Watch: Staten Island DA Michael McMahon – Reckonings & Reforms: A Conversation about Serious Mental Illness

Watch Greenburger Center for Justice Executive Director Cheryl Roberts in conversation with Staten Island DA Michael McMahon. Together, they explore initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges faced by individuals with mental health conditions within legal frameworks. He emphasizes the importance of community-based approaches and the need for systemic reforms to better support those affected by […]

Watch: NYC’s Defenders In Conversation About The Criminalization of Mental Illness & Bail Reform

In this compelling panel discussion presented by the Greenburger Center for Justice and John Jay College of Criminal Justice, leading public defenders from across New York City—including representatives from The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, and The Legal Aid Society—convene to examine the intersection of serious mental illness and the criminal justice system. The conversation […]

Watch: Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez – Reckonings & Reforms: A Conversation about Serious Mental Illness

Watch Greenburger Center for Justice Executive Director Cheryl Roberts in conversation with Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez. Reflecting on his experience leading one of the nation’s most progressive prosecutor’s offices, DA Gonzalez discusses initiatives like the Brooklyn Mental Health Court and the Justice 2020 Initiative, which aims to provide alternatives to incarceration and address systemic disparities. […]

Watch: Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance – Reckonings & Reforms: A Conversation about Serious Mental Illness

Watch Greenburger Center for Justice Executive Director Cheryl Roberts in conversation with Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance. Drawing from his tenure, DA Vance explores initiatives aimed at reducing unnecessary incarceration, such as the establishment of Manhattan’s first Mental Health Court and the implementation of alternatives to incarceration programs. He emphasizes the importance of community-based justice models […]

Watch: Queens DA Melinda Katz – Reckonings & Reforms: A Conversation about Serious Mental Illness

Watch Greenburger Center for Justice Executive Director Cheryl Roberts in conversation with Queens DA Melinda Katz. This conversation delves into the intersection of serious mental illness and the criminal justice system, highlighting the challenges faced by individuals with mental health conditions within legal frameworks. DA Katz discusses initiatives and reforms aimed at addressing these challenges, […]

Watch: Sex and Incarceration: What Happens When Someone is Incarcerated for a Sex Offense? Is Sexual Health Possible While Incarcerated? What can be Done to Reform the System?

In Part Six of our From Sexual Health to Sexual Harm series, Executive Director Cheryl Roberts is joined by Stephanie Convington, Brian Fischer and Arthur “Cetewayo” Johnson to discuss what happens when a person is incarcerated for a sex offense, whether sexual health is possible while incarcerated and ways to reform the system.  

Out now – NEW Episode of Justice Speaks: Neurodiversity on Trial: ASD & The Justice System

In this episode of Justice Speaks, Executive Director Cheryl Roberts explores the intersection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the criminal justice system. Joined by clinical psychologist and author Dr. Isabelle Hénault, attorney and advocate Mark Mahoney, and father-son duo Nick and Larry Dubin, the conversation delves into how individuals with ASD may be uniquely […]

Class Dismissed: Zicklin School Hosts Panel on Civil Litigation Reform

Did you know that if you found out your drinking water was contaminated with carcinogens and you joined a class action lawsuit against the polluter, you’d be very unlikely to win damages unless you could prove you had cancer that was caused by the water?   That’s the implication of a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court case, TransUnion LLC […]

Sexual Harm & Restorative Justice: Does it work? 

Kathryn Robb directs the Children’s Justice Campaign at Enough Abuse. She is a lawyer and legislative advocate who has been fighting to pass meaningful child sex abuse legislation across the country for over 2 decades. She is a national expert on Statute of Limitations reform/elimination aimed at providing justice for survivors, accountability for abusers and […]

Watch: Access to Justice: A Panel Discussion on Civil Litigation Reform

Everyday, Americans face legal challenges related to physical injury or financial loss from unsafe or defective products, unfair evictions, construction defects, deceptive debt collection practices and more. In a vast majority of these cases, whether wealthy or not, people have either no, or a limited ability to vindicate their rights in court.  The inability to […]

Introducing Justice Speaks – A New Podcast Hosted by The Greenburger Center

Welcome to Justice Speaks: Controversial Conversations on Crime, hosted by the Greenburger Center for Justice. Here, we dive deep into the pressing issues and reform efforts that are reshaping our criminal justice and mental health systems. Each episode tackles difficult topics offering fact based and unfiltered discussions on the challenges and changes needed to create […]

Roberts NYDN Op-Ed: Mental illness: a great leveler

As the executive director of the Greenburger Center, I have listened while parents describe the terror and heartbreak of watching a child experience and respond to hallucinations, delusions or visual distortions. I understand not only their heartbreak, but the terror of their children.  My children and I have Todd’s Syndrome, more commonly known as Alice in Wonderland […]

Film screening of David Feige’s film Untouchable

On Monday, November 18, we welcomed Director David Feige to New York Law School for a private screening of Untouchable followed by a Q&A. This programming was part of our larger Sex Crimes & Punishment Series. Untouchable is streaming on Peacock.

Roberts NYDN Op-Ed: Sex offender rules need reform

The Jacob Wetterling Act of 1994 mandated creation of “sex offender registries” for use by law enforcement. (Shutterstock) By CHERYL ROBERTS When it comes to criminal justice reform, people with serious mental illness are sometimes called the “third rail.” Those assumed too hot to handle and least deserving of reforms. They’re the people The Greenburger Center aims to […]

Greenburger, Roberts AMNY Op Ed: Is There Any Justice Left in America?

As riots rage across the nation, it may be tempting for some, or expedient for the President, to rail against the rioters and to view these events as a failure of the rule of law. We don’t agree. The riots in Minneapolis are fueled by the desperation of African-Americans and their allies in response to […]

DAs Hold Key to Diverting Defendants & Closing Rikers

The New York Daily News featured an Op Ed by Len Elmore, retired basketball player, lawyer, sports commentator and Greenburger Center Board of Advisor.   Elmore’s Op Ed follows: It was a striking sight: Four of New York City’s five district attorneys gathered earlier this month at a forum sponsored by the Daily News, Greenburger […]

Senator Sepúlveda, Roberts NYDN Op Ed: A Tale About Mental Health, Not Bail

Tiffany Harris, a woman living with what appears to be a serious mental illness, has become a poster child for the push to roll back new bail reform laws in New York. Harris was charged with slapping three Orthodox Jewish women in Brooklyn. Rather than ordering mental-health counseling as a condition of release, something provided […]

We’re Teaming Up for Sane Change with NY Giants Isaac Yiadom

On Sunday, December 13th, NY Giants cornerback Isaac Yiadom will bring attention to criminal justice and mental health reform during this year’s My Cause, My Cleats Game by highlighting the Greenburger Center’s work. We are honored that he has made the Greenburger Center his cause for 2020. We are also honored that Isaac’s cleats were […]

In Memory of Mental Health Advocate DJ Jaffe

Sometimes, there really is not enough time. About a month ago, DJ and I began working on an Op Ed about why defunding the police and spending money on “feel good wellness social services rather than long term treatment for SMI” was not going to reduce police shootings, help the SMI (seriously mentally ill) population, […]

Roberts NYDN Op-Ed: Hard lessons from Daniel Prude’s death

Daniel Prude represents the most at-risk group of Americans to be killed in an encounter with police: a Black male living with a serious mental illness. When police are summoned to so-called Emotionally Disturbed Person (EDP) calls, the results are often deadly. Nationwide, at least a quarter and maybe as high as half of those killed by police had mental illness. But […]