New Thinking, from the Center for Justice Innovation

Harm Reduction Is Doing Better Than You Think Jul 08, 2026

Born out of the HIV-AIDS epidemic, harm reduction began as a scrappy, drug-user-led movement with an ethos entirely opposed to the War on Drugs. Almost 50 years on, it's moving—quietly—from the margins to the mainstream.

AI and Justice: The Neutrality Myth Mar 03, 2026

The justice system is awash in purported AI solutions—for everything from prisons to courtrooms. But how do we separate AI’s real promise from the hype? And how do we ensure the technology helps, rather than sets back, the cause of fairness and justice?

Roy Austin, Jr., is the former Vice President of Civil Rights at the tech giant, Meta. He was also a prominent official in the Department of Justice under President Obama. He now heads up the Howard Law Artificial Intelligence Initiative.

“We have this fantasy that there is a neutral in this world and that’s what we are aiming for,” Austin says. “But there is no neutral.”

Punishment Isn’t Safety Jan 14, 2026

Emily Galvin Almanza says, for the most part, the criminal justice system has only one setting: punishment. But punishment isn’t safety. It isn’t even accountability.

Galvin Almanza makes that case in her new book, The Price of Mercy: Unfair Trials, a Violent System, and a Public Defender’s Search for Justice in America.

But the book isn’t only about problems; it’s also about solutions.

“We don’t have to fall prey to the worst aspects of our history,” contends Galvin Almanza. “We can build something better.”

Full show notes

Punch: The Real-Life Restorative Justice Story Behind the Broadway Show Sep 29, 2025

This is a story, not so much of forgiveness, but of something richer, more complicated, and even more deeply human.

Trauma 360 May 27, 2025

Vicarious trauma is the trauma you absorb working with traumatized people, especially when you’re both inside of already traumatizing systems. Treatment not jail, diversion from harmful system-contact… Making justice reform work on the ground relies on an abundance of frontline staff: from mental health counsellors to peer mentors. But many of those staff, at our organization and at others like us, are hurting: navigating human suffering—trauma—on all sides.

Full show notes

Drug Testing and the Ordeal of Probation Nov 12, 2024

What is probation—and the ethos of drug testing that is at its heart—actually testing?

Inside Literary Prize: And the Winner Is… Aug 14, 2024

Hear from the winner of this year's Inside Literary Prize, the first major U.S. book award to be judged exclusively by people who are incarcerated.

Inside Literary Prize: Shakopee Women’s Prison Aug 01, 2024

A behind-the-scenes portrait of a day of judging for the Inside Literary Prize, the first major U.S. book award judged exclusively by people who are incarcerated.

Mental Health and Anti-Blackness May 06, 2024

"Even in the clients we serve, anti-Blackness is the reason why they show up in harmful ways in the community."

Recriminalization in Oregon Mar 19, 2024

Morgan Godvin was at the frontlines of Oregon's decriminalization fight. She says progress towards a health-based approach to drug use "has fallen prey to fear-based policy."

Gideon at 60: Deconstructing Mass Supervision Dec 16, 2023

Vincent Schiraldi used to run probation in New York City; now he’s asking whether probation should even exist. Schiraldi says some of the roots of mass supervision—and its connection to mass incarceration—can be found in a surprising place: the Supreme Court’s 1963 Gideon decision. It recognized, but failed to adequately support, a poor person’s right to a lawyer.

Hear the final episode in our “Gideon at 60” series.

Full show notes

Gideon at 60: Uncivil Justice Nov 16, 2023

A profile of the fight to secure lawyers for people facing eviction and the radical impact that is having in Housing Court. With its 1963 Gideon decision, the Supreme Court guaranteed a lawyer to any poor person facing prison time. For criminal cases, the decision was both sweeping and critically incomplete. On the civil side, the campaign for a right-to-counsel is taking a different approach—it’s slow and piecemeal, but it’s also working.

This is the second episode in our series on the legacy of the Gideon decision. Hear the first episode here.

Full show notes

Gideon at 60: The Unfunded Mandate Apr 04, 2023

Sixty years on from a landmark Supreme Court decision, how can public defenders organize for genuine change?

When Young People Go to Prison for Life Feb 14, 2023

Rather than arrests and incarceration, what do young people who commit harm actually need?

Emphasizing the Harms Nov 04, 2022

A recent training for Manhattan prosecutors was a drumbeat on the harms of incarceration; hardly the typical message prosecutors receive. It was part of a wider effort by D.A. Alvin Bragg to expand the use of alternatives such as treatment and restorative justice. But in a newly-cramped climate for criminal justice reform, can that effort become a reality?

Evicting Evictions Jun 28, 2022

Housing is a human right. What if we designed our systems—beginning with Housing Court—to embody that?

Reform and Its Discontents May 09, 2022

What if much of what is packaged today as "reforms" to the criminal legal system are extending, not countering, that system's harmful effects?

Why Data Doesn’t Stick Mar 24, 2022

Data makes a powerful case against the criminal justice status quo, but who's listening?

Can We Close Rikers? Jan 25, 2022

NYC has pledged to close its notorious Rikers Island jail by 2027, but obstacles abound.

The Question of Dirty Work Nov 22, 2021

Have we placed people working to offer mental health treatment behind bars in a situation where it's impossible to practice ethical care?

Taking Reform Out of Its Comfort Zone Oct 25, 2021

Can a treatment-first approach be brought to scale inside of the same system responsible for mass incarceration in the first place?

The Crisis on Rikers Island Sep 22, 2021

An audio snapshot from an emergency rally demanding immediate measures to release people from NYC's Rikers Island jail. Eleven people have died in the custody of the city's jail system this year.

Cages Don’t Help Us Heal Aug 10, 2021

I made my own choices, Marlon Peterson says, “but I also did not choose to experience the type of things I experienced.”

One of These Days We Might Find Us Some Free: Reginald Dwayne Betts Jul 20, 2021

In 1996, 16-year-old Reginald Dwayne Betts was sentenced to nine years in prison for a carjacking. He spent much of that time reading, and eventually writing. After prison, he went to Yale Law School and published a memoir and three books of poems. But he’s still wrestling with what “after prison” means. This is a conversation about incarceration, Blackness, and the weight of history, both political and personal. Betts’s most recent collection of poems is Felon.

Full show notes

This episode was originally released in January 2020.

The Cycle: Police Violence, Black Rebellion Jun 30, 2021

Historian Elizabeth Hinton on the lessons for the present from her new book, America on Fire: The Untold History of Police Violence and Black Rebellion Since the 1960s.

Policing, Race, and a Crisis in Mental Health Jun 01, 2021

People experiencing a mental health emergency make up one of every four people killed by police. Changing how we respond to crisis in the moment, and to widespread, ongoing mental health needs, means deferring to the leadership of people with lived experience and putting racial equity at the center of every reform. On today's episode, listening to the people who know how to fix systems, because they're surviving their harms.

Does the Criminal Justice System Cause Crime? Apr 26, 2021

A headline-grabbing new study suggests even fleeting contact with the criminal justice system is a significant risk factor for incurring a future arrest. Hear from the Boston D.A. and a study co-author.

How Will the Death Penalty End? Mar 25, 2021

Journalist Maurice Chammah discusses his new book, Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty.

COVID-19 Behind Bars: A Pandemic of Neglect Feb 02, 2021

Homer Venters has been inspecting detention facilities for COVID-compliance almost since the start of the pandemic. The former chief medical officer for NYC jails says what were already substandard health systems and abusive environments have deteriorated sharply, where even people positive for the virus can languish unseen for days.

Heal and Punish? Treatment and Trauma Inside a Coercive System Jan 19, 2021

How effective is therapy or treatment when it’s used instead of incarceration, and what are the challenges to conducting it inside the coercive context of the criminal justice system? New Thinking host Matt Watkins is joined by clinical psychologist Jacob Ham who works with justice-involved young people affected by trauma, and John Jay College’s Deborah Koetzle who evaluates programs aiming to help participants rebuild lives outside of the justice system.

Full show notes

**This episode was originally released in January 2019**

Josie Duffy Rice: Fighting a Big Fight Dec 17, 2020

It’s been a long year for justice in America. Josie Duffy Rice offers a sharp take on what the future could hold.

Guns, Young People, Hidden Networks Nov 30, 2020

Three of the authors of a groundbreaking year-long study into young people and guns talk about their disturbing findings, and the remarkable way the research was conducted.

Reform and Its Discontents Oct 26, 2020

In their book, Prison By Any Other Name, activists Victoria Law and Maya Schenwar contend that much of what is packaged today as “reforms” to the criminal legal system are extending, not countering, that system’s harmful effects. So what is the ultimate goal of reform of a system like the criminal legal system? (Episode nominated for a Media for a Just Society award in 2021.)

Full show notes

What We All Get Wrong About Gun Violence Oct 05, 2020

While crime of nearly every kind has been declining amid COVID-19, in cities across the country, gun violence and homicides have been the exceptions. Long-time researcher and former Obama DOJ official, Thomas Abt, says there are proven solutions to reduce the violence. But he says both the right and the left fail to grasp the essence of any solution: focus on the violence itself. Abt is the author of Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets.

This episode was originally released in July 2019 (new episodes start next week!)

Full show notes

Listen back to New Thinking’s episode with Patrick Sharkey, author of Uneasy Peace: The Great Crime Decline, The Renewal of City Life, and the Next War on Violence.

Learn more about the Center for Court Innovation’s “credible messenger” violence interruption program, Save Our Streets.

Misdemeanors, Race, and a History of Injustice Aug 20, 2020

The alleged use of a $20 counterfeit bill, selling loose cigarettes on a street corner, a broken brake light—think how many police encounters that ended with the killing of a Black person began with misdemeanor enforcement. If you want to shrink the role of police and the justice system, misdemeanors are the best place to start. Low-level, often “order maintenance,” charges make up 80 percent of criminal cases, and it’s here the justice system’s endemic racial disparities are at their most yawning.

