without colluding. And that's where people get tripped up with this issue is that sometimes they feel like, okay, what we are saying, that if we support that change, if we see more of the humanity in people who use violence to help them change, we are colluding with them, and we're making things worse. But I believe that as you said at the end of your statement that you can do both things. You can keep a strong accountability, both from a legal and outside of the legal system like natural consequences of life. But at the same time, you can be supportive in that process of change and empathize in that way with the person. And again, it's interesting because I think more and more research is showing that that combination, that balance between those two things are probably the way to go.Wolf: Let's jump forward in time, that is from the 1970s to now where Futures Without Violence, and the Center for Court Innovation have been collaborating. I know the goal of the collaboration has been really to advance understanding of abusive partner intervention programming and the latest research and best practices. So, how have you approached this work and what's your vision for it?Areán: Center for Court Innovation and Futures Without Violence, in my view, are maybe the only two national organizations, and I hope that I'm not leaving anyone out, but they're at least from my knowledge the two national organizations that historically decided to include looking at abusive partner intervention as part of our work. There's many other organizations that focus on supporting victims, as we do too, and CCI does too, and bystanders and also prevention, and so on. So, there's a lot of aspects to approach this work, but I think it was in some way natural that eventually CCI and Futures would connect around this thing, this topic. Because we both have been approaching it from somewhat different perspectives, at least from the beginning. And we have been more coming from a community kind of approach, obviously CCI, a lot of their works is in the courts. And of course there's over-lap there but as we started talking about this, even before we started this particular project, we saw that there was some interesting synergy between the two organizations and that we both had a vision that this field was ready to incorporate some innovative practices. [The field] had had more than 40 years of doing certain things that work and some things that didn't work so well, and that there was the opportunity to start introducing some new elements for the field -- not completely new because these elements were based in the work of many amazing people that have been pioneers in this field, many of whom have been working locally in a little bit of isolation. So, part of what we have been able to do is bring out some of these people that have been doing this amazing work around the country, inviting them to be part of our advisory committee, and then together create that vision that ended up being a series of principles, which are a work progress, but important principle of how we think this work could be moved forward. And it's important to recognize that this is one perspective and that there are other perspectives on this work. But our perspective is not only actually CCI's and Futures', but it's also these other organizations and individuals that most of them have been doing the work for decades.Wolf: Since you mentioned the principles, why don't we talk a little bit about them. What are some of those principles? When I think of principles, I mean, I think of something that really shapes a field becomes the core the backbone of the practice. Is that your intention, is that your hope that these principles will guide this kind of work, abusive partner intervention programming, going forward?Areán: For me, the importance of having principles is that they are the North Star, for anything. We have principles that we sometimes verbalize and sometimes we don't in everything in our own lives and our own work and so on. I do think that it's our hope that the field at large would consider that this. I don't feel that it will be the only way in which this work is done because, again this is evolving work, we are all learning from it. But I think it could be an interesting point of departure. And I think that principles are also important because anyone who is doing the work, and there's literally thousands of programs in the US. We don't even know how many because there's no centralized way to know of that. But my hope is that when they come to our clearing house, and I hope everybody does, that they see where we're coming from. And that's what the principles for me are -- this is how we propose that the work is being done. This is how some people in the field have been doing the work, and we are considering this to be best practices and there's some emerging evidence that some of the things that we are proposing are important. So just to quickly go through some of this principles. The first principle is that the survivor voices are centered. And for us this is so important because it is easy to do this work and forget about survivors, and some people do that. And I think that's extremely problematic and dangerous. So, we believe very strongly, as many people in the field do, that the survivors voices have to be centered. And at the same time, we believe that accountability as I mentioned before has to be expanded from just this conception of being punitive, that accountability is more than consequences. It is that. It's important that we emphasize that, but we also, we have been talking about accountability being relational and being active. And that is what I was saying before that we connect with people at a human level, not to condone what they are doing, but to actually more easily say, you know what, what you're doing is not okay and I'm here to help you change. So, creating those relationships and again there's interesting research showing that in some cases people who go to this programs, one of the things that is the most powerful is that connection with other group members, with facilitators. Some of them even talk about being seen as human beings for the first time, and we believe that that is conducive in some cases to change. One of the things that I think that CCI has contributed to the field that excites me a lot is the idea of bringing hope to the table, the science of hope. So, one of our principles is about hope and dignity being restored, and there's a lot of interesting emerging research showing that if you focus on hope and that you operationalize it by creating goals and creating the means to achieve those goals, that's one way to getting to change, and a wonderful way. So, both for survivors and for people who use violence. Another very important principle is around culture and community being reflected and valued in the work. And I will be totally honest with you here Rob, that this is, after 30 years, this is one that I have struggles with a lot in the field myself. I feel the field has moved in many ways. I think the understanding that culture and things like race, ethnicity, and other kinds of identity have to be addressed significantly. I think that's one place where the field has not moved, at least as much as I would like it to move. In fact, we're having conversations with some of the colleagues at CCI but also at Futures that we have to push this even more to talk about what does it mean to have an anti-racist intervention with people who use violence. So, that's something that I'm passionate about and that I would like to explore more as we move along. And finally, we have a principle about interventions and engagement strategies responding to the needs and strengths of abusive partners. So not only focusing on the problem, which, again, not leaving that behind, this is not either or, but both and. But looking at how can we see some of the issues that sometimes we think are justification for violence, and that might be including for instance culture and that could include things like religion, but also things like socioeconomic status, employment, education, and so on. And instead of only seeing them as justifications for violence to see them as barriers to change. And then kind of like flipping in that way. If we start seeing them as barriers then, what is our role in helping people overcome those barriers to get where we want them to be. I hope that makes sense. Wolf: Well, it does make a lot of sense and it's consistent with what you were saying before about how the field has evolved because those principles really incorporate both the traditional notion of accountability on some level, and in different ways, but also there's a therapeutic or deeper understanding about how people actually work in the real world and if you really want to produce change you have to think about things like culture and you have to offer hope. So, it sounds like it is a fully realized version of what you described at the beginning of our conversation about how the field has in fact evolved.Areán: And if I may add one more thing around that, is not in the title of the principles but going back to this idea of trauma-informed interventions that almost in any other field, people have incorporated some way. In this particular field of abusive intervention, some people have been doing it and more people are starting to talk about that. We know that people who use violence is a highly traumatized population, but at the same time, there's a lot of fear that if we focus on trauma, people who use violence will use it as an excuse. And that's a valid fear because one dynamic that clearly we know about is that people who use violence will use almost anything as an excuse and a justification for their violence. Even if you teach them some kind of tool to self-regulate, sometimes they use that against their partners or as their excuse. That has to be part of what you know will happen, but that, in my opinion, doesn't mean that you don't talk about things like trauma, that you don't talk about things like culture or religion, or whatever else. You can do, if you're a good facilitator, you can do both of those things, avoiding the person using it as an excuse and really giving it the weight that it deserves. And again, if people feel heard that you see them fully, not only as, quote unquote, batterer, but as a full person with both flaws and strengths, I think that opens the door to change in a different way.Wolf: You had said the principles are aspirational and you even pointed out, particularly when you were talking about the principle around culture, that there is a way to go still in how that is incorporated into the programming. So, I wonder how you can bring about this change, how can you move this from just aspirational to actually getting programs to get closer to the vision that's expressed in these principles?Areán: That's a great question. In some way, I think that's what this project is about. So, we are at a national level, conducting trainings and right now of course everything is virtual. So, there's the webinars you mentioned the series of podcasts, but in my mind, the way that we're doing is not just talking about it in the abstract, but bringing practitioner. So, the podcast that we have been doing is our interviews with practitioners, kind of what you're doing here, you turn the tables on me here. But that's what I've been doing, asking questions about what does this look like and why is it important. So, there are fabulous programs that work from a cultural point of view with people who use violence, and that have been doing it for decades and that have not put survivors at greater risk really, which is one of the concerns. So, we bring people as part of, in our trainings too not only the podcast, into trainings and the webinars to talk about, how are you doing this in Atlanta, Georgia or in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, or in other parts of the country, and what can people learn about this. So, our hope is that a combination of practice wisdom because, I mean some of the people that work in this field, Rob, are the most committed people I've ever seen. That's true. Certainly, with people that have work with victims of domestic violence, but also with people that work with folks who use violence. Right now, at the beginning of COVID people were facing extraordinary obstacles, including almost total loss of funding, because these programs have barely any funding outside the fee for service. And still finding ways to deliver their services through online groups, through telephone lines, through all kinds of different things. So, there's so many inspiring examples of people that have been doing every one of these principles, putting them in practice from, certainly, putting the survivors at the center, from using the science of hope, from being relational, using culture, looking at how can we support people from other aspects in their lives like employment and other things that can help them. So, bringing those people, amplifying