New York City Marks Significant Criminal Justice Progress In 2024

Under the leadership of Director Deanna Logan, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) achieved key public safety milestones in 2024.

Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to innovative approaches that address some of the city’s most pressing challenges. These accomplishments were achieved through close collaboration with city agencies, community organizations, small businesses, and stakeholders across the public safety continuum. In 2024, MOCJ focused on enhancing community safety, supporting justice-impacted individuals and their families, and strengthening critical accountability and prevention programs. From advancing solutions to gun violence to advocating for housing opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals, MOCJ remained steadfast in its mission to invest in people as the cornerstone of a more equitable and effective justice system.

“From day one, our administration has focused on creating a safer, more affordable New York City. In 2024, we continued to deliver on that vision and ‘Get Stuff Done’ for working-class New Yorkers,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Thanks to our extraordinary public servants, America’s safest big city got even safer this year, with overall crime down and thousands of illegal guns, mopeds, and ghost cars taken off city streets. We passed historic legislation to turn New York into a ‘City of Yes,’ shattered affordable housing records once again, and put billions of dollars back into New Yorkers’ pockets. We broke records for the most jobs and small businesses in city history and moved millions of trash bags off our sidewalks and into containers. But we know that there is even more we can do to continue to uplift working-class families. As we look to the future, our administration remains committed to keeping New Yorkers safe and making our city more affordable for the millions of New Yorkers who call our city home.”

“A justice system that prioritizes fairness, safety, and opportunity is vital to the wellbeing of all New Yorkers,” said Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Director Deanna Logan. “Acting on Mayor Adams’ mandate to prioritize public safety, we implemented groundbreaking programs that enhance community safety while addressing systemic challenges driving the root causes of crime. The achievements of 2024 reflect the administration’s commitment to public safety, as well as the tireless dedication of MOCJ staff and our partners in co-creating meaningful, lasting safety with all New Yorkers.”

Key Achievements in 2024

Every Block Counts

MOCJ identified that a small number of city blocks endured a significant share of crime—a pattern that persisted on these blocks for decades. Based on this realization, MOCJ advised City Hall leadership in the creation of Every Block Counts (EBC), a citywide public safety effort. Leveraging data and research, MOCJ collaborates with partner agencies to pinpoint high-crime areas and develop targeted strategies to mitigate harm. By leveraging data through the EBC framework, MOCJ leads citywide integration of public safety, public health, and enhancements to the physical environment to deliver precision services in often overlooked locations, addressing the root causes of crime and promoting lasting solutions.

Project Restore BedStuy

Project Restore BedStuy (PRB) is a groundbreaking co-creation between community and government designed to work with young men involved in street formations in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn to interrupt the cycles of violence they lived each day and reduce community violence. An inter-disciplinary team, including formerly incarcerated individuals, former gang members, community organizations, and representatives from MOCJ, Kings County District Attorney’s Office and Harlem‘s Columbia University, spearheads PRB. Employing personal development evidence-based strategies, therapeutic practices, and community-focused interventions, 30 young men moved away from gun violence and co-created a future through individual and collective efforts.

The team recently unveiled an evaluative report highlighting PRB’s measurable impact on community safety. Key findings include a remarkable 28% reduction in shooting incidents and a 23% decrease in felony assaults in target areas. By adopting a public health-focused approach, PRB addresses the root causes of gang violence and offers sustainable, long-term solutions to break cycles of crime. This collaborative initiative underscores the power of community partnerships in creating safe and thriving neighborhoods.

Visiting Family and Assistance Program

MOCJ received a $1 million investment from Women Forward NYC to expand the Visiting Family and Assistance Program (VFAP), raising its fiscal year 2025 funding to $2.8 million. Administered by Osborne Association and Hour Children, VFAP strengthens family connections for incarcerated women at the Rose M. Singer Center (RMSC) on Rikers Island, improving reunification outcomes and promoting long-term stability.

Community Justice Reentry Network

Launched in 2018 with $10 million in annual funding, the Community Justice Reentry Network (CJRN), formerly known as Jails to Jobs, grew significantly, now serving 8,000 individuals with a $26.3 million budget. CJRN provides justice-involved individuals with job training, higher education, transitional employment, discharge planning, and therapeutic support, ensuring smoother transitions from incarceration to community life.

Transitional Housing

Housing is a critical foundation for justice-involved individuals, providing the stability needed to rebuild lives and successfully reintegrate people into their communities. MOCJ facilitates Emergency Transitional Housing (ETH) initiatives, helping individuals with justice history transition into independent living or supportive housing after incarceration. In 2024, MOCJ successfully moved 757 new participants into ETH beds citywide. Additionally, there were 251 positive move outs across providers, resulting in individuals obtaining safe and sustainable living opportunities.