In this conversation from February 2019, Alexandra Natapoff explains how the consequences of the sprawling misdemeanor system can trail someone for life. She calls that system “one of the great, under-appreciated engines of racial inequality in this country,” tracing its roots to the backlash against Reconstruction at the end of the Civil War.

A professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, Natapoff is the author of Punishment Without Crime: How Our Massive Misdemeanor System Traps the Innocent and Makes America More Unequal.

Full show notes

Restorative Justice is Racial Justice Jul 06, 2020

Restorative justice is about repairing harm. But for Black Americans, what is there to be restored to? This episode features 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 some of the highest suspension rates in New York City.

Episode page

The episode features music from Zanny London, a student at one of the high schools in the program. Find more of his work on SoundCloud and Instagram.

Justice and the Virus: Racial Patterns Jun 03, 2020

The death of George Floyd after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for close to nine minutes has triggered a wave of long-held anger and revulsion across the country. Vincent Southerland, the executive director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU, compares Floyd’s death—in public, in broad daylight—to a lynching. The furor comes in the midst of a pandemic itself exacerbated by racism. How will COVID-19, and the reaction to police violence, affect the deep racial patterns of the justice system?

Episode page

Interview recorded May 29

Hear the first episode in the ‘Justice and the Virus’ series with Rachel Barkow

Justice and the Virus: Rachel Barkow May 22, 2020

With justice systems across the country scrambling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lot of talk about what justice is going to look like when the virus ends. But what has the response actually consisted of—especially from prisons and jails, which have emerged as epicenters of the virus—and is there any reason to anticipate a “new normal” to emerge? New York University law professor Rachel Barkow explains her skepticism.

Episode page

Hear Barkow on New Thinking discuss her 2019 book, Prisoners of Politics: Breaking the Cycle of Mass Incarceration

Interview recorded on May 19

Getting People Off Rikers Island in a Pandemic May 05, 2020

The infection rate from COVID-19 in New York City’s Rikers Island jails is currently almost 30 times the rate for the U.S. as a whole. As the city struggled to get people out from behind bars—criticized both for moving too slowly, and for even contemplating releasing anyone early from a jail sentence—it turned to a trio of nonprofits to repurpose a successful program on the fly. The urgency of supporting people being released abruptly from jail in the midst of a pandemic is clear, but so are the challenges. The experience also raises the question: what happens to criminal justice when the virus ends?

Interview recorded on May 1

Episode page

See a summary of results from the Rikers Early Release Program

Listen to a related New Thinking: ‘Jail-Attributable Deaths’

The Inequities of COVID-19: A Focus on Public Housing Apr 17, 2020

In cities across the United States, the effects of the coronavirus are not being experienced equally. Whether it’s infection rates, deaths, or job losses, people of low income and people of color are being hit hardest. In New York City, many of those effects are concentrated in communities where public housing is located. The Center for Court Innovation’s Neighborhood Safety Initiatives program works with public housing residents. On New Thinking, the program’s Alicia Arrington explains the challenge, and the response.

Full show notes

Episode recorded on April 14

Criminal Justice as Social Justice: Bruce Western Feb 12, 2020

Bruce Western’s book, Homeward: Life in the Year After Prison, is, as its title suggests, about the challenges confronting people re-entering society after a period behind bars. But it’s also inevitably about the deep harms of incarceration itself. And moving further backward still, it’s about the problems and life-histories that leave people vulnerable to the criminal justice system in the first place. Ethically, Western asks, what are we to make of a system whose default response to those problems is jail or prison? In Homeward, Western outlines a very different, much more hopeful vision.

This is an updated version of an episode originally released in September 2018.

Full show notes

“One of These Days We Might Find Us Some Free”: Reginald Dwayne Betts Jan 16, 2020

In 1996, 16-year-old Reginald Dwayne Betts was sentenced to nine years in prison for a carjacking. He spent much of that time reading, and eventually writing. After prison, he went to Yale Law School and published a memoir and three books of poems. But he’s still wrestling with what “after prison” means. This is a conversation about incarceration, blackness, and the weight of history, both political and personal. Betts’s most recent collection of poems is Felon.

Full show notes

Introducing ‘In Practice’ Jan 02, 2020

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)!

College Incarcerated Dec 19, 2019

At 24, Jarrell Daniels was released from prison after six years behind bars. It was a Thursday. The following Tuesday, he came back to the same facility in street clothes to attend the college class he’d started on the inside. He’s now a sophomore at Columbia University. The class that so inspired him was a novel experiment in an already unconventional setting: half of the students were people incarcerated in the facility, and half were local prosecutors. Their subject was the criminal justice system. Hear more about the experience, now being replicated by other district attorney’s offices, from Daniels, and from Lucy Lang, who conceived of the idea. A former Manhattan assistant district attorney, Lang is now the executive director of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution.

Full show notes

Kim Foxx: Rooted in Humanity Dec 04, 2019

With Kim Foxx running for re-election as State’s Attorney in Cook County (Chicago), it’s an excellent moment to revisit one of the best conversations we’ve had on the podcast. Foxx, the first African-American woman to lead the office, has faced a campaign of sustained, often vicious, opposition from the moment she took the job and every indication is she should expect more of the same in her attempt to renew her mandate. But recent reporting—notably from The Marshall Project—suggests she is also following through on her promise to transform Chicago’s justice system. What is clear from this candid September 2018 interview is that Foxx knew she’d be fighting off critics every step of the way: “I think people wanted to have a narrative about what it meant for a black woman from the projects to have this job.”

Full show notes

Hear all of the episodes in our Prosecutor Power series.

What Do We Know About Community Service? Nov 08, 2019

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 ways courts are actually using community service is undercutting its potential to act as a genuine alternative sentence.

The episode is in two acts. In Act One, an on-location snapshot of community service at the Center for Court Innovation. In Act Two, Joanna Weiss of the Fines and Fees Justice Center runs through some of the troubling recent findings, and outlines recommendations for making an alternative sentence work.

Full show notes

Ending Bail, Closing Rikers: How Change Happens Oct 15, 2019

The movements to end cash bail and close jails are connected, and gabriel sayegh has been in the thick of organizing both fights. The co-executive director of the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice explains why he thinks New York’s impending reforms to bail are potentially the most sweeping in the country. And in a critical week for the campaign to close New York City’s notorious Rikers Island jail facility, sayegh, one of the founders of the #CLOSErikers effort, outlines why the heated debate on the left over what is to come after Rikers, is a split organizers have long known was coming.

Full show notes

Jail-Attributable Deaths Sep 25, 2019

As chief medical officer for New York City jails, Homer Venters realized early in his tenure that for many people dying in jail, the primary cause of death was jail itself. To document these deaths, Venters and his team created a statistical category no one had dared to compile before: “jail-attributable deaths.” His work led him into frequent opposition with the security services. It also led to his book, Life and Death in Rikers Island, about New York City’s notoriously violent jail facility.

Full show notes (transcript, images, resources & references)

Art vs. Mass Incarceration Sep 04, 2019

Can art transform the criminal justice system? On this special edition of New Thinking, host Matt Watkins sits down with two New York City artists on the rise—Derek Fordjour and Shaun Leonardo—who both work with our Project Reset to provide an arts-based alternative to court and a criminal record for people arrested on a low-level charge. With the program set to expand city-wide, the three discuss art’s potential to help heal a racialized criminal justice system.

Full show notes (images, links, transcript, etc.)

Beyond the Algorithm: Risk and Race Aug 14, 2019

**episode originally aired in October 2018**

About two out of three people in local jails are being held awaiting trial, often because they can’t afford bail. What if a mathematical formula could do a more objective job of identifying who could be safely released? That’s the promise of risk assessments. But critics call them “justice by algorithm,” and contend they’re reproducing the bias inherent to the justice system, only this time under the guise of science.

UPDATE August 2019: Since this episode aired, the report covering much of the same ground as the podcast has been published. You can read ‘Beyond the Algorithm’ here. The study was also covered by The Marshall Project and The Appeal, among others.

Full show notes (includes episode transcript and our famed resources & references section)

The Art and Science of Reducing Violence Jul 10, 2019

In 2017, more than 17,000 people were murdered in the United States, most of them in cities. Thomas Abt, a long-time policy-maker and researcher, says that far from intractable, there are proven ways to reduce the violence, but he worries the urgency of acting now is being ignored. And when it comes to how we think about violence, he has a bone to pick with both the right and the left. Abt’s new book is Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence and a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets.

Full show notes

Marilyn Mosby, Karl Racine: “We’re Talking About Humans” Jun 21, 2019

With so much of the focus now on keeping people out of jail and prison, it can feel like there is a reluctance among criminal justice reformers to work on improving life for the more than two million people already there. But one group beginning to mobilize on the issue is prosecutors—or at least “progressive” prosecutors. Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine explain what they learned on a tour of European prisons, and the “bright line” they see running from the overt racial control in America’s past to the disparities and dehumanizing practices inside jails and prisons today.

Full show notes

Prosecutor Power: Scott Hechinger on the Urgency of Reform Jun 06, 2019

If you’re not following Scott Hechinger on Twitter, you’re missing something important. A public defender and the director of policy at Brooklyn Defender Services, Hechinger is a fantastic explainer and participant-witness at the frontlines of the justice system. In May 2018, he joined our series on prosecutors, outlining how prosecutor power is exerted at key decision-points in his clients’ cases, mostly to their detriment. Chosen by the Vera Institute of Justice for its ‘Best of 2018‘ awards, we’re revisiting that episode with a new introduction in light of the remarkable new series from Ava DuVernay, ‘When They See Us.’ The series dramatizes the story of five black teenagers arrested and imprisoned for the rape of a white woman in New York City’s Central Park in 1989 showing how prosecutor and police power is used to force false confessions from the five teens. Their case is an extreme one, but it’s by no means an isolated example. Indeed, what emerges from the discussion with Hechinger is how much the system, as part of its day-to-day operation, relies upon a combination of coercion and incentives to get what it wants from defendants.