their message, that's one way that we're doing it. The other, you mentioned before, is looking at what research is out there, and the research is evolving. It's been a point of great controversy in this field, even to the point of whether these programs work or not. But in the last decade or two, the research has become more sophisticated and people have been really started looking at what aspects of these programs might work or not and for whom. So, this is not a cookie cutter kind of intervention. So yes, our hope, I think with this project is to lift those voices of people that have been doing the work, in a way that we feel is interesting and effective, and also to bring some of the research behind it.Wolf: And maybe now's the time I'll just share the web address for where the abusive partner accountability and engagement national clearinghouse is, which has the combined work that this collaboration between Futures Without Violence and the Center for Court Innovation has produced including the podcasts that you just referenced and the principles. So, I'll mention it again at the end, but I'll do it now. It's www.courtinnovation.org/abusive-partner-resources. Let me ask you about one area that I know you're particularly interested in and that's the intersection of fatherhood and domestic violence. And I just wondered why that particular area has drawn your interest, and maybe you could talk a little bit about some of the best practices or what we know about effective ways to respond to fathers who harm.Areán: Sure, happy to talk about that, and it's one of my passions. So, it's interesting because I started doing this work, as I said, about 30 years ago, and my older son is 31. So, I became a father at the time where I was starting this work. And I always say that my number one job in this life, as I see it, has been raising two sons who now are our men. We at Futures have this prevention program called Coaching Boys Into Men, and I had a personal lab, if you will, about coaching boys into men. It's not always easy, but now I'm proud to say that there are two wonderful grown men. So, fatherhood has always been close to my heart and in the 10 years that I ran the groups, as many people who run groups, I realized that, sometimes, and again, none of this works for everybody, we need as many solutions as possible to this issue. But for people who were fathers, a lot of us noticed that when you start focusing on the children, for instance, on the effects of domestic violence on children. Not necessarily child abuse, although that could be too but how children's exposed to intimate partner violence are affected by it. And as you probably know there's tons of research about that. When you start talking about that people start listening, some fathers start listening differently about this issue. I realized early on that it was so much easier to develop empathy for these men towards their children than towards their partner, for better or for worse. I'm looking at points of entry here. So, after many years of doing this work, I had the opportunity when I started working with Futures in 2002, to really dig into this. And we had some funding to look at how we could use fatherhood to motivate men to make a change and we created this program called Fathering After Violence. And what I discovered is that even though every abusive partner intervention program dealt with this issue of fatherhood and most practitioners knew that fatherhood could be an important point of entry, there were very few materials, didactic materials, curricular materials that dealt with this issue. So that was the beginning of an interesting journey because one of the things that we do at Futures, in addition to training and these kinds of things, is to develop materials for the field. So, we started developing a series of materials, starting with these exercises for abusive partner intervention programs. Then we eventually produce a video called Something My Father Would Do. All of this is in the clearing house by the way, we help people that come and visit. Then eventually we kind of expanded this approach and started working with supervised visitation centers and courts and child welfare and so on. And have continued to expand that framework and have noticed and documented that this, again for some fathers this approach, no matter what the context is, if they are in a supervisory situation, or if they're involved with the child welfare, that this approach of talking to them about the effects of violence and children. Showing them in ways like for instance with children's drawings and those kinds of things, is a window that opens for some of these fathers to change and to want to change. So that has been a lot of the focus of the work and I'm happy to say that right now, in partnership with our colleagues here at CCI, I'm really in the second draft of a workbook for fathers that fathers directly could pick up. This is people who want to change and want to start that process of change and go through some self-reflecting exercises about the process of change from that perspectives, from raising awareness of the effects of violence and children and also giving them tools on how the process of change can happen. And one more thing about this, that is very exciting for me is that when we first started working on this topic in 2002, there was virtually no research on this particular approach. And now there's quite a bit of research, of course there could always be more, but now there's a lot of documentation so that this is an approach that can work for some fathers. And recently I was excited to discover one study that came out of Australia that actually brings the voices of children. They interviewed a series of children that have been exposed to violence and how they talk about, what they want from their fathers in the process of change. So, I'm passionate about this. I'm passionate about in general about abusive intervention. And one of the things that really excites me about it is that there's so much that we still don't know. There's so much that we still are discovering. So, there's so much room for creativity in the field, cautious creativity. Because, again, safety of survivors has to be always at the center. But sometimes, I'm getting to an age in which some of my friends are starting to think about retirement. And I'm so far from that I'm like, no, I want another 20 years in the field because I cannot wait to see what will be happening 20 years from now.Wolf: Well, that's really inspiring and as you were talking about fatherhood, I can definitely relate as a father caring for your kid motivates you to change and to do things. Makes a lot of sense to me that that can be a motivator for a lot of people. But I also was thinking that, by intervening, trying to be aware, make the people who harm become aware of the impact that their behavior has on their children, you're hopefully reducing the likelihood that this will be perpetuated too. Because intimate partner violence, domestic violence can be intergenerational as well and be passed on from parent to child.Areán: Absolutely, and that's a very keen observation because for some men to realize that they can break that intergenerational cycle of violence that might come from, literally, many, many generations, that they have that power to change that story for their children, and it's never too late to change. I mean, obviously the process of healing is a different story and it looks different for different people. But I sometimes talk to, especially directly to men about that we talk about that intergenerational cycle of violence. But there's such thing as the intergenerational cycle of love and we don't talk about that so much. And if you're a father, as you just said you know what I'm talking about. So, to change that, to change that legacy is not only to change it on your children, but it's changing it in many generations to come potentially. And that, again, can be a very powerful motivator for change for some people.Wolf: You've also been a program facilitator and I know that's been an important part of your work. You have conducted, lots and lots of trainings, and you have helped facilitators bring their whole selves into the room. I know that that's something you talk about in your trainings and you encourage participants to bring their whole selves as well. I wonder if you could talk to us a little bit about how you do that. How do you bring your whole self to this work?Areán: For me bringing my whole self has to do with my own process of self-reflection. I think I mentioned earlier that early on many of the people that did this work, did it from kind of a detached place of, okay, there's the people, in particular the men who use violence, and there's the men that who do not use violence. I mean you could say the good guys and the bad guys. And I think it's more complex than that. If we have an analysis that at least partly the gender-based violence in our society comes from socialization from what we learn from society and from a patriarchal sexist society. As boys, that means that we all have some of that. So, I think some of the programs that I admire the most are programs, in which they don't make a clear distinction between, again, I will use this language of good guys and bad guys, good people or bad people. But that invites the facilitators to a process of ongoing self-reflection. There's programs like Men Stopping Violence in Atlanta, where facilitators have to go through the program as participants first. Not necessarily because they identify themselves as abusive partners, but because it's important that we learn how to look into ourselves. It's by modeling and by understanding that process that we will be able to invite other participants to do it. And again, as I said before, there's some research that shows that when participants feel that there's less of a separation between facilitators and group members, you might have better outcomes. I mean, you still obviously have a separation, you have different power, you have some professional limits that you have to establish. But I think, to bring your own self is to demonstrate that you can also be vulnerable, that you can also make mistakes, that you have made mistakes in your life. That you know how to apologize to your partner if you have done something wrong. It doesn't have to be a terribly abusive thing. So, again, it's so important that facilitators model in their lives. In fact, I feel very problematic if they don't model how to live a healthy, good relationship. Not perfect because there's no such thing. So, for me that's bringing your whole self, it's in some way being real with each other and demonstrating what that means. And for me, when I teach facilitation as you mentioned, I've done quite a bit it, both in the context of abusive intervention and in the other contexts. I always say that the energy that you bring as a facilitator is as important as what you say as a facilitator, or as a trainer. We all often focus on the words, what is the message that we're sending, but the energy that you bring is as important, and some people might argue even more important. Was it Maya Angelou that said that people remember more how you made them feel than what you told them. I think that's an interesting lesson here, and again some of the research shows what people might remember is, yeah he, the facilitator, he or she made me feel seen or made me feel that I wasn't as much of a monster as I thought I was, and that helped me in the process of accountability. So, in some ways about not only humanizing the people we work with, but humanizing ourselves too and recognizing that that means that we all have, as I said before, both strengths and also flaws. Wolf: Well, thank you so much. I can definitely get a sense of how you facilitate because you have been very human here today and I feel heard, I guess, you answered my question. So, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today. It's really been a pleasure.Areán: Thank you so much for inviting me. It was such a pleasure for me too, Rob.Wolf: My guest today has been Juan Carlos Areán, a program director in Children and Youth Programs at Futures Without Violence. And I'm Rob Wolf, of the Center for Court Innovation. And one more time, I will tell you about the web address if you want to find out more about the collaboration and the work that the Center for Court Innovation has done with Futures Without Violence. You can visit the abusive partner accountability and engagement national clearinghouse. That's where you can also hear Juan Carlos's podcast where he is in fact the host asking the questions. And there's also a lot of useful resources there too. So, that's at www.courtinnovation.org/abusive-partner-resources. You can also subscribe to In Practice on almost any podcast app, and you can sign up for the Center for Court Innovations newsletter just by going to our homepage at www.courtinnovation.org. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen today.

