Moving Beyond Youth Prisons: Lessons from New York City’s Implementation of Close to Home

The Columbia University Justice Lab released a report spotlighting New York City’s Close to Home initiative, an effort that reduced the rate of youth sent to state-operated prisons in New York City.

“This case study describes the development of the Close to Home (C2H) initiative, beginning with a review of what the system looked like before its creation, through the planning and implementation phases of this transformation. It reviews the challenges faced, particularly during C2H’s initial implementation, how these were addressed, and the ongoing efforts to adapt the initiative to new and evolving circumstances. Finally, it shares data showing outcomes to date and highlights the role of key stakeholders, including elected officials, policymakers, advocates, and directly-impacted communities that combined to make the C2H reform successful.”