Full show notes

The Pathological Politics of Criminal Justice May 22, 2019

Rachel Barkow contends criminal justice policy is a “prisoner of politics,” driven by appeals to voters’ worst instincts and an aversion to evidence of what actually works. Defined by its severity and unfairness, the criminal justice system, she says, is counterproductive to the goal of public safety it claims as its justification. In her new book, the NYU law professor makes a provocative case for “freeing” criminal justice from the political imperative in order to achieve real reform.

Full show notes

Emily Bazelon: When Power Shifts May 01, 2019

The well-known journalist and commentator Emily Bazelon talks about her new book, Charged, on the “movement to transform American prosecution,” and where she thinks power might be shifting in the criminal justice system. So-called progressive prosecutors are very much a minority among elected D.A.s, but what if they could be the model for dismantling what she calls America’s “giant machine of punishment”?

Full show notes

Misdemeanors Matter #3: Rachael Rollins Reboots Low-Level Justice Apr 17, 2019

Rachael Rollins says she has seen the criminal justice system from “almost every angle.” Now, as Boston’s first female African-American district attorney, she’s setting the agenda. She explains her new approach of “services not sentences” as a response to low-level “crimes of poverty” and the urgency of changing the traditional role of the prosecutor.

Full show notes

New Jails to End All Jails? Mar 29, 2019

Rikers Island was once the dream of progressive reformers for a more rehabilitative corrections system. Now New York City, taking advantage of its plunging jail population, has pledged to replace the scandal-plagued complex with four smaller redesigned facilities—located near courthouses, not on an isolated island. It’s a shift the mayor says will end the era of mass incarceration in the city. But can building “better” jails lead to less reliance on jails overall? New Thinking host Matt Watkins moderates a public discussion of “Justice by Design.”

Full show notes

The Cost of Being Poor? The Fight Against Fines and Fees Mar 13, 2019

Almost any encounter with the criminal justice system comes with a price tag, and fines and fees are capturing millions of Americans in a cycle of poverty and justice-involvement. Various states across the country charge you for using a public defender, a DNA sample, your monthly parole meetings, even a jury trial. And that’s in addition to the fines attached to any conviction. Fall too far behind on your payments and you could end up in jail. On this episode, we hear from a judge in Washington State who’s come up with an innovative solution to help break this cycle, and from Alexes Harris, a leading researcher on how fines and fees are used across the country.

Full show notes (includes pictures, episode transcript, and resources & references section)

Prosecutor Power #8: What’s Next for Progressive Prosecutors? Feb 20, 2019

How can the recent victories of the campaign to elect reform-minded district attorneys be wedded to larger systemic change to ensure the movement’s gains outlast the next election? On the final episode of our Prosecutor Power series, the ACLU's Somil Trivedi says progressive D.A.s have to take the next step of campaigning to reduce their own power.

Misdemeanors Matter #2: Alexandra Natapoff on a Legacy of Injustice Feb 06, 2019

Alexandra Natapoff calls the misdemeanor justice system a "quiet behemoth": making up four of every five criminal cases in the U.S., neglected by scholars and reformers, and potentially harming those caught up in it for life. In Punishment Without Crime, she describes a system warped by financial incentives that acts as a leading engine of racial and social inequality. She also says the reforms are obvious, and already happening in pockets across the country.

Prosecutor Power #7: Strength in Numbers Jan 25, 2019

The movement to elect reform-minded prosecutors has been around long enough and scored enough victories that progressive D.A.s now have their own support network: Fair and Just Prosecution. Miriam Krinsky, its executive director, explains why she thinks "starry-eyed idealists" who want to transform the justice system need to get the message that "the biggest difference they can make is to go and work in a prosecutor's office."

Heal and Punish? When Therapy Is the Alternative to Incarceration Jan 09, 2019

How effective is therapy or treatment when it's used instead of incarceration, and what are the challenges to conducting it inside the coercive context of the criminal justice system? New Thinking host Matt Watkins is joined by clinical psychologist Jacob Ham who works with justice-involved young people affected by trauma, and John Jay College's Deborah Koetzle who evaluates programs aiming to help participants rebuild lives outside of the justice system.

Rikers: An American Jail (Best of 2018) Dec 26, 2018

Highlights from a public screening and panel discussion of Bill Moyers's 'Rikers: An American Jail,' moderated by New Thinking host, Matt Watkins. Commenting on the film and the future of criminal justice reform are Tina Luongo of the Legal Aid Society, Jill Harris of the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, and two of the people formerly held on Rikers featured in the film: Barry Campbell of the Fortune Society, and Johnny Perez of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture. This episode was originally released in July 2018.

Prosecutor Power #6: Larry Krasner, The Antagonist Dec 12, 2018

As a defense attorney, Larry Krasner sued the Philadelphia police upwards of 75 times. Then, in late 2017, he was elected D.A. in a landslide. As part of our series on the power of prosecutors, Krasner explains why he has little patience for compromise in a city whose justice system is "an outlier in a country that is an outlier."

Race, Trauma, and Healing in Crown Heights, Brooklyn Nov 09, 2018

An audio portrait of Make It Happen, our program working with young men of color in Crown Heights, Brooklyn affected by violence. Through interviews with participants and practitioners, the episode explores the intersections of trauma, involvement with the justice system, and the lived experience of race. This episode was originally released in April 2018.

Misdemeanors Matter #1: Social Control and the Lower Criminal Courts Oct 26, 2018

In Misdemeanorland, Issa Kohler-Hausmann argues the lower courts are no longer primarily concerned with whether people actually committed the offense they’ve been accused of. Instead, the focus is on future behavior: upholding social order through managing and assessing—often over long stretches—everyone with the misfortune of entering Misdemeanorland. It's an argument that forces us to rethink what justice should look like in low-level cases.

The Most Hot-Button Issue in Criminal Justice Reform? Oct 05, 2018

About two out of three people in local jails are being held awaiting trial, often because they can't afford bail. What if a mathematical formula could do a more objective job of identifying who could be safely released? That's the promise of risk assessments. But critics call them "justice by algorithm," and contend they're reproducing the bias inherent to the justice system, only this time under the guise of science.

Prosecutor Power #4: Kim Foxx, Rooted in Humanity Sep 20, 2018

Kim Foxx's unexpected 2016 victory in the race for State's Attorney for Cook County (Chicago) helped to ignite the movement to elect prosecutors promising something other than being "tough on crime." As part of our series on prosecutor power, Foxx explains the reforms she’s put in place, her struggles with being the face of a system that continues to fail so many of her constituents, and offers her take on the “incredible” gains made by the movement to elect a new kind of prosecutor.

Criminal Justice as Social Justice: A Conversation With Bruce Western Sep 06, 2018

Columbia University's Bruce Western, a leading expert on the connection between mass incarceration and poverty, discusses his new book, Homeward: Life in the Year After Prison, and outlines his vision for a justice system rebuilt to respond to the deep deprivation and trauma fueling much of the behaviour that leads to imprisonment.

Financial Insecurity and Domestic Violence: A Conversation about Child Support Aug 22, 2018

For survivors of domestic violence, financial insecurity is often a huge problem. Without money to support themselves and their families, survivors can struggle to gain independence. In this New Thinking podcast, Michael Hayes from the Office of Child Support Enforcement and Krista Del Gallo from the Texas Council on Family Violence talk with Robert V. Wolf about strategies that states and the federal government are promoting to help survivors safely access child support.

Prosecutor Power #3: Reform From Within—The Brooklyn D.A. Aug 08, 2018

Jill Harris says she's "shocked to find myself working for a D.A." A long-time advocate for criminal justice reform, Harris, now the head of the Brooklyn D.A.'s Justice 2020 reform initiative, offers her take on the role of the prosecutor in the third installment of our series on the debate over prosecutor power.

How the Law Intersects with Everyday Life: Promoting Access to Civil Justice Jul 20, 2018

Legal Hand seeks to help people resolve civil justice issues before they need lawyers and court intervention. In our latest New Thinking episode, learn about how the program works, how civil justice issues impact different communities, and why it can be hard to get basic legal information to the people who need it.

Rikers: An American Jail Jul 05, 2018

Highlights from a public screening and panel discussion of Bill Moyers's 'Rikers: An American Jail,' moderated by New Thinking host, Matt Watkins. Commenting on the film and the future of criminal justice reform are Tina Luongo of the Legal Aid Society, Jill Harris of the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, and two of the people formerly held on Rikers featured in the film: Barry Campbell of the Fortune Society, and Johnny Perez of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

Keeping the Peace: Patrick Sharkey on Sustaining the Great Crime Decline Jun 20, 2018

On our New Thinking podcast, Patrick Sharkey, the author of Uneasy Peace: The Great Crime Decline, the Renewal of City Life, and the Next War on Violence, discusses the wider costs of violence and the threat posed by inequality and disinvestment to the current fragile gains. He points to the signal role of community organizing and community-based nonprofits in combating violence and building safer, more resilient cities.

How Do We Tell What’s Working? Disrupting the Justice Evaluation Model Jun 06, 2018

Who gets to decide which reforms to the criminal justice system receive the imprimatur of "evidence-based"? To combat what she sees as the monopoly over these decisions created by the high cost of the current evaluation model, Angela Hawken founded BetaGov, offering free and fast evaluations of public policy programs. What is more, as Hawken explains on our New Thinking podcast, the ideas tested generally come from practitioners, or even clients, inside the systems themselves.

Putting the Public in Public Defending: Standing Up for a Profession in Crisis May 23, 2018

On our 'New Thinking' podcast, Nashville's top public defender Dawn Deaner explains why she thinks public defending has been "set up to fail" and how working to engage the community—both those who need public defenders and those who never will—is a lifeline for a profession in crisis.