Join Kristan, Sherene Crawford, and Kellsie Sayser as they discuss restorative justice and innovation in the justice system.

Carl is joined by Michael Rempel, Director of Jail Reform at Center for Court Innovation, to discuss the impact of the bail reform laws passed in 2019.

As shootings continue to plague the city, Rachel Swaner, research director at the Center for Court Innovation; Elise White, deputy research director at the Center for Court Innovation; and Basaime Spate, community-based research coordinator at the Center for Court Innovation, talk about their 2020 report "Guns, Safety, and the Edge of Adulthood in New York City"—a year-long study into the reasons young people carry guns in NYC.

Gun violence is a tragic, complicated and confounding problem. What does the research say about why young men in particular pick up firearms. On Today's Show:Rachel Swaner, research director at the Center for Court Innovation; Elise White, deputy research director at the Center for Court Innovation; and Basaime Spate, community-based research coordinator at the Center for Court Innovation, talk about their 2020 report "Guns, Safety, and the Edge of Adulthood in New York City"—a year-long study into the reasons young people carry guns in NYC.

At this week's Round Table, Inica, Isaiah, Kenisha, and Madeline spoke with Sherene Crawford and James Brodick from the Center for Court Innovation about their visionary criminal justice reform work. They are both very mission driven: Sherene sees criminal justice as the civil rights issue of the 21st century and James is compelled by conviction that we are all one and thus must drive community change together, focusing on those who have been most poorly served by the systems we currently have. They both feel strongly that community based organizations are a critical bridge between communities and courts--and the best way to inspire community problem solving. We talked about their work finding more holistic alternatives to the broken system of incarceration, the challenges of solving problems when there's a lack of trust across stakeholders, the pendulum swings of responses to crime, the importance of holding government accountable for doing well by all who are impacted by the carceral state, and their hopefulness about the rise in progressive prosecution. They encouraged us to think about reform from within the system as well as outside of it. We honed in on the fact that we ALL want the same outcome: safer communities. The friction is around HOW to do it. We are inspired by the fact that there has been serious progress made in reducing incarceration—AND we still have a long way to go. Thank you for joining us! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/nextgenpolitics/message

Our episode today comes to you on locations from New York, NY and Chicago, IL. Pat O’Donnell (Vice President of Payment Processing at YoungWilliams) hosts and covers a conversation with Andree Tenemas-Chavez (Citywide Program Manager & Resource Coordinator at the Center for Court Innovation Parent Support Program), Nicholas Palos, Esquire (Support Magistrate in the New York State Family Court), and Katherine Wurmfeld, Esquire (Director of Family Court Programs at the Center for Court Innovation). They discuss procedural justice for the child support program, alternatives to the traditional contempt process, how to engage participants, and identifying and addressing the barriers for the people that the child support program serves.

Kenton Kirby joins NSVRC’s Louie Marven to talk about understanding expressions of trauma for men. Kenton is the Director of Practice at the Center for Court Innovation, and in this podcast, he addresses how advocates at sexual assault centers can learn from his work to create safety for a young man who has been harmed to talk about that harm, some of the common ways men express trauma, and more. Center for Court Innovation: https://www.courtinnovation.org/  This episode was supported by Grant No. 2016-TA-AX-K035 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Originally from Brownsville, Brooklyn, Lisa B. has dedicated her life and career to serving court-involved youth in multiple capacities. Working with organizations such as The Center for Court Innovation at the Brownsville Community Justice Center as the Youth & Community Programs Coordinator further revealed the many gaps and loopholes that exist in the criminal legal system which contribute to the continued mistreatment of black and brown youth. Those gaps pushed Lisa to further her education. She went on to receive her Masters in Youth Studies & Development at CUNY Graduate Center - School of Professional Studies. During that time, she became an expert researcher conducting multiple Youth Participatory Action Research projects in conjunction with CUNY and youth from all over the city. Each project focused on how youth-serving systems and agencies interact and impact youth. Now, as a Student Attorney at CUNY School of Law's Defenders Clinic -she works with the Second Look project. The Second Look project assists rehabilitated individuals who have been incarcerated for 20 plus years obtain their freedom through clemency. Lisa is currently working with a 40-year-old black man from Rochester NY who was arrested at the age of 17 for murder charges. During her time in law school, she has worked with criminal reform agencies such as Common Justice and Youth Represent. Her hopes are not only to continue to serve and advocate for youth, but be an example of the opportunities and possibilities which they too can obtain. #BlackExcellence Rodney Chandlers Story- https://vimeo.com/492676958 Visit Cuomoletthemgo.com to sign a petition to support Rodney Chandler's release. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mastermine-mrg/message

Rha Goddess is THE entrepreneurial soul coach behind hundreds of breakthrough changemakers, cultural visionaries, and social entrepreneurs. Her mission? To revolutionize the way we live, work, play, and do business. From multiple NY Times Bestsellers to multi-million dollar social enterprises, Rha’s unique methodology has empowered a new generation of conscious entrepreneurs to stay true, get paid, and do good! In 2011 Rha founded Move The Crowd, an entrepreneurial training company dedicated to creative and cultural entrepreneurs working at the intersection of values, profitability, and social impact. Since its inception, Move The Crowd has helped launch and scale luminaries like Gabrielle Bernstein, Reshma Saujani, Alisa Vitti, Anurag Gupta, Heather Box, Julia Ahumada Grob, Annie Escobar, Barb Schmidt, Ill “Invincible” Weaver, and María Flaqué. From the onset of her more than 30-year career as a cultural innovator, social impact strategist, and creative change agent, Rha has drawn on the power of creativity, culture, and community to move hearts, minds, and policy. As an internationally acclaimed performance artist and activist, Rha’s work focused on issues of racial justice and equality, electoral politics, offender aid and restoration, mental health, youth and women’s empowerment, and contributed to initiatives that impacted millions of lives. While working on the frontlines, Rha developed a unique perspective about effective leadership and cultivated a transformative approach to empowering individuals, teams, organizations and communities working for change. Rha has leveraged this approach to support leadership development and organizational transformation initiatives for Fidelity, KBL- Eisner, AICPA, Harris & Rothenberg International, Girls Who Code, The Ford Foundation, The Leeway Foundation, The Embrey Foundation, Omega Institute, The Center for Court Innovation, NY Cares, NY Foundation for the Arts and more. Move The Crowd - www.movethecrowd.me The Calling Movement - www.thecallingmovement.com

