Reducing Trauma

Studies show that many defendants, victims, and witnesses have histories of trauma; striving to reduce that trauma is central to our work.

Trauma-informed care—practices designed to identify and treat the symptoms of trauma—is critical to meeting the needs of those involved in the justice system. Recognizing this, the Center’s operating programs and national training and technical assistance are rooted in trauma-informed approaches. Specifically, we train staff working in courts on trauma and its impacts, design courtroom practices to create a sense of safety, and help communities to better understand the impacts of trauma and prevent future crime.

A number of our initiatives also focus on specific populations affected by trauma, including Make it Happen, which works with young men who have experienced violence; the Child Witness Support Program, which offers trauma-informed services to children and adolescents; and the Strong Starts Court Initiative, which supports Family-Court-involved infants and their families.

On 'New Thinking,' an audio portrait of our Make It Happen program.

Initiatives

  • Bronx Child Trauma Support

    Bronx Child Trauma Support provides trauma-focused services to young people who have been exposed to violent crime.

  • Make It Happen

    Make It Happen helps young men between the ages of 16 and 24 who have experienced violence acquire the tools necessary to overcome traumatic experiences.

  • Strong Starts Court Initiative

    The Strong Starts Court Initiative is a Family-Court based, specialized, intergenerational collaborative approach to handling abuse and neglect cases involving children birth to three years of age.

Publications & Digital Media

  • Publication

    Plenty of Science, Not Enough Passion: Accelerating the Pace of Felony Decarceration

    Our knowledge about what works and what doesn’t in the field of justice reform has grown significantly in recent decades, but our willingness to pilot new initiatives has not kept pace. Through a focus on a pioneering New York City court, this article argues alternative-to-incarceration programs should follow the research and open participation to more charges, including violent ones, and seek to address a wider array of needs.

    Reducing Trauma, Reducing Violence
  • Publication

    Fact Sheet: Bronx HOPE

    Bronx Heroin Overdose Prevention and Education (HOPE), a new initiative of Bronx Community Solutions, addresses substance use issues with a harm-reduction model at the precinct level. By giving clients the option of accessing community services instead of appearing in court, Bronx HOPE gives Bronx residents the opportunity for rehabilitation and connection to community rather than jail or options that don’t address the underlying issues.

    Reducing Trauma, Rethinking Incarceration
  • Publication

    Fact Sheet: The Bronx Community Justice Center

    The Bronx Community Justice Center works to create a safer, more equitable Bronx through community-driven public safety initiatives, youth opportunity, and economic mobility efforts focused in the South Bronx. Our vision is to support the South Bronx community to become a safe and thriving place where local ownership, community-led investment, and youth opportunity can flourish. The Bronx Community Justice Center works toward this vision by focusing on community safety, restorative practices, and youth and economic development.

    Community Justice, Diversion, Placemaking, Reducing Trauma, Reducing Violence, Youth Initiatives
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News

  • NYC's youngest fatal shooting victim this year remembered with a call to action

    March 6, 2024
    Gothamist

    Family members, friends, and neighbors gathered at a playground in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, to remember Troy Gill, a 13-year-old boy who was lost to gun violence on February 29. As the community stood together in mourning, they also issued a call to action to mobilize against gun violence and prioritize the safety and well-being of all young people. “We're in a time where a lot of young people don't feel seen and or loved or heard,” said Anthony Rowe, director of our Neighbors in Action program in Crown Heights. “So our path forward is to invest in the youth.”

  • Gov. Hochul adds millions for mental health treatment services

    April 24, 2024
    NY1

    “We don’t want to see people locked up as the solution. We want them to get the help they need, get the stability, get the path toward a healthy life.” Governor Kathy Hochul visited our Midtown Community Justice Center to share exciting news of a $33 million investment into expanded mental health support for New Yorkers in the criminal legal system. On NY1, hear from the people working on the ground to link people who have been arrested to those life-changing services, including Mel Hodor from our Midtown Community Justice Center team.

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