Prosecutor Power #2: A Public Defender on the Urgency of Reform May 04, 2018

As part of our podcast series on prosecutor power, Scott Hechinger of Brooklyn Defender Services offers a view from the other side of the adversarial process, discussing prosecutors' impact at key decision-points in his clients' cases and weighing the prospects for reform in a time of increasing scrutiny of prosecutorial discretion.

Violence, Trauma, and Healing in Crown Heights, Brooklyn Apr 19, 2018

On our New Thinking podcast, an audio portrait of Make It Happen, our program working with young men of color in Crown Heights, Brooklyn affected by violence. Through interviews with participants and practitioners, the episode explores the intersections of trauma, involvement with the justice system, and the lived experience of race.

Prosecutor Power #1: John Pfaff on Mass Incarceration Mar 27, 2018

On 'New Thinking,' author John Pfaff outlines his argument for how prosecutors have contributed to mass incarceration and considers how much can be expected from the emerging breed of progressive D.A.'s. This is the first in our podcast series on the power of prosecutors.

Kansas City Domestic Violence Court: Assessing Risk, Addressing Needs Mar 20, 2018

In this New Thinking podcast, Judge Courtney Wachal and Megan Sartin, the offender accountability coordinator, explain the operations of the Kansas City Domestic Violence Court, an Office on Violence Against Women designated mentor court.

Reducing Incarceration Now: A Conversation About ‘Start Here’ Mar 07, 2018

On our 'New Thinking' podcast, hear from Greg Berman and Julian Adler, the co-authors of our book from the New Press, Start Here: A Road Map to Reducing Mass Incarceration.

Renewing Justice: When the Library Becomes a Community Court Feb 21, 2018

Since 2016, the community court in Eugene, Oregon, has met every week in the downtown library. It's part of an effort getting a lot of attention on the West Coast to bring problem-solving justice to friendlier settings. On our 'New Thinking' podcast, hear about Eugene's success with the new model.

Project SAFE: Improving Services for Criminalized Black Women Jan 10, 2018

On our 'New Thinking' podcast, Afua Addo, our coordinator of Gender and Justice Initiatives, explains our project aiding justice-involved black women who are survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault.

Designing Decarceration: Architect Deanna Van Buren Oct 17, 2017

On our New Thinking podcast, the Oakland-based architect explains her firm’s mission to use design to counter incarceration and promote the use of restorative justice. She also discusses her work on our Near Westside Peacemaking Center in Syracuse, N.Y.

Improving Access to Civil Justice: A Conversation with Jordan Dressler Aug 15, 2017

Jordan Dressler, the director of the recently created New York City Office of Civil Justice, discusses Mayor Bill de Blasio's ambitious five-year plan to provide free or low-cost legal assistance to every low-income New Yorker facing eviction, deportation, or other potentially life-altering civil proceedings. The interview focuses in detail on the benefits this guarantee is expected to have on tenants confronting landlords in Housing Court (the latter almost always represented by lawyers). Hosting this episode of New Thinking are Ignacio Jaureguilorda, director of Poverty Justice Solutions, our program that seeks to close the justice gap in Housing Court, and Robert V. Wolf, the Center for Court Innovation's director of communications.

Using Volunteers to Evaluate the Courtroom Experience: A Conversation about CourtWatch of King County, Wash. Jun 15, 2017

Court observation programs around the country send volunteers into courts to observe, collect data, and sometimes issue reports about what they've seen. Their goals include keeping courts accountable to the public and improving transparency, but not all courts are eager to receive public feedback. CourtWatch of King County, Washington, has worked closely with its local courts since the program's founding, trying to build a relationship that is more collaborative than adversarial. As Laura Jones, manager, and Mary Laskowski, services and outreach coordinator, explain to New Thinking host Robert V. Wolf, this collaborative approach has allowed CourtWatch to support judges and court administrators in efforts to improve the court experience for everyone.

This podcast was supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K023 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, or recommendations expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

**The End of Rikers? Courtney Bryan on the Call to Close the Rikers Island Jails** Apr 21, 2017
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, and the steps needed to carry out its recommendations. We also hear a range of activists and reformers react to the pledge to close the notorious jail facility.

Courtney Bryan. January 2017

Reducing New York City’s Jail Population Mar 23, 2017

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 and makes concrete suggestions for how to improve the system, especially for those defendants detained awaiting trial. In this New Thinking podcast, Matt Watkins speaks with Michael Rempel, the report’s lead author and the Center’s research director.

Problem-Solving in L.A.: Multiple Issues, One Collaborative Court Jan 16, 2017

In this New Thinking podcast, Judge Marcelita Haynes of the Los Angeles Superior Court talks with Matt Watkins about Community Collaborative Courts, the county’s new approach to problem-solving justice. Judge Haynes says the courts look for long-term solutions to a range of problems—from mental health issues to homelessness—that can fuel repeated contact with the criminal legal system.

Seeking Evidence: A Professor Looks for Empirical Proof to Improve Access to Justice Dec 16, 2016

In this New Thinking podcast, Harvard Law School Professor James Greiner talks with Aubrey Fox about why he launched the Access to Justice Lab, which has researched topics as varied as how to provide self-help materials to defendants involved in civil debt collection cases to the effectiveness of commonly used pretrial assessment interview tools in criminal court. Greiner also discusses what he sees as a strategy for improving the legal profession's openness to evidence-based thinking.

How Can Lawyers Help Address Poverty and Eviction? A Conversation with Law Professor Raymond Brescia Dec 13, 2016

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 in Housing Court, debt collection cases as the next great issue for public interest attorneys, and how a good lawyer is like a patronus from a Harry Potter book.

Houston’s SAFE Court Offers Victims of Human Trafficking a New Path Nov 09, 2016

In this New Thinking podcast, Ann Johnson, an assistant district attorney and the human trafficking section chief with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, discusses her office's strategies for combating human trafficking, including increased enforcement against traffickers and buyers, and diversion from prosecution for victims. One of the office's diversion programs, SAFE Court, gives those aged 17 to 25 who are charged with prostitution the opportunity to clear the charge from their criminal records by completing a year-long program of monitoring and social services. SAFE Court was created with support from a Smart Prosecution grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. To learn more, visit the Association of Prosecuting Attorney's Smart Prosecution website.

Taking a Collaborative Approach to Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Justice System Oct 25, 2016

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 in Times of Change on Sept. 30, 2016.

The Potential for Bias in Risk-Assessment Tools: A Conversation Oct 19, 2016

In this New Thinking podcast, Reuben J. Miller, assistant professor of social work at the University of Michigan, and his research collaborator Hazelette Crosby-Robinson discuss some of the criticisms that have been leveled against risk assessment tools. Those criticisms include placing too much emphasis on geography and criminal history, which can distort the actual risk for clients from neighborhoods that experience an above-average presence of policing and social services. "Geography is often a proxy for race," Miller says. Miller and Crosby-Robinson spoke with the Center for Court Innovation's Director of Communications Robert V. Wolf after they participated in a panel on the "The Risk-Needs-Responsivity Framework" at Justice Innovation in Times of Change, a regional summit on Sept. 30, 2016 in North Haven, Conn.

Fairness, Procedural Justice, and Domestic Violence: A Conversation with Judge Jeffrey Kremers Aug 30, 2016

In this New Thinking podcast, Judge Jeffrey Kremers of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court brings procedural justice to bear on domestic violence. Sharing his insights from the bench, Judge Kremers talks about the importance of procedural justice for both defendants and survivors as well as their families, and discusses strategies for addressing the unique challenges posed by domestic violence cases.

This podcast was supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K023 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, or recommendations expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Foundations Can Support Justice Reform, If You Know How to Ask: A Conversation with James Lewis Aug 19, 2016

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 Director of Communications Robert V. Wolf at Community Justice 2016, where Lewis participated in a panel on "Funding Change."

Strengthening Ties Between Police and the Community: A Conversation about Restorative Justice in Madison, Wisconsin Aug 09, 2016

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 the Dane County Community Restorative Court, a diversion program based on the Native American principles of peacemaking. The interview took place during Community Justice 2016.

A Second Chance Society: A Conversation about Justice Reform in Connecticut Jul 12, 2016

Mike Lawlor, Connecticut's under secretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning, discusses Governor Dannel P. Malloy's Second Chance Society, a series of justice reforms (including dramatic changes to bail and juvenile justice policies) that seek to reduce crime, lower spending on prisons, and help rebuild relationships between criminal justice professionals and the communities they serve. This New Thinking podcast was recorded in Chicago in April 2016 after Lawlor participated in a panel on "Jail Reduction and Public Safety" at Community Justice 2016.

Judge
Joe Perez speaks during a panel on race and legitimacy at Community Justice 2016. — **‘An Open and Inviting Court’: Judge Joe Perez of the Orange County Community Court Talks Procedural Justice** Jun 15, 2016
Joe Perez, the presiding judge of the Orange County Community Court, discusses how the principles of procedural justice inform both design and process in his courthouse. Perez is a lifelong resident of Orange County whose father was the first Spanish-speaking attorney and judge in the county. The interview with Robert V. Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation, took place while Judge Perez was in Chicago to speak at Community Justice 2016. Wolf interviewed Judge Perez’s predecessor and the founding judge of the Orange County Community Court, Wendy Lindley, in 2008.

Judge Joe Perez speaks during a panel on race and legitimacy at Community Justice 2016.

Jails as Psychiatric Facilities: Addressing Mental Illness in the Justice System with Judge Steve Leifman Jun 14, 2016

Judge Steve Leifman, associate administrative judge of the Miami-Dade County Court Criminal Division and presiding judge of its Criminal Mental Health Project, has worked at the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system in Miami-Date County for decades. In this podcast, he outlines the challenges of addressing the high occurence of mental illness in Miami's courts and prisons, the fraught history of incarcerating those with mental health needs, and ways in which the justice system can change its response to those living with mental illness.

