Holistic Defense Model

Engages in public advocacy, legal filings, and civic discourse to advance criminal justice reform, including issuing public statements on fair jury selection, condemning systemic racism in policing and the federal justice system, calling for independent investigations into deaths in custody, and publishing opinion pieces on the impacts of federal prosecution. Coordinates research and legal advocacy focused on race and equality.

Provides training to attorneys, including new U.S. Attorneys in the Southern District of New York General Crimes Unit, offers access to past training programs and materials for CJA panel members, and organizes anti-racism trainings for staff and the broader community.

Manages systems for attorneys to schedule legal calls and video teleconferencing (VTC) with clients at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) and Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), including use of Skedda and Airtable, and transitioned to online forms for request submissions. Default 30-minute calls are provided, with options for longer duration, subject to limits of up to 4 calls per unit per day at MCC and up to 6 at MDC, with requests due at least 72 hours in advance.

Operates four regional offices in Brooklyn, Central Islip, Manhattan, and White Plains to deliver federal defense services, ensuring geographic accessibility for clients across New York City and surrounding counties.

Provides CLE attendance verification and evaluation forms for attorneys and maintains a blog summarizing recent Second Circuit cases in federal criminal law to support legal professionals.

Provides legal representation and defense services to individuals charged with federal crimes who are unable to afford private counsel, primarily in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The client population is overwhelmingly low-income, with over 80% indigent and approximately 75% people of color, predominantly Black and Latinx individuals.

Assists individuals in completing financial affidavits to determine eligibility for court-appointed counsel at no cost and provides legal consultation to those with outstanding federal arrest warrants regarding potential surrender to the U.S. Marshals.

Assists family members in locating detained relatives by checking the Bureau of Prisons inmate database, resolving denied visitation requests by communicating with correctional facilities, and preparing letters of support for defendants prior to sentencing.

Runs a two-year paralegal program that trains recent college graduates for careers in law or graduate study and hosts Master's Degree candidates from top social work graduate schools as field placements.

Conducts mixed-method, multi-site research and evaluations on justice, education, and public health programs to advance understanding of crime, violence, and safety; produces policy briefs, podcasts, and videos to disseminate findings.

Operates restorative services, placekeeping initiatives, and public safety models in neighborhoods like the South Bronx and Brownsville, including trauma-informed programming, youth development, and community-driven safety strategies.

Partners with court systems and community stakeholders in New York and across all 50 states to co-create and implement innovative justice programs that address local challenges and improve community safety and well-being.

Operates Project Reset, a program that diverts individuals arrested for low-level offenses from the justice system through restorative, community-based interventions.

Operates as the independent research and development arm of the New York State Unified Court System, originating from the Midtown Community Justice Center, to innovate and evaluate justice programs.

Delivers programs focused on economic opportunity, housing, family relationships, and health services in neighborhoods like the South Bronx to promote long-term community safety and well-being.

Implements Supervised Release programs and other alternatives to bail and pretrial detention, serving over 45,000 participants and helping individuals avoid incarceration in over 75,000 cases since 2016, with an 87% court appearance rate and 94% compliance with supervision check-ins.

Runs community courts in Harlem, Midtown Manhattan, and Brooklyn that address misdemeanor and felony cases with restorative, trauma-informed approaches, improving equity in housing, health, and justice access.

Supports stable housing through court-based tenant support, housing assistance in over 48,000 instances, and programs that reduce eviction harms and justice system involvement.