Greg Berman, who has spent 23 years in leadership at the Center for Court Innovation, announces his plans to step down. He has helped propel it to being an international leader in justice system reform that today helps to run three dozen community programs and alternative courts throughout the city and state.
A profile of two participants of Project Reset, an early diversion program that provides individuals arrested on low-level, non-violent misdemeanors an alternative to appearing in court and a way out of having a criminal record. As one notes, “Because once you get something on your record, you’re just viewed a different way.”
How does a radical idea become policy? And what can we take from the achievements of the campaign to close New York City's notorious Rikers Island jail facility that might help us confront other problems? In the Daily News, our director, Greg Berman, reflects on a landmark day in New York City criminal justice reform.
Low-level crimes like petit larceny are often driven by poverty, and in New York City, the District Attorney’s response can vary depending on the borough. Encouragingly, there is more use of our diversion program, Project Reset, which is expanding city-wide.
The New York Times editorial explores the decline in crime in New York over the past three decades and endorses a plan to replace NYC's notorious Rikers Island jail facility, citing our analysis of how "sweeping" changes to evidence-sharing rules are helping to make closure possible.
Project Reset expands to all of Brooklyn in partnership with the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office and the Brooklyn Museum. Our program allows people arrested for low-level offenses to participate in an art course and avoid court and a criminal record.
People arrested for low-level crimes in Brooklyn are getting a chance to avoid the court system if they participate in an art course offered by our Project Reset. A a two-hour class at the Brooklyn Museum helps them reflect on justice and accountability.
Project Reset's goal is “ending a criminal justice system that turns minor offenses, minor crimes into lifelong problems,” New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said at an event at the Brooklyn Museum that marked the citywide expansion of the program.
In an effort to improve fairness, a Manhattan courthouse made physical improvements to the building itself and implemented changes in how judges and court officers interacted with visitors. The Crime Report highlights findings from our recent study that these efforts aren't enough on their own to change perceptions of the justice system.