‘My Partner, My Enemy’: New York State Judge John Leventhal Jun 07, 2016

Judge John Leventhal is the author of “My Partner, My Enemy,” a book chronicling his experiences presiding over the Brooklyn Domestic Violence Court, the first felony domestic violence court in the nation. In this New Thinking podcast, Judge Leventhal discusses memorable cases from his tenure, the domestic violence court model, and why he felt it was important to write a book about domestic violence. Judge Leventhal presided over the Brooklyn Domestic Violence Court from its opening in June 1996 until 2008. Since 2008, he has served as an associate justice of the New York State Supreme Court in the second department of the appellate division.

Kerry Walker of the Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Melbourne, Australia, discusses best practices for
community justice during a session at Community Justice 2016. — **10 Years of Community Justice in Melbourne, Australia: An Interview with Kerry Walker** Jun 02, 2016
In this New Thinking podcast, Kerry Walker, director of the Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Melbourne, Australia, describes some of the ways the Justice Centre engages the community, all with the long-term goal of promoting the rule of law and a “civil, caring society.” She reflects on lessons learned as the Justice Centre approaches its 10^th anniversary, including, “Never act alone [but] only … in partnership.” The podcast concludes with a discussion of ways the Justice Centre is using technology to promote safety and make the court more user-friendly. The interview took place while Walker was in Chicago to attend Community Justice 2016.

Kerry Walker of the Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Melbourne, Australia, discusses best practices for community justice during a session at Community Justice 2016.

Deborah Barrows, program manager of Community Partners in Action, talks about strategies for building community
partnerships during a panel on community service at Community Justice 2016. — **‘Invest in Your Participants’: Deborah Barrows of Community Partners in Action** May 23, 2016
On any given day, the Hartford Community Court sentences 35 to 40 people to perform community restitution as part of their sentences. Deborah Barrows has helped create the court's robust community service program by harnessing relationships developed during her long career, including 28 years with the Hartford Police Department. In this New Thinking podcast, which was recorded at Community Justice 2016, Barrows discusses how to build community partnerships, the importance of treating program participants with respect, and how she helped launch "Footwear with Care," an initiative that provides free shoes to participants in need.

Deborah Barrows, program manager of Community Partners in Action, talks about strategies for building community partnerships during a panel on community service at Community Justice 2016.

Reducing Violence Through Media Training and Cultural Awareness Apr 28, 2016

This podcast is part of a series highlighting innovative approaches to reducing violence and improving health outcomes among at-risk minority youth at the nine demonstration sites of the Minority Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. One of these demonstrations sites is the Stand Up Participate program in Hennepin County, Minnesota, an initiative led by the community-based organization Asian Media Access, Inc. in partnership with local public health, law enforcement agencies, and other community-based groups that seeks to reduce youth violence by helping young people acquire skills for self-sufficiency, improve self-esteem, and develop cultural pride.

Ange Hwang, executive director of Asian Media Access, and Tyree Lawrence, executive director of the community-based LVY Foundation, joined this week's podcast to discuss the philosphy behind Stand Up Participate's curriculum, which includes audio/visual technology training, culturally based family engagement programming, health education, and organized activities with police and community members that seek to improve communication and mutual understanding.

Prosecutors Explore New Solutions to Public Safety Concerns: A Conversation about the ‘Smart Prosecution Initiative’ Apr 28, 2016

The Bureau of Justice Assistance at U.S. Department of Justice created the Smart Prosecution Initiative to encourage prosecutors to explore new solutions to public safety problems. Grant recipients work with researchers to document outcomes and develop effective, economical, and innovative responses to crime. In this podcast, Denise O'Donnell, the director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, sits down with Jose Egurbide of the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office and Mark Kammerer of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to talk about their Smart Prosecution programs, which use risk assessment tools to divert low-level offenders from court. The conversation took place while the three were in Chicago to attend Community Justice 2016.

Sustainability Strategies for Youth Advisory Boards: A Podcast on Youth Engagement Apr 27, 2016

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 also shared their experiences and insights with the group.

A Trauma-informed Approach to Reducing Youth Violence Apr 20, 2016

This podcast is part of a series highlighting innovative approaches to reducing violence and improving health outcomes among at-risk minority youth at the nine demonstration sites of the Minority Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. One of these demonstrations sites is the Children in Trauma Intervention, or CITI, program in Cincinnati, an anti-violence initiative led by the Cincinnati Police Department’s Youth Services Unit in partnership with the Cincinnati Health Department, Cincinnati Public Schools, and Hamilton County Juvenile Court that seeks to reduce violence and youth involvement in the juvenile justice system through a mentorship program that pairs police officers with youth.

Nancy Wagner, who oversees grants and grant information for the Cincinnati Police Department and Lieutenant Jay Johnstone, of the department’s Youth Services Unit, joined this week's podcast to discuss CITI's unique curriculum, parent-engagement strategy, and trauma-informed approach.

Breaking the Cycle of Violence By Reaching Youth At School Feb 28, 2016

This podcast is part of a series highlighting innovative approaches to reducing violence and improving health outcomes among at-risk minority youth at the nine demonstration sites of the Minority Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. One of these demonstrations sites is Youth Intercept, a hospital-based violence-prevention program in Chatham County, Georgia, that aims to break the cycle of youth violence and retaliation by providing educational services and referrals to public health services to at-risk minority youth.

Sheryl Sams, director of Youth Intercept, joined this week's podcast to discuss how Youth Intercept has adapted the hospital-based violence intervention model to meet the needs of Chatham County, including the program's development of a school-based element to serve youth in the Chatham County Public Schools

The Strengths and Limitations of Risk Assessment: Professor Susan Turner of the University of California-Irvine Feb 10, 2016

In this podcast recorded at the Courts, Community Engagement, and Innovative Practices in a Changing Landscape symposium held in Anaheim in December 2015, Susan Turner, professor in the department of Criminology, Law & Society at the University of California-Irvine, explains how risk assessment tools are developed and discusses the strengths and limitations of risk assessment.

‘Evidence-based Practices for Community Corrections’: San Diego County Chief Probation Officer Mack Jenkins Feb 03, 2016

In this podcast recorded at the Courts, Community Engagement, and Innovative Practices in a Changing Landscape symposium held in Anaheim in December 2015, San Diego County Chief Probation Office Mack Jenkins discusses the importance of risk assessment and how his department uses evidence-based practices to tailor its responses to offenders on probation.

New Approaches in Indigent Defense Jan 27, 2016

At Reinvesting in Justice, Wesley Shackleford, deputy director of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, talks about indigent defense, procedural justice, and improving access to legal services for those who cannot afford it.

Innovations in Pretrial Justice: The View from Denver Jan 20, 2016

At Reinvesting in Justice, Aubree Cote, smart pretrial site coordinator for Denver, talks about the city's reform efforts and what different states and jurisdictions can learn from each other regarding pretrial justice.

Race, Data, and Procedural Justice: A Conversation with David Slayton Jan 13, 2016

At Reinvesting in Justice, David Slayton, executive director of the Texas Office of Court Administration, talks about using data to implement procedural justice and address racial disparities in the justice system.

Improving Outcomes for Individuals with Co-occurring Disorders Jan 07, 2016

At Reinvesting in Justice, Michael Young, chief public defender of Bexar County in Texas, talks about innovative programs to assist defendants with mental health challenges.

‘Hammers Don’t Work’: Alameda County Chief Public Defender Brendon Woods Dec 30, 2015

In this podcast recorded at the Courts, Community Engagement, and Innovative Practices in a Changing Landscape symposium held in Anaheim in December 2015, Alameda County Chief Public Defender Brendon Woods discusses diversion and the importance of giving low-level offenders the opportunity to avoid a criminal record.

The Neuroscience of Addiction and Pharmacological Treatment Dec 16, 2015

At Reinvesting in Justice, Dr. Bryon Adinoff, Distinguished Professor of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Director of Research in Mental Health at the VA North Texas Health Care System, talks about the latest research on addiction and pharmacological or medication-assisted treatment, as well as how they can impact the criminal justice system.

With an Evidence-based Curriculum, Improving Outcomes for Minority Male Youth Dec 10, 2015

This podcast is part of a series highlighting innovative approaches to reducing violence and improving health outcomes among at-risk minority youth at the nine demonstration sites of the Minority Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. One of these demonstrations sites is Cabarrus Students Taking a Right Stand (STARS), a school-based male youth leadership program based in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, that seeks to create a healthy, positive school community through mentorship and positive role modeling.

Katie Dight and Rolanda Patrick, program managers at Cabarrus STARS, and Sue Yates, chief financial officer for the Cabarrus Health Alliance, joined this week's podcast to discuss Cabarrus STARS' evidence-based curriculum and program results, and why STARS believes strong male role models are critical for program participants.

Working With Unlikely Allies: A Conversation With Marc Levin Dec 02, 2015

At Reinvesting in Justice, Marc Levin, policy director of the Texas-based conservative group Right on Crime, talks about the need to work towards criminal justice reform with stakeholders from across the ideological spectrum, both in Texas and nationwide.

A Policing Approach That Improves Health and Wellness of Youth Nov 18, 2015

This podcast is part of a series highlighting innovative approaches to reducing violence and improving health outcomes among at-risk minority youth at the nine demonstration sites of the Minority Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. One of these demonstrations sites is Policing Approach Through Health, Wellness and Youth (PATHWAY) in West Palm Beach, Fla., an initiative led by the City of West Palm Beach that seeks to promote healthy adolescent development, discourage harmful and violent behavior, and provide youth with opportunities for positive social involvement.

Reed Daniel, campus manager for the Youth Empowerment Division of the City of West Palm Beach Department of Recreation & Strategic Innovations and Special Agent James Lewis and Assistant Chief Sarah Mooney of the West Palm Beach Police Department joined this week's podcast to discuss the role of law enforcement in PATHWAY, which includes offering critical mentorship and role modeling for program participants and creating meaningful diversion opportunities for low-level youth offenders.

