The Center for Court Innovation welcomes the attention New York leaders are giving Rikers Island in the wake of the inexcusable and preventable deaths that have occurred there this year. Now is the time for swift and decisive action to prevent more harm and commit to the policies that will close the jails on Rikers Island forever.

New York City's promise to shutter its notorious Rikers Island jail complex hinges on reducing the number of people in city jails—the overwhelming majority held awaiting trial. This new report from the Independent Commission that called for Rikers' closure in 2017 and the Center for Court Innovation lays out a series of concrete, data-driven strategies to produce sizable jail reductions while prioritizing public safety.

For 25 years, we have been transforming justice. This year, you’ll meet 25 Changemakers in Action—the thinkers, doers, and connecters—who are working with communities to co-create new approaches to reduce reliance on the legal system and build thriving neighborhoods.

Learn more about our 25th anniversary and meet our Changemakers in Action.

Drug courts face an obligation to rethink some core practices, chiefly the focus on abstinence and the use of jail. Our publication argues the best way for the courts to evolve is to integrate the principles of harm reduction—a person-centered, anti-racist approach to reducing the harms related to drug use. The authors offer 12 strategies to help drug courts re-align with their original mission: a therapeutic, health-based alternative to jail.