In our seventh edition of Changemakers, we’re highlighting Common Justice, a New York nonprofit that operates alternative-to-incarceration and victim service programs. Read below to learn how Common Justice translates its vision into innovation and impact.
Common Justice…
Envisions a world where accountability, dignity and healing are central to justice, and the system is shaped by those directly impacted by harm.
Because it believes community is what keeps us safe, not prisons.
To get there, it holds people accountable for harm, breaks cycles of violence, and secures safety, healing and justice for survivors.
A major innovation is its alternative-to-incarceration program in Brooklyn and the Bronx, which brings together youth (ages 16 to 26) and those they have harmed. If the harmed parties agree, violent felony cases such as robbery and assault are diverted from the criminal legal system into a restorative justice process. This program is the first of its kind the country.