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, courthouses across the country have adjusted to doing at least some of their business remotely—with litigants in one place, judges and lawyers in another. Even as jurisdictions start to emerge from lockdown, many courts have continued to do at least some of their business remotely as a way to minimize crowding and maintain social distance. This episode of In Practice focuses on a specific example of video conferencing—its use at initial appearances in adult criminal court. The conversation looks at this practice—which some jurisdictions implemented long before Covid-19—from the perspective of defense practitioners, examining both pros and cons. In discussion with host Rob Wolf are members of the Center for Court Innovation's Criminal Defense Initiatives team, Lisa Vavonese, deputy director, and Liz Ling, coordinator. This episode is funded in part by Grant No. 2017-YA-BX-K004 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this podcast episode are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

SJI grantees Danielle Malangone (Center for Court Innovation), Jeff Rinard (Texas Office of Court Administration), and Courtney Porter, PhD (Fairfax County, Virginia Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court) discuss SJI funded projects and share experiences with the SJI grantmaking process.

Restorative justice is about repairing harm. But for Black Americans, what is there to be restored to? In this episode, a roundtable with eight members of the Center for Court Innovation’s Restorative Justice in Schools team. They spent three years embedded in five Brooklyn high schools—all five schools are overwhelmingly Black, and all five had … Continue reading Restorative Justice is Racial Justice →

On this episode, we hear from our friend Kenton Kirby, a social worker and Director of Practice at the Center for Court Innovation, as he describes working with youth all over the five boroughs, the importance of being a responsive resource and why asking for an invitation is better than making an assumption.

‘The Digital Street -- Criminal Justice and Tech' with Jeff Lane (Ep. 223) Rutgers’ Jeff Lane joined Joe Miller to shed light on “the digital street”—how social media shapes the criminal justice system in Harlem and beyond. Bio Jeffrey Lane (@TheDigitalStre1) studies communication and technology as it relates to urban life, criminal justice, and social inequalities. He approaches these topics ethnographically by getting to know the same people and situations in person and online. Lane is the author the award-winning The Digital Street (Oxford University Press, 2019), a neighborhood study of social media use in Harlem (NYC) -- the first book about neighborhood street life in the digital age. Lane’s research has informed a needs assessment and a strategic plan for juvenile gangs convened by New York’s Center for Court Innovation. Lane's previous book, Under the Boards (University of Nebraska Press) focuses on the production of race, masculinity, and popular culture in the basketball industry.  Resources Jeffrey Lane, The Digital Street (2018). Related Resources 'Palantir and the Police' with George Joseph (Ep. 145)(Opens in a new browser tab) 'The Racial Implications of Florida’s School Safety Portal' with Ora Tanner (Ep. 205)(Opens in a new browser tab)   News Roundup Lawmakers weigh remote education options for students w/out internet access Lawmakers and educators are considering how to provide internet access to children who don’t have it, as the coronavirus pandemic intensifies amidst crippling uncertainty as to when Americans will be able to come out from under house arrest, and when schools will reopen. On the federal level, Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel has been underscoring the need for universal access. Democratic Senators Klobuchar, Peters, and Tester urged the FCC in a letter last week to take actions to ensure that parents at least know about the options that are available to them for accessing high speed internet service if they  need it. Federal Communications Commission data indicates that some 21 million Americans do not have access to the internet at home. The Senators noted in their letter that some 12 million children lack access to the internet at home. We here at WashingTECH have been advocating on the local level here in the DC area for stronger partnerships between groups like the National Parent Teachers Association and school districts to develop buddy systems that pair students who lack access with students who have it. Volunteer parents serving as host families could receive a stipend. Dems propose mail-in voting, not online for coronavirus-era elections Several Democratic Senators are proposing mail-in ballots ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Under the bill, the National Disaster and Emergency Relief Ballot Act (NDEBA), all voters would be entitled to obtain absentee ballots. The bill also provides for 20 days of early voting in all states. A new Brennan Center study found that maintaining the credibility of the U.S. electoral system during the pandemic, which would include measures outlined in the NDBEA, would cost taxpayers some $2 billion. Amazon shuts down New York City warehouse over coronavirus Amazon has shut down its Queens warehouse after an employee tested positive for coronavirus. The shutdown will be temporary but if one goes down, many can go down. And then what? An Amazon spokesperson told the Hill that the employee is under quarantine and that they sent their employees home with full pay. The company also announced that it would stop shipping nonessential items to warehouses and that it plans to hire another 100,000 workers to handle the spike in demand. Undocumented children increasingly facing judges online The Associated Press reports that more and more children who were detained at the border and separated from their parents, are not only having to face immigration judges alone, usually without counsel because they’re not entitled to it, but now they’re going to have to face them through video screens. The AP piece describes 7 children standing “shoulder-to-shoulder” in Houston, talking to a judge located a thousand miles away on a glitchy video link. Nearly 4 thousand children are currently in federal custody. A number of these children crossed the U.S./Mexico border alone. Elon Musk pledges to provide ventilators to those who need them Finally, you know there’s a ventilator shortage. Well Elon Musk has said his company would produce ventilators in the event of a shortage in hospitals. Just last week, Musk said coronavirus concerns were dumb. So it’s good to know he’s come to his senses.

In this episode of In Practice, Kathryn Ford, the Center for Court Innovation’s director of Child Witness Initiatives, discusses child homicide in the context of domestic violence with Dr. Peter Jaffe, a psychologist at Canada's Western University and an expert on children’s exposure to domestic violence. Among the topics they cover are the prevalence of child domestic homicide, the indicators of a high-level of risk to children, and the implications for justice-system practitioners.