“They’re Not Talking About Me”: Race, Cultural Responsivity, and Domestic Violence Nov 10, 2015

In this New Thinking podcast, Dr. Oliver Williams brings questions of race, faith, and incarceration into a conversation on domestic violence. Drawing on his work with both victims and perpetrators from African-American, Latina, and other immigrant and diasporic communities, Dr. Williams examines the import of cultural responsivity in the justice system’s response to domestic violence.

This product was supported by Grant No. 2013-TA-AX-K042 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, or recommendations expressed in this podcast are those of the speaker(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

Red Hook Community Justice Center 15th Anniversary Nov 04, 2015

This podcast covers the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Red Hook Community Justice Center, with highlights including speeches from New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson, and honoree Stuart Gold, of Cravath, Swain, and Moore.

Hospital-based Violence Intervention and a New Approach to Trauma Oct 22, 2015

This podcast is part of a series highlighting innovative approaches to reducing violence and improving health outcomes among at-risk minority youth at the nine demonstration sites of the Minority Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. One of these demonstrations sites is the Youth ALIVE! anti-violence program in Oakland, Calif. Rafael Vasquez of Youth ALIVE!'s hospital-based violence intervention program, Caught in the Crossfire, joins the Center in this podcast to discuss Caught in the Crossfire and Youth ALIVE!'s novel approach to treating trauma.

Coming Home to Harlem: Understanding the Impact of a Reentry Court Oct 02, 2015

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.

‘An Obligation To Solve Problems in the Community’: A Conversation With Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm Sep 24, 2015

John Chisholm, district attorney of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, joins the New Thinking podcast to discuss community prosecution, diversion, and his work to reduce mass incarceration and racial inequities in the justice system.

A Hospital-based Approach to Stopping Youth Violence Aug 25, 2015

In this podcast, Anne Marks, executive director of the Youth ALIVE! hospital-based anti-violence program in Oakland, discusses the history and mission of Youth ALIVE!, its partnerships with local public health and law enforcement agencies, and how funding under the Minority Youth Violence Prevention Initiative is increasing the organization's capacity to serve high-risk minority youth.

Safer Tomorrows: The Grand Forks Defending Childhood Initiative Jul 23, 2015

In this podcast, Kari Kerr and Kristi Hall-Jiran talk about Safer Tomorrows, Grand Forks, North Dakota's Defending Childhood Initiative. Safer Tomorrows implemented universal violence prevention programming in public, private, and rural schools across Grand Forks County, beginning with pre-kindergarten and extending to high school. The initative is part of the Department of Justice's Defending Childhood Demonstration Program, which funded eight sites across the country to respond to the problem of children's exposure to violence. The Center for Court Innovation has produced a report on Safer Tomorrows, a series of reports on five other sites, and a report that condenses lessons learned across the sites.

The Cuyahoga County Defending Childhood Initiative Jul 16, 2015

Jill Smialek and Dr. Jeff Kretschmar discuss the Cuyahoga County Defending Childhood Initative, which seeks to address violence against children in one of the country's most violent areas - Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Their unique approach includes the creation of an integrated, county-wide screening, assessment, and service system for children ages 0-18 who have experienced violence and trauma. The initative is part of the Department of Justice's Defending Childhood Demonstration Program, which funded eight sites across the country to respond to the problem of children's exposure to violence. The Center for Court Innovation has produced a report on the Cuyahoga County Defending Childhood Initative, a series of reports on five other sites, and a report that condenses lessons learned across the sites.

The Defending Childhood Demonstration Project Jun 26, 2015

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 of the eight sites, as well as a report that condenses lessons learned across the sites.

Supervised Visitation: The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s Unique Approach Jun 12, 2015

Katheryn Lotsos and Stephen Forrester from the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children discuss their organization’s approach to supervised visitation. Supervised visitation is frequently required by courts in child welfare or domestic violence cases and allows children to meet with non-custodial parents in a secure and controlled environment. The Society's therapeutic model includes safety planning, parent education classes, special training for the professionals supervising the visits, and close collaboration with the courts.

Using Evidence-Based Assessment To Create Problem-Solving Interventions Apr 17, 2015

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.

Babies in the Child Welfare System to Get More Help in the Bronx, Along with Their Families Apr 03, 2015

Dr. Susan Chinitz, a psychologist with specialties in the areas of infant mental health and developmental disabilities in infancy and early childhood, and a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses the new Strong Starts Court Initiative, which will enhance the capacity of Family Court to bring positive changes to court-involved babies and their families. (April 2015)

How Electronic Records Are Transforming The Justice System Mar 09, 2015

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)

Understanding Youth Violence: A Conversation with Dr. Joel Fein Feb 17, 2015

At the kick-off summit for the Minority Youth Violence Prevention initiative, Dr. Joel Fein, a pediatrician and emergency medicine physician at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, discusses youth relationships with authority, family dynamics, and how trauma and stress affect the developing brain. (February 2015)

Criminal Justice at the Crossroads: Transforming Crime and Punishment Jan 24, 2015

William R. Kelly, professor of sociology and director of the Center for Criminology and Criminal Justice Research at the University of Texas at Austin, discusses his new book, "Criminal Justice at the Crossroads: Transforming Crime and Punishment," and the costs of mass incarceration.

Hospital Seeks to Halt Violence Among Minority Youth Jan 20, 2015

Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton, New York is working with community partners to develop a restorative, strength-based program that will divert high-risk youth from gang involvement as well as violent behavior. At the kick-off summit for the Minority Youth Violence Prevention initiative, Nancy Frank and Ralphalla Richardson discuss how they became interested in partnering with police to help stop the cycle of harm in some of Binghamton’s struggling neighborhoods.

To Help Teens Experiencing Dating Violence, Meet Young People Where They’re At Dec 02, 2014

Some people mistakenly think that when teenagers experience intimate partner violence, it's less serious than when adults experience it, explains Andrew Sta. Ana, supervising attorney of Day One, which seeks to end teen dating violence. "There's this idea, 'Oh, teen DV. That must mean domestic violence or intimate-partner violence 'lite'... I think that what's important to recognize about teen dating violence, particularly as it affects young women, is that [the age group of 18 to 24 has] the highest rates of dating violence" among any group, Sta. Ana says in this New Thinking podcast. He also explains what services Day One offers clients and how it works with the Brooklyn Youthful Offender Domestic Violence Court, and he discusses some of the factors that distinguish cases of teen intimate-partner violence from adult cases, including differences in law, the use of technology, and adolescent brain development.

The International Rule of Law Movement: David Marshall on the Need for Reform Sep 09, 2014

David Marshall, editor of The International Rule of Law Movement: A Crisis of Legitimacy and the Way Forward, discusses the international rule of law as an industry--one that has been promoted as offering solutions in post-conflict and fragile states and that too often fails. Marshall discusses some of the reasons for these failures and outlines some alternative approaches to interventions in fragile states. (September 2014)

Community-Oriented Public Safety Strategies: A Conversation with Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell Aug 12, 2014

Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell discusses how law enforcement leadership can promote new “smart” strategies–including community engagement and prevention-oriented diversion approaches–that can effectively and efficiently keep communities safe, address the symptoms and causes of criminal activity, and alleviate prison overcrowding. (August 2014)

Importing Innovation: the Challenges and Rewards of Transplanting a Program from One Nation to Another Jul 15, 2014

Simon Fulford, chief executive of Khulisa U.K., explains how and why his not-for-profit brought a successful South African prisoner reentry program to the United Kingdom.

Los Angeles City Attorney Says Listening is Key to Developing Effective Community-Based Programming Jul 02, 2014

In this New Thinking podcast, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer discusses his plans for community-based solutions to problems like truancy, gun violence, and prison overcrowding. (July 2014)

Rebuilding Trust in Government in a Country Recovering from Guerrilla Warfare Jun 11, 2014

Miguel Samper Strouss, the vice-minister of criminal policy and restorative justice in the Colombian Ministry of Justice and Law, discusses the challenge of returning law and order--and trust in justice and government--to the rural regions of his country that have been devastated by 50 years of guerrilla fighting. (June 2014)

How Procedural Justice Strengthens the Public’s Willingness to Obey the Law May 29, 2014

In this New Thinking podcast, Tracey L. Meares, the Walton Hale Hamilton Professor at Yale Law School, outlines the four components of procedural justice and their power to enhance perceptions of government legitimacy. She also discusses how procedural justice is incorporated into Chicago Offender Notification Forums, an anti-violence intervention that she helped design. (June 2014)

Minimizing the Collateral Consequences of a Conviction May 12, 2014

Timothy C. Evans, chief judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in Illinois, explains how courts can help mitigate the collateral consequences of justice system involvement. Among other things, courts can reach out to those affected to educate them about their rights and options, Evans says in this New Thinking podcast.

Improving Outcomes by Assessing the Impact of Trauma on Offenders May 07, 2014

Courts need to assess offenders for traumatic exposures so they can match them to effective services and improve treatment outcomes, says Kathleen West, an expert on trauma-informed care and lecturer at the University of California. In this New Thinking podcast, West discusses what we know about the impact of trauma on litigants and the justice system. (April 2014)

Deploying Public Health Strategies to Address Drug Addiction May 06, 2014

Drug addiction is fundamentally a public health issue, says Michael Botticelli, acting director of National Drug Control Policy, in this New Thinking podcast. Botticelli explains why law enforcement must work in tandem with public health to address addiction and how his own personal experience with addiction informs his work.

