Mission

The Center for Court Innovation seeks to help create a more effective and humane justice system by designing and implementing operating programs, performing original research, and providing reformers around the world with the tools they need to launch new strategies.

Activities

The Red Hook Youth Court trains teenagers to serve as jurors, judges and advocates, handling real-life cases involving their peers. The goal of the Red Hook Youth Court is to use positive peer pressure to ensure that young people who have committed minor offenses restore harm done to the community and receive the help they need to avoid further involvement in the justice system. The Red Hook Youth Court hears a range of low-level crimes referred by New York Police Department, the New York City Department of Probation, the New York City Law Department (presentment agency for New York City Family Court), Family Court, and Criminal Court. The majority of cases that come to the Red Hook Youth Court are for larceny, truancy, and assault.

The Red Hook Youth Court is part of the Red Hook Community Justice Center.

Eligibility