Harlem Community Justice Center

How It Works

The Justice Center has three principal programs:

Housing: The Justice Center seeks to resolve housing problems before they get to court. It accomplishes this by linking landlords and tenants to mediation, benefits assistance, social services and loan-assistance programs, as well as classes about the rights and obligations of tenants and landlords, and vocational training in building maintenance. Of course, not all cases can be resolved through the provision of services. When housing conflicts do proceed to court, the Justice Center is well-positioned to resolve cases quickly and meaningfully. The Justice Center judge hears cases involving non-payment issues, nuisance complaints and the failure to make necessary building repairs. With the help of a customized computer system, the judge can access information about each case with the click of a mouse. And the Justice Center's community setting encourages the judge to develop an understanding of the neighborhood's hot spots and eyesores. The result is more informed decision making.

Youth Justice: The Justice Center works intensively with young people at the first signs of delinquent behavior, giving them the help they need to avoid further offending. The Justice Center courtroom handles cases involving young people apprehended for non-violent drug and property offenses, linking participants to services like drug treatment, counseling and education. Compliance is rigorously monitored by the judge, who requires participants to come back to court frequently to report on their progress. The judge also has the option of sending young people to youth court, where cases are presided over by a true jury of peers—other young people from the neighborhood trained to serve as judges, lawyers and jurors. The youth court, which also hears cases like truancy and schoolyard fights referred directly by police, encourages young people to take responsibility for their actions. Sanctions include community service, anger-management classes and letters of apology. Other youth programs available at the Justice Center include community service, parent-teen mediation, family counseling, mentoring, leadership development and career training. Each year, more than 300 young people participate in programs at the Justice Center.

Reentry: The Justice Center encourages both adult parolees and juveniles returning from state placement to become productive, law-abiding citizens. Parolees are linked to drug treatment and jobs and receive help reconnecting with their families. They are also required to appear before an administrative law judge on a regular basis to demonstrate compliance with both treatment mandates and parole conditions. Similarly, young people (and their parents) are linked to intensive services and participate in bi-monthly court appearances before a hearing officer to review progress in meeting established behavioral and program goals.  Evaluators have documented that the Justice Center's reentry court has reduced re-offending among participants by 19 percent.