Cannabis Reentry Employment Assistance and Training Experience

To ensure meaningful participation in the local cannabis industry under the enacted law, CannabisNYC, the NYC Department of Small Business Services, and MOCJ launched the Cannabis Reentry Employment Assistance and Training Experience (CREATE). This paid training program equips aspiring justice-impacted entrepreneurs for careers in the growing legal cannabis industry by leveraging MOCJ’s Community Justice Reentry Network to provide comprehensive instruction while promoting opportunity and equity.

Since its May 2024 launch, CREATE graduated seven training cohorts and partnered with 14 dispensaries to host future internships. In just six months, CREATE forged groundbreaking pathways to long-term employment and success for justice-involved professionals, marking a significant step forward in the legal cannabis industry.

Momentum: Justice and Community

Momentum: Justice and Community was MOCJ’s annual Diversion and Reentry summit to showcase the building blocks of public safety in communities. The event featured a hiring hall, an interactive simulation of the challenges of re-entering community after incarceration, a screening of a film created by justice-impacted youth, and open discussions about innovative public safety initiatives designed to address challenges in community-based violence and recidivism. More than 200 people gathered at Bedford-Stuyvesant’s Restoration Plaza to network, obtain hiring and training resources, and discuss solutions to difficult public safety challenges. MOCJ plans to incorporate feedback into the public safety initiatives over the next year.

Intensive Case Management Pilot Program

Judges and court officials depend on Supervised Release (SR) programs to enable individuals to access supportive services and await trial safely within their communities. MOCJ data shows that a subset of SR participants requires more robust supportive services in order to reduce current high rates of recidivism and noncompliance with release conditions.

To address these challenges, MOCJ implemented the Intensive Case Management (ICM) pilot program to provide comprehensive support to justice-involved individuals at elevated risk of pretrial failure, including rearrests and recidivism. In 2024, the pilot enrolled over 1,300 participants who received behavioral health treatment through the exclusive EPICS model available only in the ICM pilot. Participants accessed holistic resources, including medical specialists, housing specialists, and referrals to mental health programs, while maintaining compliance with court orders and successfully attending all scheduled court dates. The wraparound service enhancements pilot is showing promising reductions in failure to appear and rearrests rates.

Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes

Housed within MOCJ, the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC) is committed to reducing bias-motivated incidents and hate violence and empowering communities vulnerable to such harm. Through collaboration with city agencies and local organizations, OPHC implements initiatives, such as the Partners Against the Hate (P.A.T.H.) Forward initiative and Community Project Grants, all aimed at systematically preventing hate crimes and strengthening safety across neighborhoods.

In 2024, OPHC released “Teaching About Hate Crimes and Their Impacts,” a curriculum designed to teach NYC students about the impacts of hate crimes and bias incidents on individuals and communities. OPHC and NYC Schools partnered with Facing History & Ourselves to develop a curriculum that empowers educators, enriches students’ understanding of diversity, and fosters a culture of increased civic engagement and social responsibility.

As OPHC continues to advance its mission and initiatives, Mayor Adams appointed Vijah Ramjattan as executive director to guide its efforts moving forward. Joining Vijah on the OPHC staff are deputy executive director Erica Ware and senior project manager Jelissa Thomas. MOCJ is excited to welcome this new team.

Office of Special Enforcement

Situated within MOCJ, the Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) is charged with problem-solving emerging issues adversely affecting neighborhood livability. The vast majority of OSE’s work addresses illegal short-term rentals in the city’s permanent residential housing stock. In 2024, OSE conducted 6,300 inspections, issued 1,290 violations, and secured over $4.4 million in settlements and judgments against operators of illegal short-term rentals and collections of administrative penalties against them. Outside the courtroom, OSE successfully spearheaded the inaugural year of the city’s short-term rental registration program, a regulatory framework established under Local Law 18, and issued over 2,750 short-term rental registrations citywide.

Latest Posts

• Spring 2025 Excelsior Scholarship Application Now Open To New Applicants
• Sponsored Love: From New York To Keystone Charm, The Ultimate Road Trip To Pennsylvania
• Sponsored Love: How To Identify The Best Luxury Properties On The Market In Connecticut
• Sponsored Love: Cost And Efficiency, Is Solar Power Worth It For Large Villas?
• Home Upgrades That Boost Value And Enhance Aesthetics