Civil Alternatives

Civil Alternatives

Civil Alternatives offers New Yorkers issued civil summons the option to perform community service instead of paying a fine.

The program works to support safer neighborhoods, reduce arrests, and lessen the impact of low-level enforcement. Prior to 2017, most summons were handled in Criminal Court, exposing defendants to the possibility of a permanent criminal record or even a jail stay for infractions such as public drinking and breaking park rules.

In 2017, New York City’s Criminal Justice Reform Act shifted many low-level violations from criminal to civil court. Civil Alternatives was the Center for Court Innovation’s programmatic response to provide meaningful, proportionate community service options for those who cannot (or choose not to) pay fines. The project was established in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). After two years of providing direct service, the Center, in February 2019, transitioned all direct service functions to the Help Center at OATH.

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Yassine
I learned things that I did not know before—information that will help me in the future. I felt happy being here, and glad I chose the option to complete community service.
Yassine Civil Alternatives client

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Partners

Civil Alternatives is a collaboration among the Center for Court Innovation, the New York Police Department, the New York City Council, the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, the John Jay College Misdemeanor Justice Project, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, and the New York City Office of Operations.

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