Thoughtful Implementation is Essential for Evidence-based Practices to Succeed May 02, 2014

Professor Edward J. Latessa, director of the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati, discusses the importance of evidence-based practices and the challenges of implementing reform. (April 2014)

After 5 Years, the San Francisco Community Justice Center Continues to Adapt Apr 30, 2014

Judge Braden C. Woods of the San Francisco Community Justice Center discusses the practical implications of expanding the court's caseload to include low-level felonies, and he reflects on his first year on the job. (April 2014)

Evidence-based Practices, Reducing Unnecessary Incarceration are Priorities for Bureau of Justice Assistance Apr 29, 2014

Denise O'Donnell, director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, discusses the Bureau's strategic mission and holistic approach to justice reform. She also outlines the Bureau's new suite of Smart on Crime programs.

**Teenagers Learn about the Law as They Grapple with Cases of Bias & Bullying** Apr 02, 2014
The Stopping Hate and Delinquency by Empowering Students (SHADES) program is a teen court focusing on bullying and bias incidents. The program is run as a partnership of the Los Angeles Superior Court, Department of Probation, and the Museum of Tolerance. In this episode of New Thinking, David S. Wesley, presiding judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, and Camilo Cruz, director of community relations for the Los Angeles Superior Court, discuss the growth of the city's teen court program and unique features of the SHADES program.

**David S. WesleyCamilo Cruz**

**Teenagers Learn about the Law as They Grapple with Cases of Bias & Bullying** Apr 02, 2014
The Stopping Hate and Delinquency by Empowering Students (SHADES) program is a teen court focusing on bullying and bias incidents. The program is run as a partnership of the Los Angeles Superior Court, Department of Probation, and the Museum of Tolerance. In this episode of New Thinking, David S. Wesley, presiding judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, and Camilo Cruz, director of community relations for the Los Angeles Superior Court, discuss the growth of the city's teen court program and unique features of the SHADES program.

**David S. WesleyCamilo Cruz**

Innovation on the Last Frontier: A Conversation about the Anchorage Mental Health Court Feb 28, 2014

Judge Stephanie L. Rhoades, who helped found and has presided over the Anchorage Mental Health Court since 1998, and Kathi R. Trawver, associate professor of the School of Social Work at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, discuss the court's origins, accomplishments and lessons. They co-authored "Homesteading a Pioneering Mental Health Court: A Judicial Perspective from the Last Frontier" for American Behavioral Scientist.

Mental Health and Juvenile Justice: A Discussion about QUEST Futures Feb 04, 2014

QUEST Futures is a juvenile mental health initiative that seeks to establish a comprehensive, coordinated response to youth with mental illness involved in the juvenile justice system in Queens, New York. Here, researcher Josephine Hahn discusses the findings of an impact evaluation of the program. (February 2014)

Rapid Response is a Priority for Domestic Violence Court in Boise, Idaho Jan 02, 2014

Judges Carolyn Minder and James Cawthon preside over the Ada County Domestic Violence Court in Boise, Idaho. The court is one of three domestic violence courts in the U.S. selected by the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women to serve as a mentor court, helping other courts develop more effective responses to domestic violence. In this episode of New Thinking, the judges explain how they divide their duties, work closely with the community, and promote rapid disposition of cases.

The Harlem Justice Corps Combines Education with Community Service for Justice-Involved Young People Dec 06, 2013

The Harlem Justice Corps is an intensive career development and service program for justice-involved young men and women. Project Manager Tai Alex explains how the initiative works, and participants Elijah Blount and Anthony Brown discuss what they've learned so far.

Community Court in Brooklyn Lowers Recidivism, Researchers Find Nov 04, 2013

Cynthia G. Lee and David B. Rottman, researchers from the National Center for State Courts, discuss some of the key findings in their new report, A Community Court Grows in Brooklyn: A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Red Hook Community Justice Center. (November 2013)

Midtown Community Court Celebrates 20 Years of Problem-Solving Justice Oct 25, 2013

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.

Information Technology & Social Services: Tracking Clients, Treatment, and Compliance Oct 03, 2013

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.

Addressing Domestic Violence in Guam: a Judge’s Perspective Sep 13, 2013

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)

Experts at Your Fingertips: The National Drug Court Online Learning System Jul 09, 2013

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 date on developments in the field. (August 2013)

A View of Domestic Violence from the Judge’s Bench Jul 02, 2013

Chief Magistrate Judge Berryl Anderson of DeKalb County, Georgia discusses the lessons she has learned over the course of 21 years as an attorney and 13 years as a judge about working with victims of domestic violence and improving the justice system's response to intimate partner violence. July 2013

Adolescent Diversion Program in NY: Researchers Discuss First-Year Impacts Jun 18, 2013

Co-authors Michael Rempel and Suvi Hynynen Lambson discuss the findings of their study, The Adolescent Diversion Program: A First Year Evaluation of Alternatives to Conventional Case Processing for Defendants Ages 16 and 17 in New York. The study examines the Adolescent Diversion Program, finding that diverting youth to services does not increase recidivism rates and, in fact, reduces recidivism for high-risk participants.

Domestic Violence and Child Custody: A 4-Part Model for Helping Judges Make More Informed Decisions Jun 05, 2013

Family Court judges should consider the impact of violence on families when making decisions about child custody and visitation, according to Kristine Lizdas, a managing attorney at the Battered Women's Justice Project. In this podcast, Lizdas discusses the Justice Project's four-part model for helping judges make more informed decisions.

After Rockefeller: Research Findings on the Statewide Impact of Judicial Diversion May 22, 2013

Shannon M. Carey of NPC Research discusses the impact of the Rockefeller Drug Law Reform, which in 2009 eliminated New York's mandatory prison sentences for most felony drug offenders. According to a study she co-authored, court-ordered treatment enrollment after the reform was implemented in 2009 increased by 77 percent. Also, the study estimated that there would be a potential $2 of newly available resources after five years for every taxpayer dollar invested.

May 2013

**Welcome to Problem Solving: Kelly O’Neill Levy Embraces Her New Assignment as Presiding Judge of the Harlem Community Justice Center** May 13, 2013
Acting Supreme Court Judge Kelly O'Neill Levy discusses her transition from Bronx Family Court to the Harlem Community Justice Center, where she applies problem-solving strategies to both family and housing cases. *May 2013*

Judge Kelly O'Neill Levy discusses a case with her law clerk and resource coordinator.

Studying Reentry: A Conversation about Research and Reentry Courts Apr 15, 2013

Christine H. Lindquist, a senior research sociologist at RTI International, talks about reentry courts, recidivism, and what she's learned so far from a multi-year study funded by the US Department of Justice. April 2013

Innovation Down Under: Director of New Centre Explains What Justice Innovation Looks Like In Australia Mar 29, 2013

Tania Sourdin, a professor of law and dispute resolution at Monash University in Melbourne, explains how the Australian Centre for Justice Innovation, which she directs, supports reform through research and experimental projects.

Changes ‘That Don’t Roll Back’: Using Technology to Institutionalize Innovation Jan 16, 2013

Kevin G. Kelly, deputy commissioner of NYC Business Customer Service in the New York City Mayor's Office, discusses how the city uses technology to improve efficiency and radically restructure how businesses interact with government. January 2013

Testing a Public Health Approach to Gun Violence: A conversation on new research Jan 15, 2013

Authors of new research about gun violence in Brooklyn, New York, Sarah Picard-Fritsche and Lenore Cerniglia discuss findings on Save Our Streets (SOS) Crown Heights, an approach to gun violence prevention in the Crown Heights neighborhood. The new report, “Testing a Public Health Approach to Gun Violence,” details a comprehensive impact and process evaluation of Save Our Streets, which is based on the Cure Violence model that treats outbreaks of violence like epidemics of disease.

Additional Resources

To download a Q & A with the authors, click here.

To read a press release about the findings, click here.

Kings
County (N.Y.) Justice Joseph Gubbay presides over the Brooklyn pilot of the Adolescent Diversion Program. — **Child or Adult? Adolescent Diversion Program Says ‘Child’ is Right Answer** Nov 23, 2012
Judge Joseph Gubbay, who presides over one of nine pilot sites of the Adolescent Diversion Program, explains how the initiative is expanding the justice system's options for dealing with 16- and 17-year-old defendants, who are currently treated under New York law as adults, even for non-violent offenses.

Kings County (N.Y.) Justice Joseph Gubbay presides over the Brooklyn pilot of the Adolescent Diversion Program.

Judge Joseph Gubbay welcomes observers, including Chief Executive Heather Munro of the London Probation
Trust, into his courtroom in Brooklyn Criminal Court. — **Lessons from London: Improving Probation on Both Sides of the Atlantic** Nov 17, 2012
While on a visit to observe practices in New York City, Heather Munro, the chief executive of the London Probation Trust, takes a break to discuss the challenges facing probation in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom and new initiatives, including experiments in England and Wales with high-intensity community sentence projects (which is also the subject of a monograph by Centre for Justice Innovation's director Phil Bowen). *November 2012*

Judge Joseph Gubbay welcomes observers, including Chief Executive Heather Munro of the London Probation Trust, into his courtroom in Brooklyn Criminal Court.

Payback with a Purpose Nov 09, 2012

Phil Bowen, co-author of Payback with a Purpose and director of the Centre for Justice Innovation in the U.K., discusses what good "community payback" ("community service" in the U.S.) should look like, comparing the experience in the U.K. with New York City. The debate about what community payback ought to be comes at a crucial time for probation services in England and Wales, where the Government is committed to encouraging non-state organizations to provide community payback.

Taking Responsibility: A Conversation on Restorative Justice and Youth Oct 23, 2012

Dr. Mara Schiff, an associate professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University, focuses her work on restorative justice, community justice, and juvenile justice. Here, she gives on overview of restorative practices and discusses why a restorative approach can be particularly valuable for youth. October 2012

Beyond Fighting Crime, Police in a Minnesota Town Seek to Foster a Sense of Community Oct 01, 2012

Under Chief Michael A. Davis, the police officers of Brooklyn Park, a suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul, pursue community building.

