Drug Courts and Community Service

A busy, but short week here at the Center for Court Innovation, at least for me -- I am heading to my hometown of Washington DC for Thanksgiving. I spent a good chunk of my day yesterday at a mini-retreat convened by our drug court team. It was a good opportunity to take a step back from the fray and reflect on where we've been and where we've going. It wasn't that long ago that the Brooklyn Treatment Court -- NYC's first drug court, which we helped to plan and implement -- was viewed as a risky experiment. It is sometimes hard to remember that now, given how much has transpired in the years since then -- the Fiske Commission, the spread of literally hundreds of drug courts across New York State, the reform of the Rockefeller drug laws which have opened the doors of drug courts to thousands of additional defendants, etc. I'm enormously proud of the part that the Center has played in all of this.

Another highlight from this week was a press event to celebrate NYC Community Cleanup's partnership with the Long Island Rail Road. Click here to check out the press release and a few photos.

Best wishes for a happy holiday...