Intervening Directly in the Courts

People trapped in cycles of arrest and incarceration often have unmet treatment needs worsened by the devastating impact of jail and prison on their health and their ability to connect to needed services in the community. Racial inequality magnifies these adverse impacts, especially for Black and Latine people with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders.  

CASES Court Services team works in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan courts to divert people away from jail and prison and into alternative-to-incarceration and Pretrial Services programs, intervening as early as possible in a person’s navigation of the criminal legal system by identifying their needs and rapidly connecting them with services in the community.  

Seven days a week, Manhattan Criminal Court holds arraignment hearings from 9 AM to 1 AM, including holidays. CASES staff are onsite every minute, reviewing case files, connecting with attorneys and people who have been arrested, and advocating for release. The Court Services Team provides 24/7 assistance through the following services:   

• Reviewing and assessing the records of the people served  

• Conducting pre- and post-arraignment interviews   

• Advocating for the release of those served to alternative-to-incarceration and Pretrial programs   

• Providing care packages including food, clothing, and hygiene kits upon release from court  

• Providing immediate psychiatric, nursing, and peer services for people experiencing acute behavioral health crisis, including substance withdrawal  

• Providing vital life-saving treatment such as Narcan right from court  

• Connecting people who receive an alternative mandate to intake appointments at an office located in their most convenient borough