Community Justice 2012: The International Conference of Community Courts drew over 300 attendees from seven countries and 75 cities to learn about criminal justice reform strategies and research. Listen to this interview with Milliken, Colorado Police Chief Jim Burack on a new courthouse's approach in his jurisdiction.

Community Justice 2012: The International Conference of Community Courts drew over 300 attendees from seven countries and 75 cities to learn about criminal justice reform strategies and research. Listen to this interview with researcher Mark Halsey on the Melbourne Neighbourhood Justice Centre.

In this 2011 webinar, T.K. Logan, researcher in the Behavioral Science department at the University of Kentucky, presents findings from her recent Kentucky study on the effectiveness of civil protection orders. Her research indicates that civil protection orders play a role in increasing victim safety and are cost effective for state governments.

Community and government leaders of Newark, N.J., celebrated the official opening today of Newark Community Solutions, an innovative justice project that applies a problem-solving approach to non-violent cases in the Newark Municipal Court.

Before a standing-room audience, representatives of the judicial, executive, and legislative branches praised the initiative, which provides increased sentencing options for non-violent offenses, such as drug possession, prostitution, and shoplifting.

Mayor Cory A. Booker said Newark Community Solutions reflects his commitment to supporting a justice system that is more restorative than punitive, that works toward “ending cycles of recidivism by creating positive change and empowering lives.”

The initiative is a project of the City of Newark, the Newark Municipal Court, and the Center for Court Innovation, in collaboration with the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and the Center for Collaborative Change. Major funders include the Bureau of Justice Assistance at the U.S. Department of Justice, the Nicholson Foundation, and the New Jersey State Bar Foundation.

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.

What are the challenges facing the hundreds of thousands of people discharged from U.S. prison every year? What are the challenges facing their home communities, which are often poor and under-served? And how did we get here, with millions of Americans—a disproportionate share of whom are African-American—behind bars? New York University Law Professor Anthony C. Thompson tackles these questions in a presentation based on his new book, Releasing Prisoners, Redeeming Communities: Reentry, Race, and Politics. 

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.

Professor David Kennedy, the director of the Center for Crime Prevention & Control at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, explains the Drug Market Initiative in High Point, N.C. 

Professor David Kennedy, the director of the Center for Crime Prevention & Control at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, talks about new approaches to addressing gang violence and open-air drug dealing.

The 10th graduation of the Harlem Reentry Court featured a special guest.

“I was born in Harlem, and I grew up in Harlem and now at 82, I’m still in Harlem,” said Harry Belafonte, the singer, actor and activist, as he congratulated the Reentry Court’s 17 graduates on satisfying the program’s rigorous requirements.

The Harlem Parole Reentry Court helps parolees returning from incarceration make the transition from life in prison to responsible citizenship. The court—a project of Harlem Community Justice Center, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and the Division of Parole—links parolees to a wide range of social services, including drug treatment, transitional employment and vocational services, health care and mental health treatment.