Podcast: Raider-Cop Podcast Nation Date: Jan 22, 2020Episode #123Subject: “Bail Reform Haha.”  Host: Alpha Mike Characters: Prisoners, Inmates, & Criminals within the confines of the United States of America. Bolshevik Socialist Left Aka DemsIntro: Host Alpha Mike welcomes the Nation to episode #123. Keeping the audience up to date on the RaiderCopNation.com  Alpha tells the Nation about the different platforms on the Nation, such as Raider-Cop News, Raider-Cop Tube (coming 2021) and Raider-Cop Training in the future.    Word of The Week: John 15: 1-8 I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.   Main Topic: Breakdow 1.Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, bail reform "makes my job impossible". 2.Tiffany Harris arrested 27 Dec 19 for attacking 3 woman, then up release getting arrested again for assault.  3. Jan 2020 900 inmates to be set free, Gov Duomo says he didn't know about this.  4. 16% (880) inmates eligible to be set free NYC DOC.  5. Court Innovation (group) NYC 43% or 5000 inmates in play.  6. NYC Mayor DeBozo celebrating the release of all these inmates is handing out baseball tickets, Movie Tickets and gift cards to the newly release birds. 7. NY State Prosecutors filed memo establishing the list of crimes for release.. big list see reference 8. O.J. Simpson famous D.V Case impacted millions of America's from new stay in jail D.V. cards. 9. NY Judges unable to set bail for bad guys with the Christmas list of crimes by new bail State law  10. Alpha talks about when he worked in Miami the A.O. order that released thousands on the house.  11. 8th Amendment talks about excessive "bail" wow  12. 1951 case Stack Vs. Boyle, premise "defendants (bad guy) ability to pay"   13. 1960 case Bandy Vs. United States, court said "Indecency of the defendant" the ones that can't pay bail  14. 1966 congress (yep) created, the "Bail Reform Act" what! then what are the Bolsheviks doing today?  15 1984 congress again (yep) created, Comprehensive Control Act, premise does the bad guy pose a threat to the community and if so the judge could refuse bail. Nice, cupcakes are ready, let"s open the oven.  16. So what in the world is the leftist Bolsheviks talking about ! what the plot? Alpha explains.    Reference: Why new ‘bail reform’ law has New York law enforcement worried Cash Bail Will Mostly End in NY in 2020. Here's What That Could Look Like. NY bail reform: Judges won’t be able to set bail on these crimes New York bail reform under fire amid wave of anti-Semitic attacks   Police commissioner on NY bail reform: Burglary suspects were released from jail, likely left the country   New York’s Bail Reform Law: Major Components and Implications New York: New Criminal ‘Justice Reform’ Law Allows Violent Criminals and Sex Predators of Children to be Released without Bail New York’s Pending Criminal Bail Law A ‘Ticking Time Bomb’   Song of The Week: Sammy Davis Jr. Keep your eye on the sparrow   Up Next: Mr. Fields #124 January 29, 2020    @o9TacticalG www.o9tg.com @TestEvery1521 Test Everything 5 minutes on the Power of God Instagram @raidercoppodcastParler: @RaiderCopNationFacebook  Twitter iTunes  Spotify   Stitcher  Google Play  PodBean  YouTube TuneInJoin the Raider-Cop NATIONPistol Pete the Gunsmith Kilo Sierra’s Firearms Training or Investigation: Sepulveda inc#EmpanadaLadiesOfGeorgia#JailsLASD #CACorrections #MDCR #NYPD #LAPD #LASD #MDPD #MPD #NYSP #NJSP #LVPD #Security #HCSO #PBSO #BSO #OCSO #PCSO #SFPD #DPD #HPD #SAPD #LCSO #FMPD #CCSO #NYC #NYCDOC #NJDOC #PPD #SLPD #CPD #TestEverything @RaiderCopNation #RaiderCopNation #TrainUp #o9TG #WiseGuySeries #TrainUpSeries #RollCallSeries #ThinkOuttaDaBox #SideBarSeries #BeLikeJackYoutube Free Music: Triumph by Yung Logos, Rodeo Show by The Green Orbs, Minor Blues for Booker E’s Jammy Jams, The Awakening Patrick PatrikiosMusic: I'm Back by Eye of the beholder.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.  Free Music Borderless, Drunken Sailor, Serenity, Chase, Don't Look, Lifting Dreams, Lobo Loco 17 Lucky, City Lights. 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In Practice is a new podcast from the Center for Court Innovation focusing on practitioners—people working on the ground to make things better for those touched by the justice system. On the first episode, host Rob Wolf looks at the challenge domestic violence cases pose to probation departments. Subscribe today (Apple podcasts)!

  In Practice, a podcast of the Center for Court Innovation, focuses on the work of practitioners—the people working on the ground to make things better for people touched by the justice system. In Practice will home in on the nuts and bolts, taking a deep dive into a specific program or initiative, focusing on the practical challenges and rewards of introducing a reform or a new idea, and getting the story from the people on the front lines who are leading by example.  

Community service has long been a staple of sentencing in the U.S., and has long enjoyed a sunny, mostly uninterrogated, reputation as a more restorative and humane alternative to fines and fees or short-term jail. But two new reports—one from the Center for Court Innovation and one from the UCLA Labor Center—suggest many of the … Continue reading What Do We Know About Community Service? →

In this session, originally recorded on September 18, 2018, we look at the power of local solutions for stronger communities with Karen Pitre. For the full transcript, visit https://maytree.com/five-good-ideas/five-good-ideas-about-the-power-of-local-solutions-for-stronger-communities/. The most successful solutions for building stronger communities have local support and are driven by local champions. Nonprofits, school boards, libraries, municipalities, community health centres, and many others understand that. They see the value in the local, and they’re not afraid of the challenges in developing local solutions with multiple partners. In her presentation, Karen Pitre offers five good ideas on how we can support local champions and break down the silos that get in the way of local initiatives. Five Good Ideas 1. Bigger is not always better 2. Don’t give up – where there is will there is a way 3. Money is not the only answer; little things can make a big difference 4. You may have to give something up to make it work 5. It is important to listen, but it is also important to hear Resources 1 Interested in building local capacity for informed community planning in Ontario? Join the resource network CommuntyHubsOntario to connect and engage with people in communities across Ontario. 2. Community hubs in Ontario: A strategic framework and action plan: This report summarizes what the Premier’s Community Hubs Framework Advisory Group heard when they met with community members, stakeholders, and other government ministries to learn how the government can deliver public services through local, community hubs. 3. Community Hubs and Partnerships, Queensland, Australia. Find out how Queensland has gone about transforming communities through cross-sector partnerships. 4. What is a community court? This report looks at how courts can play a role in solving complex neighbourhood problems and building stronger communities. An interesting example of the power of local solutions from the United States. 5. Greg Berman and Julian Adler: Start Here: A Roadmap to Reducing Mass Incarceration. This book offers a bold agenda for criminal justice reform in the United States based on equal parts pragmatism and idealism, from the visionary director of the Center for Court Innovation, a leader of the reform movement. About Karen Pitre Karen is the President of the Lonsdale Group, a strategic planning and project management firm that focuses on community infrastructure projects. Karen was the Special Advisor to the Premier on Community Hubs from 2015-2018. She has extensive experience in stakeholder consultation, strategic planning, and project management. Karen has also worked with all three levels of government, including as part of her work with the Toronto Olympic Bid in 2008 and with Waterfront Toronto.

Ep. 172: Sherene Crawford is passionate about the issues of criminal justice and combating racial bias in the system.  A former Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, Sherene now serves as the Project Director of the Center for Court Innovation's Midtown Community Court Project where she is responsible for overseeing  the court’s long-range planning and day-to-day operations. In this role, Sherene leads an interdisciplinary team of staff members who assess and link defendants with services, monitor compliance, oversee community restitution and early diversion projects, provide on-site social services and collaborate with government and community stakeholders to promote principles of procedural justice and community engagement. Prior to joining the Center for Court Innovation, Sherene worked for the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College of Criminal Justice as Deputy Director for the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution and as a Senior Policy Advisor. For more on the Center for Court Innovation, click here: https://www.courtinnovation.org/ For more on host, Alex Barnett, please check out his website: www.alexbarnettcomic.com or visit him on Facebook (www.facebook.com/alexbarnettcomic) or on Twitter at @barnettcomic To subscribe to the Multiracial Family Man, please click here: MULTIRACIAL FAMILY MAN PODCAST Huge shout out to our "Super-Duper Supporters" Elizabeth A. Atkins and Catherine Atkins Greenspan of Two Sisters Writing and Publishing Intro and Outro Music is Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons - By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Center for Court Innovation’s Greg Berman and Julian Adler discuss their new book, Start Here: A Road Map to Reducing Mass Incarceration. Full show notes (includes pictures, resources, and episode transcript)

