We depend on Midtown Community Court to battle the systemic inequities that plague our criminal justice system, while keeping our streets and neighbors safe. However, pandemic-related closures have left the most vulnerable in our communities without much-needed intervention. For years, Midtown Community Court has tirelessly worked to connect people accused of low-level crimes to emergent services and diversion programs as a way to thoughtfully reduce recidivism and improve quality of life conditions. Rosenthal said, "As history has demonstrated, incarcerating people for crimes of poverty and low-level drug offenses is not the answer. MCC turns offenders’ lives around and provides critical support services that reduce crime, so reopening MCC must be OCA’s top priority.”Īssembly Member Linda B.
#N.y. courts seek root out is full
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said, “The Midtown Community Court is proven – by outside evaluators – to stem recidivism by addressing the root causes of crime, so every day the Office of Court Administration waits to reopen MCC full time robs New Yorkers of community-oriented justice solutions and quality-of-life improvements. Its continued limited operation restricts New Yorkers from accessing the crucial justice resources and social services the MCC provides to the community and I join with my fellow elected officials in calling on the Office of Court Administration to work expeditiously to fully reopen this community court.”
Their mission is to give offenders innovative and tailored support to avoid repeat offenses.Ĭongressman Jerry Nadler said, “The Midtown Community Court (MCC) is one of the best tools New York City has to divert low level offenders in the criminal justice system by providing creative, restorative sentencing alternatives. The Court sentences low-level offenders to perform community restitution, and links them to on-site social services like drug treatment, job training, and mental health counseling in order to address underlying problems, such as homelessness, unemployment, and substance abuse. New York needs MCC to operate at full capacity to help strengthen our justice system and solve our most persistent community problems. To further confuse people navigating the system, a judge mandated 600 of those relocated downtown to an alternative to incarceration program housed at MCC, sending them back uptown. From January to June of this year, 1,000 cases that would have been arraigned and served with co-located services at MCC were redirected downtown, causing unnecessary confusion and stress. With MCC operating in-person only one day a week, people are falling through the justice system’s cracks. It’s time for OCA to fully reopen MCC so their proven methods to prevent repeat offenses can be utilized during this trying period for our neighborhoods.” State Senator Brad Hoylman, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, “Without Midtown Community Court, we’re fighting quality of life crimes and recidivism with one hand tied behind our back. Reopening MCC full time will help improve access to justice and quality of life for all New Yorkers.
MCC connects people accused of low-level offenses – such as shoplifting, drug possession, and prostitution – with services and diversion programs that can address the root causes of crime and reduce recidivism. Over the last quarter century, MCC’s model of problem-solving justice has led to effective responses to low-level crime, contributing to drops in both crime and use of jail.
OCA, the court’s administrative arm, has still not announced a concrete timeline for their return to full operations five days a week. NEW YORK - To help address rising complaints in quality-of-life crimes and recidivism, elected officials, community leaders, and representatives from business improvement districts called on the NYS Office of Court Administration (OCA) to fully-reopen the Midtown Community Court (MCC), the nation’s first community court and a joint effort of OCA and the Center for Court Innovation.ĭespite repeated requests from elected officials, MCC is currently operating only one day a week.
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