CUNY Institute for State & Local Governance

09/29/2026

TOMORROW: Join the NYC Justice Training Institute and the New York State Judicial Taskforce on Mental Illness on 9/30 at 1 pm ET for Intersection between Homelessness, Justice, and Behavioral Health, an interactive webinar.

This webinar will discuss the specific needs of people with behavioral health issues who face homelessness and come into contact with the criminal legal system, and how cross-sector collaboration is necessary to address them. Participants will learn trauma-informed engagement strategies and how to best support clients in their reentry journey.

Register now at https://buff.ly/Ut6n6J1

09/28/2026

Youth with behavioral health needs are significantly overrepresented in the justice system, and nearly 70 percent having a diagnosable mental health disorder. State and local legal systems need effective case planning for youth and young adults to address needs and set them up for long-term success.

Join the NYC Justice Training Institute and Council of State Governments Center on October 6, 1 pm ET for a Supporting Crisis Stabilization for Youth and Young Adults During Reentry webinar. Presenters will provide guidance for justice professionals on how to better engage, collaborate, and partner with systems that can address reentry needs and prevent crises that may lead to future justice system involvement.

The guidance is informed by research and lessons learned from Bureau of Justice Assistance-funded programs focused on reentry and crisis stabilization for youth and young adults. The JTI is a partnership between CUNY ISLG and the ’s Office of Criminal Justice.

Register now at https://buff.ly/IrnpxDX

09/28/2026

Accountability in the criminal legal system starts with transparency, including data on the workloads and focus of prosecutors.

The City of Toledo’s Prosecutor’s Office, in partnership with CUNY ISLG and the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators team at Loyola Chicago Center for Criminal Justice, has created a public dashboard that details what cases they have filed since 2018. This dashboard provides a unique insight into the activities of the Prosecutor’s Office.

Check it out:

The Office is committed to providing the public with greater insight and transparency into our work.

09/24/2026

This fall, New York City rolls out the first stages of the nation’s largest public 2-K program. Much of the conversation to date has been about how to make universal child care a political and practical reality. But equally important is understanding what universal child care would mean for New York’s children, families, and economy.

Our latest report, Universal Child Care Pays Off: Government Investment in Child Care Would Bring Billions to New York’s Families and Economy, details the economic and social benefits of establishing universal child care across New York City and State.

Our team found that universal child care could bring as much as $10.9 billion in net economic benefit to New York State on an annual basis, including $1.6 billion in additional wages for New York’s labor force. As New Yorkers continue to deal with an affordability crisis, this work provides a way forward that would benefit New York’s employers, economy, families, and future.

To read our Universal Child Care Pays Off report, please visit https://buff.ly/sFFTRiZ

09/23/2026

On October 7, join the NYC Justice Training Institute and the New York State Judicial Taskforce on Mental Illness (NYS JTFMI) for “Navigating NYC’s Homeless System.”

Patricia Hernandez, LCSW from the NYS JTFMI and Sara Temple from the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice will provide an overview of the services provided by NYC DHS, shelter access pathways, and programs serving people who are both unsheltered and sheltered. They will also review services for youth and young adults, and those experiencing interpersonal violence.

Participants will learn how to help their clients navigate the system, connect with the appropriate resources, and overcome barriers to accessing services.

Register now at https://buff.ly/5D3QKKb

09/22/2026

People with behavioral health needs often do not receive the appropriate level of care that they need for a variety of reasons. When untreated or undertreated, this can lead to a cycle of homelessness and repeated contacts with the justice system—which then leads to lower chances of these individuals receiving the proper assistance.

On September 30 at 1 pm ET, the NYC Justice Training Institute and the New York State Judicial Taskforce on Mental Illness on will host “Intersection between Homelessness, Justice, and Behavioral Health.”

Learn more about this interactive webinar and register at https://buff.ly/Ut6n6J1

09/16/2026

The City of Toledo’s Prosecutor’s Office has released a data dashboard detailing key details of their work, including case filings, how long cases take to be resolved, and an overview of their work on domestic violence-related cases.

This work was done in partnership with CUNY ISLG and the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators team at Loyola Chicago Center for Criminal Justice.

“Transparency and accountability are crucial to ensuring public trust in the criminal legal system. The work we’ve done with the City Prosecutor’s Office shows what is possible from a small team when a commitment is made to emphasize accountability internally and within the community, and how increased data capacity can improve the effectiveness of departments regardless of size,” said Jennifer Ferone, Deputy Research Director at CUNY ISLG.

CUNY ISLG is committed to improving the collection, use, and accessibility of data in state and local criminal legal systems across the country. Learn more about our work with Toledo at https://toledo.prosecutiondata.org

09/15/2026

Happy National Voter Registration Day! Democracy depends on having every part of our communities engaged and participating.

Our Civic Engagement Fellowship, launched last year in partnership with the NYC Campaign Finance Board, placed rising CUNY seniors with community-based organizations in the South Bronx who are now working full-time to support efforts to boost civic engagement. In their first year, these fellows registered over 1,300 voters and hosted events attended by over 24,000 community members!

Learn more about the work done by the fellows at https://islg.cuny.edu/blog/civic-engagement-spring-26-highlights

Check that sure that your voter registration is up to date:

NYC residents - https://amiregistered.vote.nyc/

NYS residents - https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/

09/14/2026

“We are the ones that keep these things on the radar of the government agencies that can help. We’re the ones that care about your situation, who are communicating on a daily basis with the Council Member, with the Assembly Member, with whomever to make sure that your voice is always heard, and make sure that your voice is always priority,” said Samori Touré, former Chief of Staff for NYC Council District 37 and 2024 Kriegel Fellow

Learn more about Samori’s experience in his own words: https://buff.ly/BYWfGH0

09/08/2026

Our Lindsay Fellowship in Government Leadership and Practice is accepting applications from city and state elected officials in their first four years of service to join the Class of 2026.

The Fellowship, which honors John Lindsay’s commitments to civil rights and uplifting young voices into public service as a member of Congress and as Mayor of New York City, allows legislators the opportunity to network with leaders across sectors, build relationships, and learn about policies and practices that can help effectively serve their communities. Sessions will be held in-person in New York City starting in early October and will run through the end of the year. Learn more about the Lindsay Fellowship at https://islg.cuny.edu/case-study-kriegel-lindsay-fellows.

Applications will be open through September 18. To apply for the Lindsay Fellowship, please visit https://forms.gle/7uHwwPdvWwHXZ1tT6.