Officials Announce Funding for the Brownsville Anti-Violence Project Aug 28, 2012

A multi-faceted partnership to lower violence in one of Brooklyn’s most beleaguered neighborhoods gets a major boost with the announcement of $599,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice. Among those speaking at a press conference to announce the grant are Denise E. O’Donnell, director of the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta E. Lynch, and Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes. September 2012

Improving Youth Programming: The Role of Research Aug 16, 2012

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 into lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender justice-involved youth.

Parent Support Program Helps Repair Parent-Child Relationships Aug 10, 2012

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.

Lacking U.S. Citizenship, Some Survivors of Domestic Violence Face Extra Challenges Jul 23, 2012

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

Can Batterers be Rehabilitated? Jul 09, 2012

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)

‘Each One’s a Success When They Walk Through That Door’: Creating and Sustaining a Tribal Peacemaking Program Jul 06, 2012

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

Peacemaking: How Native American Elders Use Tradition to Support Offender Reintegration Jun 21, 2012

During a visit by the Tribal Justice Exchange to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington State, Robert V. Wolf talks with two elders--Matthew Dick Jr. and Darlene Wilder--and a client about peacemaking, a traditional Native American approach to resolving both criminal and civil issues. May 2012

Lessons from Australia: What Researchers Have Learned about the Melbourne Neighbourhood Justice Centre Mar 28, 2012

Mark Halsey of Flinders University Law School discusses key findings of an evaluation of Australia's first community court.

The Architecture of Collaboration: A New Courthouse in Colorado has Cooperation in Mind Mar 21, 2012

A new building in Milliken, Colorado, houses a community court, police station and social services in an effort to foster collaboration among agencies and be more user-friendly for both the public and staff. Jim Burack, town administrator and chief of police, discusses the logic behind the building's design.

Sustaining Community Courts: What Makes a Program Attractive to Potential Funders? Mar 14, 2012

Burke Fitzpatrick administers the Office of Justice Programs in South Carolina's Department of Public Safety, which distributes federal justice dollars to programs in the state. In this interview, he explains why he thinks problem-solving courts have been a good investment and what he looks for in a funding application.

In Vancouver, Offenders Find Community Service is a Two-Way Street Mar 07, 2012

Crown Counsel Adam Dalrymple explains how the Downtown Vancouver Community Court uses community service assignments to match offenders with organizations that address their social service needs.

Breaking the Cycle: A Canadian Province Explores an Integrated Approach to Addressing Offenders’ Underlying Problems Feb 29, 2012

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.

Connections Among People: Tracking and Preventing Violence through Social Network Analysis Feb 17, 2012

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.

A Community Court Takes Washington D.C.: Expanding the Model in the Nation’s Capital Feb 17, 2012

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.

‘Victims, Not Perpetrators’: Ohio’s Changing Actions To Change Habits Court Feb 05, 2012

Judge Paul M. Herbert of the Changing Actions To Change Habits Court in Ohio's Franklin County Municipal Court explains how a problem-solving approach to prostitution treats offenders as victims, giving them the support and links to social services they need to escape a cycle of exploitation and abuse.

Changing Perceptions: A Conversation on Prostitution Diversion with Judge Fernando Camacho Dec 21, 2011

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.

Celebrating 15 Years of Reform: NYC Mayor Bloomberg and Others Reflect on the Center’s Achievements Oct 05, 2011

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.

Involved Communities Support Vermont’s Restorative Justice Panels Sep 29, 2011

Yvonne Byrd, director of the Montpelier Community Justice Center, Karen Vastine, the community justice coordinator in Burlington, and Marc Wennberg, director of the St. Alban’s Community Justice Center, explain how volunteers help craft restorative responses to crime and conflict in Vermont.

The Evolution of a Prosecutor: Early Intervention Improves Safety and Saves Money Sep 02, 2011

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.

Military Families: How Courts and Communities Can Offer Support Sep 01, 2011

Barbara Thompson, director of the Department of Defense's Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth, discusses the impacts that prolonged deployment of a parent or sibling can have on children. This is one of three podcasts produced in collaboration with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

Elder Abuse: Looking for Effective Responses Aug 18, 2011

Judge John Leventhal of the New York Appellate Division and attorney Jennifer White of Futures without Violence describe the misconceptions people have about the elderly as both victims and perpetrators of crime. This is one of three podcasts produced in collaboration with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

Tribal Courts and Families: Native American Sovereignty and the Indian Child Welfare Act Aug 17, 2011

Theresa Pouley of the Tulalip Tribal Court, Michael Petoskey of the Pokagan Band of Potawatomi Indians, and William A. Thorne Jr., a Pomo/Coast Miwok Indian appointed to the Utah Court of Appeals, discuss the advantages of transferring child welfare cases from state to tribal jurisdiction. This is one of three podcasts produced in collaboration with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

A Community Process: Strategies to Improve the Response to Domestic Violence Aug 12, 2011

Jim Henderson, a trainer and lecturer on domestic violence, discusses probation group conferencing, motivational interview techniques, and the importance of community collaboration.

Privileged Work: A Conversation about Victim Advocacy Jun 01, 2011

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.

With 11 Questions, Officers Assess Homicide Risk May 18, 2011

David M. Sargent of the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence has taught thousands of law enforcement officers how to implement the Lethality Assessment Program, which uses a short survey to assess victims' risk of being killed and a simple protocol to encourage them to get help.

An Outsider’s Perspective on an Inside Job May 09, 2011

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.

Solving and Preventing Homicides through Collaboration Apr 27, 2011

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.

What Can Law Enforcement Learn from Public Health? Mar 11, 2011

Anthony Iton of the California Endowment talks about the public health approach to crime and safety problems.

What Victims Really Need: A Conversation with Author and Victim Advocate Susan Herman Jan 12, 2011

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.

Problem-Solving Justice in Indian Country: The Navajo Nation Plans a Pilot Community Court Dec 22, 2010

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.

Dallas Community Courts Make Cleaner, Safer Streets a Top Priority Nov 01, 2010

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.

David Kennedy: Innovating New Approaches to Justice (Part II) Jul 30, 2010

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.

David Kennedy: The Story behind the Drug Market Initiative (Part I) Jun 30, 2010

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.

Red Hook Community Justice Center Marks its 10-Year Anniversary Jun 07, 2010

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.

Confronting Gender Violence in Afghanistan Apr 08, 2010

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.

Addressing Crime and Conflict in Baltimore through Community Conferencing Mar 01, 2010

Lauren Abramson explains how the Community Conferencing Center, which she founded and leads, provides communities with the structure and support they need to address certain crimes and conflicts on their own.

Manhattan’s New District Attorney Supports Reentry Initiatives Mar 01, 2010

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.

Shutting Drug Markets in High Point, North Carolina Dec 15, 2009

Gretta Bush and Bobby Davis of High Point Community Against Violence explain how the Drug Market Initiative--a program developed by David Kennedy of John Jay College of Criminal Justice--offers a sustainable and effective strategy for ending the violence associated with open-air drug markets.

Will Prison Overcrowding in California Inspire Positive Change? Nov 02, 2009

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.

Giving the Community a Role in Corrections Oct 09, 2009

Derek Miodownik, restorative systems administrator for the Vermont Department of Corrections, talks about the state's innovative experiments in community and restorative justice, including Citizen Reparative Boards, which give panels of community members a role in working with misdemeanor offenders, and Circles of Support and Accountability, which link community members with parolees convicted of serious crimes.

Harry Belafonte Congratulates Harlem Reentry Court Graduates Sep 14, 2009

Legendary entertainer Harry Belafonte congratulates graduates of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court for satisfying the program's rigorous requirements.

Drug Courts: Past, Present, Future Jul 30, 2009

West Huddleston, CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, talks about his group's new web site, why the nation's 2,300-plus drug courts reach only 10 percent of the people they're designed to help, and what's next on the horizon for the drug court movement.

The Challenges of Differentiating among Domestic Violence Offenders Jun 23, 2009

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).

Herb Sturz Works Behind the Scenes to Spark Innovation May 26, 2009

Herb Sturz--the subject of a new book, A Kind of Genius, by New York Times reporter Sam Roberts--talks about innovation, the power of private-public collaborations, the founding of the Midtown Community Court, and his current work at the Open Society Institute.

Community Policing and Community Courts Apr 08, 2009

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.

Addressing Vacant Properties through Prevention, Enforcement and Redevelopment Mar 13, 2009

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.

Fighting Mortgage Fraud Feb 09, 2009

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.

Giving Youth a Voice in Justice Policy Jan 08, 2009

Linda Baird discusses the Youth Justice Board, which brings together high schoolers across New York City to study and make recommendations about justice policies that affect their peers.

Addressing Domestic Violence in New Orleans Dec 05, 2008

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.

A New Court in California: An Interview with Judge Wendy Lindley Nov 07, 2008

Judge Wendy Lindley offers a preview of the Orange County Community Court, which is scheduled to open in coming months.

Community Justice in Baltimore Oct 27, 2008

University of Maryland Law Professor Terry Hickey discusses Baltimore's new Prostitution Court and other community justice initiatives.

Member of Parliament Discusses Community Justice Sep 29, 2008

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.

Harlem Parole Reentry Court Jul 15, 2008

Staff of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court discuss how they help ex-offenders make the transition from incarceration to the community.

Youthful Offender Domestic Violence Court: Working with Teen Victims and Abusers Jun 03, 2008

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.

Brooklyn Mental Health Court: Linking Offenders to Treatment May 08, 2008

Judge Matthew D'Emic and others explain how the Brooklyn Mental Health Court links mentally-ill offenders to treatment and rigorously monitors compliance.

UK’s Justice Secretary Visits Red Hook Apr 21, 2008

Jack Straw, the United Kingdom’s justice secretary and lord chancellor, experiences a judge’s-eye view of the courtroom, quizzes staff about operations, and meets with a group of ex-offenders who have gotten their lives back on track during a visit to the Red Hook Community Justice Center in February 2008.

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