BLOG
Institute Intelligence
Insights, case studies, news, and updates from ISLG’s good governance research and action.
Institute Intelligence, June 2025: Celebrating a Year of Community-Based Restorative Justice in NYC, Rethinking How We Do RFPs and Grantmaking
A snapshot of the work we’ve done this past month, including a recap of our Community-Based Restorative Justice initiative year-end celebration and a blueprint for creating service navigation programs.
Meet CUNY ISLG’s 2025 Public Policy Pathways Interns
The cohort of CUNY ISLG interns will work hands-on with the research, policy, data science, legal, and operations teams, as well as participate in discussions with subject matter experts across a number of pressing issue areas.
Developing a Trauma-Informed Service Ecosystem in East Harlem
“We try to come at people like equals, in this together. And I think that helps build trust. I also think the fact that we, our team, is largely made up of people who have a lot of lived experience—there's just a different energy that people are getting and so that trust is a lot faster to form.”
Celebrating a Year of Community-Based Restorative Justice in NYC
A year after launch, ISLG convened the 16 Community-Based Restorative Justice initiative grantees to celebrate the work being done on the ground, as well as the training and technical assistance experts who’ve provided support along the way and the funders who can keep the work going.
Rethinking RFPs and Grant Management for Real Impact
The Request-for-Proposal (RFP) and other parts of grantmaking often leave out smaller, grassroots community organizations who are closest to those they serve. Using our Community-Based Restorative Justice Program and Grassroots Policy Incubator as examples, we dig into ways that funders and grant managers can create a more inclusive process that uplifts new ideas without sacrificing program quality and accountability.
The Kriegel Fellowship Graduation: Class of 2024-2025
The 2024-2025 cohort of the Kriegel Fellowship celebrated their graduation at ISLG’s midtown office.
CUNY ISLG Review of NYPD Body-Worn Camera Footage finds 19% of Reported Stops Unconstitutional
The study assessed how frequently officers who conduct stops violate the Fourth Amendment, examined the conditions in which unconstitutional stops occur, and identified the reasons a stop was unconstitutional.
Investing in Policy Development at the Roots: The Grassroots Policy Incubator Kicks Off!
There’s a shortage of funding and capacity-building opportunities available to small grassroots organizations in NYC, which is why the Grassroots Policy Incubator has been designed specifically to support their needs.
CUNY ISLG Study of New York’s Human Services Workforce Finds Sector Growing Rapidly, but Wages Falling Short of the Cost of Living
The study found the sector has doubled since 2000, but that real wages have stagnated compared to private sector employment—with women of color most impacted.
How Integrated Healthcare and Social Services Can Close Gaps After Incarceration
The New York City Health Justice Network (NYC HJN) is supporting people returning home from incarceration by providing holistic healthcare and social services. A recent evaluation of the program found evidence that it made a positive impact on reducing future criminal legal system involvement.
Launching a New, Two-Year Fellowship to Position CUNY Students as the Next Generation of Civic Engagement Leaders
The Fellowship aims to tap into the wealth of exemplary CUNY students to build a corps of civically engaged leaders who will embark on a two-year program, training them on voter engagement and education as well as community involvement.
10 Years into the Safety and Justice Challenge, Data Continues to Show No Link between Jail Population Reductions and Violent Crime
For the fourth year in a row, an analysis of individual-level jail data and county-level crime trends assessing the relationship between pretrial release and crime affirms past findings: violent crime and the rate that people returned to jail after release have remained the same before and after reforms were implemented.