314 West , New York, NY 10019 p. 646.264.1300

courtinnovation.org/programs/midtown-community-court

Overview

The Midtown , established in 1993, is designed to re-think the judicial response to low-level offenses such as shoplifting, illegal drug use, graffiti, and prostitution. Instead of fines or short-term jail, the Midtown Community Court mandates individualized sanctions (such as social services and community service) that are restorative to the community and participants. Through this problem-solving justice approach, the court seeks to reduce crime and incarceration and improve public trust in justice. For more than two decades, the Midtown Community Court has inspired criminal justice reformers around the world and served as a hub for testing new ideas in .

Our Approach adults (up to age 23), emphasizing outcomes that The Midtown Community Court is operated help young people avoid the legal and collateral by the New York State Unified Court System consequences of a conviction. In a typical year, in collaboration with the Center for Court the court serves around 600 adolescents and Innovation. Arraignments are held daily for young adults, with a 94 percent compliance rate, arrests that occur in six police precincts in through the Adolescent Diversion Program. Midtown, involving low-level, The services offered through the Human non-violent cases. Each year, the Midtown Trafficking Intervention Court seek to introduce Community Court typically hears around participants to resources, including housing, 15,000 cases, including misdemeanors and health services, and safety planning. Those who summonses. The most frequent misdemeanor complete social service programming avoid a charges are trespassing, stolen property, and criminal conviction. In a typical year, the court drug-related charges. serves around 150 clients, with a 100 percent In response to a national opioid crisis, the compliance rate. court also launched the Overdose Avoidance and Recovery (OAR) part. The OAR part seeks to Engaging the Community connect individuals who are at risk of overdose The justice system is stronger, fairer, and more to substance use treatment and supportive effective when the community is invested in services. This is a pre-plea program. While the what happens inside its doors. At Midtown, individual engages in treatment, the prosecution we invite the people who live and work in the of the case is suspended. neighborhood to be involved in identifying local The Midtown Community Court also operates problems and crafting solutions. The Midtown two special dockets that serve the entire borough Community Court holds a monthly community of Manhattan: the Adolescent Diversion Program conditions panel meeting. This meeting serves and Human Trafficking Intervention Court. The to bring together local stakeholders to identify Adolescent Diversion Program seeks to address and solve local issues. Led by the Midtown the unique needs of adolescents and young Community Court judge and program staff, 2 Midtown Community Court

the meetings include New York City Police Diversion Department precinct commanders and officers, The Midtown Community Court offers diversion defense bar and New York County District opportunities for individuals arrested for the Attorney’s Office representatives, service first time through Project Reset. Individuals providers, and representatives from business who complete Project Reset may avoid standard improvement districts and other community case processing as well as criminal conviction. organizations. Court staff also attend a wide Created in collaboration with the New York City range of community meetings and events and Police Department and the New York County participate in community service projects. District Attorney’s Office, Project Reset creates Through these activities, the court strives to a proportionate and restorative response to respond to community needs and address issues low-level crime through programming that is that impact the neighborhood. educational and seeks to avoid re-arrest.

Programming Working with Fathers Social Services UpNext is the court’s fatherhood engagement The Midtown Community Court’s on-site clinic and workforce development program for houses a range of services, including group and noncustodial fathers looking to secure individual counseling sessions addressing mental sustainable employment and engage emotionally health, drug treatment, human trafficking, and financially with their children. UpNext youth justice, unemployment, and veterans’ provides tools and resources for participants issues. Additionally, social workers connect to successfully compete in today’s job market clients to off-site programming, including longer and connect with their families. These include term drug treatment and mental health services. educational and career coaching, peer support Midtown’s clinic is open on a walk-in basis to groups, child support assistance, and family anyone who seeks assistance. activities. UpNext graduates can apply for an on-site fellowship or a transitional employment Community Service program with Alliance, a local A hallmark of the Midtown Community Court’s business improvement district. approach to low-level offenses is creating meaningful and visible community service Compliance and Accountability opportunities. These restitution initiatives are Each year, more than three out of four developed in partnership with local residents, defendants complete their mandates. Individuals businesses, and police. For example, youth and sentenced to community service complete young adults may complete their service with approximately 14,000 hours of community non-profit organizations such as Groundswell, service each year—the equivalent of $150,000 which involves young people in public art of labor. In an effort to improve compliance, projects. Other examples of community service individuals sentenced to community service projects include sweeping streets, painting over frequently start their mandates within 48 hours graffiti, planting tree pits, and cleaning parks. of sentencing. These types of visible projects offer local residents the opportunity to see the impact of the Midtown Community Court’s work and are designed to re- For More Information integrate participants back into the community. E-mail: [email protected]