The COVID-19 pandemic forced New York City’s social service providers to transition their work almost overnight. Many shifted their approaches in previously unimagined ways, as longstanding ways of conducting outreach and engagement were no longer viable.

The primary purpose of a jail is to detain those who are waiting for court proceedings and are considered a flight risk or public safety threat. However, many people admitted to jail are there because they cannot afford to post bail. As a result, they may remain behind bars for weeks, awaiting trial or a case resolution. This overreliance on jails has negative consequences not only for those who are incarcerated, but also for their families and their communities, particularly communities of color. Findings from our new analysis suggest that decarceration strategies—approaches to keep people OUT of jail—can be crafted and implemented responsibly, without compromising public safety.

Nearly 25% of prison admissions are due to technical violations of probation/parole—often due to minor offenses such as missed curfews, or failed drug tests. To change this, 10 jurisdictions across the country have been working to understand what drives probation revocations and potential solutions to reduce them.

Domestic violence—and intimate partner violence (IPV), in particular—is a long-standing public health crisis that has persisted despite earnest political and programmatic efforts to curb it. Although Abusive Partner Intervention Programs (APIPs) emerged in the late 1970s to reduce domestic violence, many traditional APIP models have not been found to promote long-term behavior change. Intervention programs that work with abusive partners and use trauma-informed approaches can help successfully prevent future intimate partner violence.

The new Manhattan DA will be responsible for advancing justice on a broad scale. We outline a core set of principles related to fairness, trust, and community safety that can help the next DA get there.

The US Capitol attack that took place on January 6, 2021 only confirmed our analysis of the Trump era: Lies and demonization are not only morally wrong but dangerous to America and all who live and work here. In this statement we reflect on the need for unity to make the post-Trump era of governance one where security and safety grounded in truth, finally, become non-negotiable.

Elections are critical to peacefully but firmly holding policymakers to account. But what happens in between those moments is where most of us living in America experience government. Safety, public health, schools, housing, roads and bridges, mass transit, parks, and economic development are just some of the core services government provides. In this post-2020 election statement, we call on stakeholders—from philanthropic and research institutions to community-based organizations and community members—to join in the work of good governance.

The 2020 murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, along with the killing of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others over the years is a horrifying and brutal reminder of the role that our history of slavery and structural racism continues to play in our justice system and government more broadly. With this statement, we stand with Black and all marginalized communities in their fight for equal justice.