Host Maggi Van Dorn (left) with Onleilove Alston Our Guest:  This time on “Interfaith Matters,” host Maggi Van Dorn talks with Onleilove Alston, executive director of Faith in New York, an affiliate of the PICO National Network, committed to the work of justice and faith-rooted community organizing.  Onleilove knows the vital importance of this work more intimately than most: as a child, Onleilove experienced homelessness, shelters and foster care before she was ten years old.  Today, she is a contributing writer and board member of Sojourners magazine, and founder of “Prophetic Whirlwind,” an organization – and forthcoming book – about the Black presence in the Bible. Onleilove will be one of the experts working with faith leaders at ICNY’s upcoming “Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy.” Podcast Highlights: On her conversion experience and the call to work on behalf of social justice causes: “Encountering a God of the orphan and the widow was empowering because I was an orphan.  Reading about a God who preached good news to the poor was good news to me because I was poor.  And I began to think I could do something to change my community and to help other young people like myself.” On faith-based advocacy: “[It is] harnessing the power of faith communities to make a difference in public life – to bring a moral imperative to public life. It’s a moral travesty that families are going to sleep homeless every night.” On spirituality in NYC: “The Bible Belt may be the most Christian-active part of the country, but as far as spiritual activity of any faith, New York City is actually the most spiritual place in America. If just 10% of those people who are spiritual were infused in public life to support progressive policies, we could change this city.” Three things faith leaders stand to gain from attending the Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy: “One, to build relationships with like-minded faith leaders. Two, to build relationships with organizations doing [social justice] work. And three, to gain strategic tools they can use to change conditions in our city.”  On how faith leaders can avoid burnout while responding to the political crises that come up seemingly every day: “Discern the one, two or three issues you’re going to work on, so that when things happen, that guides you, and share the burden, with people in your congregation, with other partners, so you are not overwhelmed.”   ___________________________________________________   This episode of Interfaith Matters is underwritten by One Spirit Learning Alliance – an interfaith learning institute that trains spiritual leaders and offers workshops for the public to spark personal transformation. More information is at Onespiritinterfaith.org/Matters, where our listeners can find a free download of one of their teachings, “The Life We Are Called to Live.” ___________________________________________________ Beginning in November 2017, ICNY will sponsor 20 faith community leaders to participate in evening training workshops on a bi-monthly basis in civic engagement, legal literacy, and community organizing. These workshops will be led by expert partners including: The Center for Court Innovation, Faith in New York, The Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, CUNY CLEAR as well as the NYPD. Individual participants will each receive a $1,000 stipend + seed funding for community projects. The application deadline is October 2, 2017 Program details and application info is available at http://interfaithcenter.org/icla For more info, email Iman Boukadoum or call 212.870.3515. ___________________________________________________ Podcast Questions? Comments? Have a question for our guests, or a comment on our podcast series?  Please feel free to leave comments on your podcast player, or send us an email at socialmedia@interfaithcenter.org.  And please be sure to rate us!

  Our Guest:    This time on "Interfaith Matters," host Maggi Van Dorn talks with Jonathan Soto, executive director of Mayor Bill de Blasio's newly-formed Center for Faith and Community Partnerships.   The center is designed to transform the way faith and other community organizations access city services.  We discuss why collaboration between faith communities and local government is not a violation of the First Amendment, but is essential to protect freedom, and help citizens in need. Jonathan will be one of the experts working with faith leaders in ICNY's upcoming "Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy."   Podcast Highlights:   On the importance of connecting faith communities with local government: “A house of worship could be the first institution a person interacts with when they come to this city or this country for the first time. It’s an important step, especially as it relates to services, to ensure that houses of worship are really well-resourced, and well connected to city services.”     On why faith community outreach helps protect city services: “There can be a policy argument that services should be cut because people aren’t using them, while in reality what’s happening is that government isn’t doing a very good job of letting people know these services are available.”     On what faith leaders will gain from the upcoming Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy: “Government is like a labyrinth, and it’s hard to navigate it if you don’t know the language. My hope is that [the Academy will] make the language accessible, and we can be open about ways to engage intentionally and collaboratively in order to maximize the benefit government can provide to people.”   On protecting religious liberty for others: “There is no religious liberty if we elevate one perspective over the other. If my Muslim sister or brother doesn't have religious freedom, then I don't have religious freedom. We give up a lot of our power when we work in silos.  But we maximize our power when we engage in collaborative action and work together."    FAITH COMMUNITY LEADER RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PROGRAM:   Faith community leaders interested in joining the Weekend of Action, or who would like to connect with the Center for Faith and Community Partnerships, please contact Jonathan Soto directly at jsoto@cityhall.nyc.gov. The “Access HRA” app is a new online portal from New York City’s Human Resources Administration.  People in your community can use the app to apply online for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Cash Assistance, Medicaid renewal, manage benefits, read agency notices. It’s available on iPhone and Google Play Stores or click here.  The "Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy" (ICLA):   Beginning in November 2017, ICNY will sponsor 20 faith community leaders to participate in evening training workshops on a bi-monthly basis in civic engagement, legal literacy, and community organizing. These workshops will be led by expert partners including: The Center for Court Innovation, Faith in New York, The Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, CUNY CLEAR as well as the NYPD. Individual participants will each receive a $1,000 stipend + seed funding for community projects. The application deadline is October 2, 2017 Program details and application info is available at http://interfaithcenter.org/icla For more info, email Iman Boukadoum or call 212.870.3515.   ___________________________________________________   Podcast Questions? Comments?   Have a question for our guests, or a comment on our podcast series?  Please feel free to leave comments on your podcast player, or send us an email at socialmedia@interfaithcenter.org.  And please be sure to rate us!

Rikers Island is “a stain on our great city” and should be closed. That’s the headline-grabbing conclusion of the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform. Matt Watkins speaks to the Center for Court Innovation’s Courtney Bryan to learn more about the Center’s role in researching and producing the commission’s report, … Continue reading The End of Rikers? Courtney Bryan on the Call to Close the Rikers Island Jails →

New York City’s incarceration rates have been dropping steadily, but a new report from the Center for Court Innovation, in collaboration with the Vera Institute of Justice, suggests the city’s jail population can still be brought significantly lower. The report looks in detail at key decision-points along the path from arrest through bail to sentencing … Continue reading Reducing New York City’s Jail Population →

In this New Thinking podcast, Raymond H. Brescia, associate professor of Law at Albany Law School, speaks with Aubrey Fox and Robert V. Wolf of the Center for Court Innovation about the role lawyers can play in addressing poverty and eviction, why New York City has been dramatically expanding funding to provide lawyers to respondents … Continue reading How Can Lawyers Help Address Poverty and Eviction? A Conversation with Law Professor Raymond Brescia →

Tshaka Barrows, deputy director of the Burns Institute, discusses his organization’s collaborative and community-centered approach to addressing and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in the justice system. Barrows spoke with Robert V. Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation, after participating in a panel on Race and Procedural Justice at Justice Innovations … Continue reading Taking a Collaborative Approach to Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Justice System →

Private foundations are an overlooked resource for innovative justice programs.  James H. Lewis, senior program officer and director of research and evaluation at the Chicago Community Trust, offers insight into how foundations make funding decisions and shares tips for attracting foundation investments in justice programs. The interview was conducted by the Center for Court Innovation’s … Continue reading Foundations Can Support Justice Reform, If You Know How to Ask: A Conversation with James Lewis →

Joe Balles, who recently retired as a captain after a 30-year career with the Madison (Wisconsin) Police Department, discusses restorative justice and police legitimacy with Robert V. Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. A mentee of Herman Goldstein, considered the father of problem-oriented policing, Balles was instrumental in the creation of … Continue reading Strengthening Ties Between Police and the Community: A Conversation about Restorative Justice in Madison, Wisconsin →

Even though research shows that African American males are no more likely to use or sell drugs than Caucasian males, in at least 15 states they are admitted to prison on drug charges at rates 20 to 57 times higher. Some law students are drawn to pursue legal careers with the goal of bringing positive change to these and other statistics and to impact the criminal justice system on a neighborhood level. What can law students do to learn more about what restorative justice means and help to build a better criminal justice system professionally? In this episode of the ABA Law Student Podcast host Fabiani Duarte invites guest host Amanda Joy Washington to sit down with organizer, law student, and activist Ruby-Beth Buitekant to discuss restorative justice and the Black Lives Matter movement. Ruby-Beth opens by sharing some of her early work experience with the Center for Court Innovation, through the Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets program, and discusses the transformative effects the program has had on her Crown Heights, Brooklyn neighborhood. She then explores the concept that humans should be free of state and interpersonal violence, an approach that is the basis for a lot of her work. The group then analyzes the use of disruption as a tactic in activism and ponder the statement “All Lives Matter” that has arisen in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Ruby-Beth then wraps up the discussion with some information on how law students can get more involved in, and learn more about, restorative justice.

