New York’s sweeping criminal legal reforms went into effect just three months before the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought about its own unique set of challenges. As part of a qualitative process evaluation of how changes were implemented on the ground, we had to quickly adapt our methods to safely and meaningfully interview practitioners as well as interpret data that was now more nuanced.

Changes to New York’s criminal legal system in 2019 involved multiple provisions that touched many facets of the system, but its expansion of pretrial services as an alternative to pretrial detention precipitated significant policy and operational changes. Pulling from a process evaluation of its implementation, here are some recommendations for pretrial service providers to manage the shift.

As part of the overarching goal of creating a fairer and more equitable criminal legal system, the 2019 New York Criminal Justice Reform Act made sweeping changes to how evidence was shared between prosecutors and defenders. Pulling from a process evaluation of its implementation, here are some recommendations for prosecutors to manage the shift.

An innovative assessment approach successfully measures trauma and healing among families impacted by gender-based violence. Administered by a holistic and innovative program in Manhattan that provides family-focused programming, the approach helped participants better understand their healing journeys.

Using a unique approach that focused on families as a whole, the FamilySafe Project (FSP) developed a trauma-informed approach to provide counseling services to families who have experienced gender-based violence.

Program evaluations are useful tools for programs, funders, and researchers to better understand the impact of services on participants and collaborations between organizations. One such evaluation of the Margaret’s Place in Communities Impacted by Trauma-exposed Youth (MP-CITY) program identified several ways to improve programmatic operations and participant experiences.

MP-CITY offered services at two public schools in Washington Heights between 2018 and 2021. The program offered three programming tiers that provided multiple entry points for mental health supports so that a range of students with different types of mental health needs could engage with the program at the appropriate level.

Funded by the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) to improve safety in neighborhoods that have experienced disproportionate impacts of divestment and criminal legal system involvement, the Hubs connected a diverse population of youth to wraparound services that addressed their material, social, educational, and physical and mental health needs.

A recent evaluation found the Youth Opportunity Hubs were successful in creating unique partnership networks that built on their organizational strengths and the needs of their youth participants. The networks they created helped the Hubs be flexible and adaptable in providing youth services, efficient and resilient against partner changes, and prepared to share resources across many partner organizations.

Across communities participating in the study, people with frequent jail contact account for a majority of bookings, but account for a minority of the people booked. People of color and people with behavioral health needs are overrepresented.

A new study – “At The Intersection of Probation and Jail Reduction Efforts” – is a building block in understanding how probation, jail, and housing challenges intersect, and how providing transitional housing support can help reduce jail incarceration.

In particular, THRIV participants highlighted that connecting with other transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) people through clinical and art-based supports helped them understand how to refine trauma coping skills and develop healthy, supportive relationships