This podcast presents highlights from Sustainable Strategies, a one-day event organized by the Center for Court Innovation and Coro New York Leadership Center in September 2015. Representatives from 11 organizations discussed successes, challenges, and strategies used to meaningfully engage young people and elevate their voices in policy discussions through youth advisory boards. Members of youth justice boards … Continue reading Sustainability Strategies for Youth Advisory Boards: A Podcast on Youth Engagement →

Lama Hassoun Ayoub, researcher and co-author of Coming Home to Harlem, discusses the impact of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court on the lives of parolees returning to Harlem after incarceration.    The following is a transcript AVNI MAJITHIA-SEJPAL: Hi. I’m Avni Majithia-Sejpal, Senior Writer at the Center for Court Innovation. In today’s New Thinking podcast we’re … Continue reading Coming Home to Harlem: Understanding the Impact of a Reentry Court →

In this podcast, Center for Court Innovation researchers Rachel Swaner, Lama Ayoub, and Elise Jensen discuss their National Institute of Justice funded report on the United States Department of Justice’s Defending Childhood Demonstration Program. The program, which began in 2010, funded eight pilot sites across the country to address children’s exposure to violence. The Center produced a series of reports on six … Continue reading The Defending Childhood Demonstration Project →

Center for Court Innovation researcher Sarah Picard-Fritsche discusses the risk-need-responsivity model for working with offenders and the Center’s efforts to develop a screening tool for misdemeanor offenders. The following is a transcript   Raphael: Hi. I’m Raphael Pope-Sussman at the Center for Court Innovation and in today’s podcast, we’re looking at risk-need assessment tools for … Continue reading Using Evidence-Based Assessment To Create Problem-Solving Interventions →

New York University Law School Professor James Jacobs, author of “The Eternal Criminal Record” (Harvard University Press), discusses the proliferation of electronic criminal records and the challenges they pose for a free society. (March 2015)   The following is a transcript RAPHAEL POPE-SUSSMAN: Hi, I’m Raphael Pope ­Sussman of the Center for Court Innovation, and … Continue reading How Electronic Records Are Transforming The Justice System →

The Center for Court Innovation celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Midtown Community Court with speeches by New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, Center for Court Innovation Director Greg Berman, and others. ROBERT V. WOLF:  Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. Tonight I’m at the Morgan Library … Continue reading Midtown Community Court Celebrates 20 Years of Problem-Solving Justice →

Andree Mattix, director of social services at Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, discusses how a customized technology application helps her staff track data and clients in the D.A.’s diversion, victim-witness, and domestic violence programs. ROBERT V. WOLF:  Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation, and today’s New Thinking podcast … Continue reading Information Technology & Social Services: Tracking Clients, Treatment, and Compliance →

Judge Michael Bordallo of the Family Violence Court in Guam discusses his specialized court, including challenges and opportunities faced by the court and stakeholders. The judge also offers a unique perspective on responding to domestic violence in an island community. (September 2013) KATIE CRANK:  Hi, this is Katie Crank, from the Center for Court Innovation’s … Continue reading Addressing Domestic Violence in Guam: a Judge’s Perspective →

The National Drug Court Online Learning System at www.drugcourtline.org offers free training modules on a wide range of topics by national experts. In this podcast, Valerie Raine and Dennis Reilly, both of the Center for Court Innovation, explain how drug courts can use the system to educate new employees and keep their teams up to … Continue reading Experts at Your Fingertips: The National Drug Court Online Learning System →

Under Chief Michael A. Davis, the police officers of Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul, pursue community building.   ROB WOLF: Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, Director of Communication at the Center for Court Innovation. This New Thinking podcast is focused on policing and the ideas of community building and police legitimacy. On the phone … Continue reading Beyond Fighting Crime, Police in a Minnesota Town Seek to Foster a Sense of Community →

Angela Irvine, director of research in the Criminal Justice Division of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, sat down for this podcast interview after participating in a research roundtable on youth courts that was sponsored by the Center for Court Innovation and the Lowenstein Family Foundation on July 18, 2012.  Irvine also discusses research … Continue reading Improving Youth Programming: The Role of Research →

The graduation of seven fathers serves as a jumping off point for Liberty Aldrich, director of the Center for Court Innovation’s family and domestic violence programming, to discuss the Kings County Parent Support Program, which links non-custodial parents with needed services to increase child support payments and maintain healthy parent-child relationships.   ROBERT V. WOLF: … Continue reading Parent Support Program Helps Repair Parent-Child Relationships →

Gail Pendleton, co-director of ASISTA, which advises and trains advocates and attorneys who work with immigrant survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, discusses some of the complex issues non-citizen survivors face. July 2012 SARAH SCHWEIG: Hi, I’m Sarah Schweig at the Center for Court Innovation and today I’m speaking with Gail Pendleton about how issues … Continue reading Lacking U.S. Citizenship, Some Survivors of Domestic Violence Face Extra Challenges →

David Adams, co-founder and co-director of Emerge, the first counseling program in the nation for men who abuse women, discusses the inner workings, challenges, and potential benefits of group counseling for men who batter. (July 2012)   SARAH SCHWEIG: Hi, I’m Sarah Schweig, of the Center for Court Innovation, and today I’m speaking with Dr. David Adams. … Continue reading Can Batterers be Rehabilitated? →

Peacemaker Administrator Anna Francis-Jack discusses tribal history and how The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington State have launched and grown their peacemaking program. May 2012   ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. During a visit to the Colville tribes in Washington State, … Continue reading ‘Each One’s a Success When They Walk Through That Door’: Creating and Sustaining a Tribal Peacemaking Program →

Mark Halsey of Flinders University Law School discusses key findings of an evaluation of Australia’s first community court.   ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation and I’m in Washington D.C. at Community Justice 2012.  I’m speaking with Mark Halsey.  He’s a professor of criminal justice … Continue reading Lessons from Australia: What Researchers Have Learned about the Melbourne Neighbourhood Justice Centre →

Kurt Sandstrom, assistant deputy minister of Alberta Justice in Alberta, Canada discusses his province’s efforts to break cycles of offending with integrated, evidence-based services.  ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, Director of Communications at the Center for Court Innovation and I am at Community Justice 2012 at the end of January in Washington, D.C. … Continue reading Breaking the Cycle: A Canadian Province Explores an Integrated Approach to Addressing Offenders’ Underlying Problems →

Sociologist Andrew Papachristos focuses his studies on urban neighborhoods, social networks, street gangs, violent crime, and gun violence. A Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar at Harvard University, Papachristos discusses how social network analysis can aid crime prevention. SARAH SCHWEIG:  Hi, I’m Sarah Schweig at the Center for Court Innovation, and today I’m speaking … Continue reading Connections Among People: Tracking and Preventing Violence through Social Network Analysis →

Dan Cipullo, director of the Criminal Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, discusses why and how the court expanded its community court approach from one neighborhood to cover the entire city. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation and I am in … Continue reading A Community Court Takes Washington D.C.: Expanding the Model in the Nation’s Capital →

Queens County (NY) Judge Fernando Camacho discusses why he created a prostitution diversion court that helps victims leave a life of prostitution by linking them to counseling and social services instead of sentencing them to jail time. SARAH SCHWEIG: Hi, I’m Sarah Schweig of the Center for Court Innovation, and today I’m speaking with Judge Fernando Camacho. … Continue reading Changing Perceptions: A Conversation on Prostitution Diversion with Judge Fernando Camacho →

The Center for Court Innovation celebrated its 15th anniversary on Oct. 4, 2011 at the Chelsea Art Museum with the help of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, Center Director Greg Berman, and Mayoral Advisor John Feinblatt, who was the evening’s honoree. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi. I’m Rob Wolf, director of … Continue reading Celebrating 15 Years of Reform: NYC Mayor Bloomberg and Others Reflect on the Center’s Achievements →

T.J. Donovan, the state’s attorney for Chittenden County, explains a new initiative in Burlington, Vermont, that mandates community restitution and participation in social services as alternatives to court or incarceration. ROBERT V. WOLF: I’m Rob Wolf, director of Communications at the Center for Court Innovation and I’m here with T.J. Donovan, the state’s attorney of … Continue reading The Evolution of a Prosecutor: Early Intervention Improves Safety and Saves Money →

Jim Henderson, a trainer and lecturer on domestic violence, discusses probation group conferencing, motivational interview techniques, and the importance of community collaboration. SARAH SCHWEIG: Hi. I’m Sarah Schweig at the Center for Court Innovation and today I’m speaking with Jim Henderson. Jim provides technical assistance as a trainer and lecturer to courts, probation offices, and … Continue reading A Community Process: Strategies to Improve the Response to Domestic Violence →

Robyn Wiktorski-Reynolds, the advocate program coordinator for Crisis Services in Buffalo, New York, has worked in the field of domestic violence and sexual assault for 12 years. Here she discusses the collaborative nature of victim advocacy work. SARAH SCHWEIG: Hi. I’m Sarah Schweig of the Center for Court Innovation, and today I’m speaking with Robyn Wiktorski-Reynolds. Robyn is … Continue reading Privileged Work: A Conversation about Victim Advocacy →

New York City Commissioner of Probation Vincent N. Schiraldi, who previously ran the juvenile justice system in Washington D.C., describes his journey from gadfly to government insider and the reforms he’s been implementing along the way. ROBERT V. WOLF: This is Rob Wolf, director of communications for the Center for Court Innovation, and today I’m … Continue reading An Outsider’s Perspective on an Inside Job →

Mallory O’Brien, a researcher at the Public Policy Institute at Duke University, describes how the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission brings together law enforcement and public health to solve individual homicides. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi. I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation, and today I’m speaking with Mallory O’Brien who’s the … Continue reading Solving and Preventing Homicides through Collaboration →

Anthony Iton of the California Endowment talks about the public health approach to crime and safety problems. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, the director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation and I’m in Los Angeles today with Tony Iton, who is the senior vice president of Healthy Communities, which is an … Continue reading What Can Law Enforcement Learn from Public Health? →

Susan Herman, who served for seven years as the executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, talks about her book Parallel Justice for Victims of Crime. The following is a transcript ROB WOLF: Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. Welcome to another New Thinking podcast. … Continue reading What Victims Really Need: A Conversation with Author and Victim Advocate Susan Herman →

Court Administrator Susie Martin and Chief Probation Officer Lucinda Yellowhair explain how the Navajo Nation’s pilot community court will draw on their culture’s traditional restorative justice principles. The following is a transcript. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi. I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. The Navajo Nation covers 27,000 square miles … Continue reading Problem-Solving Justice in Indian Country: The Navajo Nation Plans a Pilot Community Court →

Dianne Gibson, the manager of the community courts in Dallas, Texas, explains how the South Dallas Community Court uses a combination of partnership and problem-solving to link homeless with services while eliminating neighborhood eyesores. ROBERT V. WOLF: This is Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. I’m recently back from Dallas … Continue reading Dallas Community Courts Make Cleaner, Safer Streets a Top Priority →

Professor David Kennedy, the director of the Center for Crime Prevention & Control at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, shares some of what he’s learned about new approaches to addressing gang violence and open-air drug dealing. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi. I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. This month’s … Continue reading David Kennedy: Innovating New Approaches to Justice (Part II) →

Professor David Kennedy, the director of the Center for Crime Prevention & Control at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, explains how the Boston Gun Project laid the groundwork for the Drug Market Initiative pilot in High Point, N.C. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi. I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. … Continue reading David Kennedy: The Story behind the Drug Market Initiative (Part I) →

This podcast includes observations from the presiding judge, Alex Calabrese, and short interviews by Director of Communications Robert V. Wolf with the Brooklyn D.A.’s Chief Assistant District Attorney Anne Swern and Captain Kenneth Corey, commander of the 76th Precinct. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. … Continue reading Red Hook Community Justice Center Marks its 10-Year Anniversary →

Kristine Herman of the Center for Court Innovation spent three months in Afghanistan helping the attorney general establish the nation’s first unit dedicated to prosecuting cases of violence against women. She spoke with the Center’s Director of Communications Robert V. Wolf about her experience. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi. I’m Rob Wolf, Director of Communications at … Continue reading Confronting Gender Violence in Afghanistan →

District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., following his keynote address at a Harlem Parole Reentry Court graduation, answers questions about reentry, crime prevention, and community prosecution. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi, I’m Rob Wolf, director of Communications at the Center for Court Innovation. This is New Thinking, a podcast about innovations in justice. At the beginning of … Continue reading Manhattan’s New District Attorney Supports Reentry Initiatives →

Joan Petersilia, a law professor at Stanford University explains what ex-prisoners need to successfully reintegrate into society, and how California’s correction system–once a national model–lost its way. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi. I’m Rob Wolf, and welcome to “New Thinking,” a podcast produced by the Center for Court Innovation. Today I’m talking to Joan Petersilia, a … Continue reading Will Prison Overcrowding in California Inspire Positive Change? →

Ronald B. Adrine, the administrative and presiding judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court talks about differentiating between defendants who are habitual batterers and defendants who are one-time perpetrators (such as those acting in self defense). ROBERT V. WOLF: How, I’m Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. Today I’m speaking with … Continue reading The Challenges of Differentiating among Domestic Violence Offenders →

After visiting the Harlem Community Justice Center, Katherine McQuay and Zoe Mentel of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) talk about reentry, community policing, and the stimulus package. ROBERT V. WOLF: This is Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. Welcome to another New Thinking … Continue reading Community Policing and Community Courts →

Roxann Pais, an executive assistant city attorney in the Dallas City Attorney’s Office, describes how prosecutors across the U.S. are responding to the crisis in foreclosed and vacant properties. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi. This is Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. Welcome to another New Thinking podcast. I’m here with … Continue reading Addressing Vacant Properties through Prevention, Enforcement and Redevelopment →

Ann Fulmer, a lawyer and community activist, explains how mortgage fraud harms neighborhoods—including her own community outside Atlanta, Georgia—and what residents can do to stop it. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi. This is Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. Welcome to another New Thinking podcast. Today I’m with Ann Fulmer who … Continue reading Fighting Mortgage Fraud →

Mary Claire Landry, director of Domestic Violence Services for the Catholic Charities in New Orleans, discusses the challenge of rebuilding effective responses to domestic violence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. ROBERT V. WOLF: This is Rob Wolf with another New Thinking podcast from the Center for Court Innovation. Today I’m with Mary Claire Landry, … Continue reading Addressing Domestic Violence in New Orleans →

Judge Wendy Lindley offers a preview of the Orange County Community Court, which is scheduled to open in coming months. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi, this is Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation, and I’d like to welcome you to New Thinking, a podcast produced by the Center for Court Innovation. … Continue reading A New Court in California: An Interview with Judge Wendy Lindley →

University of Maryland Law Professor Terry Hickey discusses Baltimore’s new Prostitution Court and other community justice initiatives. ROBERT V. WOLF: This is Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. I’m here today with Terry Hickey, who is adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Law and is deeply involved … Continue reading Community Justice in Baltimore →

Member of Parliament Nick Herbert talks about his work as Britain’s shadow justice minister, the Conservative Party’s prospects in the next election, and the importance of problem solving. ROBERT V. WOLF: This is Rob Wolf and I’m welcoming listeners to another podcast produced by the Center for Court Innovation. With me today is Nick Herbert, … Continue reading Member of Parliament Discusses Community Justice →

Staff of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court discuss how they help ex-offenders make the transition from incarceration to the community. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi. This is Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation, and welcome to another episode of New Thinking, a podcast produced by the Center for Court Innovation to … Continue reading Harlem Parole Reentry Court →

Judge Miriam Cyrulnik explains how the court–the first of its kind in the country–addresses the unique needs of adolescent domestic violence victims and perpetrators. ROBERT V. WOLF: Hi, this is Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation, and welcome to another episode of New Thinking, a podcast produced by the Center … Continue reading Youthful Offender Domestic Violence Court: Working with Teen Victims and Abusers →

Judge Matthew D’Emic and others explain how the Brooklyn Mental Health Court links mentally-ill offenders to treatment and rigorously monitors compliance. ROBERT V. WOLF: This is Rob Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation. Today we’re going to take a look at the Brooklyn Mental Health Court, the first court of its … Continue reading Brooklyn Mental Health Court: Linking Offenders to Treatment →