Welcome!

Celebrating 30 years: 1981-2011 The Center for Community Alternatives (CCA) is a leader in the field of community-based alternatives to incarceration. Our mission is to promote reintegrative justice and a reduced reliance on incarceration through advocacy, services and public policy development in pursuit of civil and human rights.

CCA serves people in trouble: youth at risk; families in crisis; people struggling to address drug and alcohol problems and HIV and AIDS; and people who have been involved in the criminal justice system who are seeking community reintegration and productive, law-abiding lives. CCA endeavors to address these issues by emphasizing personal empowerment, self-respect and concern for one's community.

In Memoriam

Ray Barnes, CCA employee and cherished friend, passed away on April 22, 2012. Ray's kindness, humility, humor, generosity, song, passion for CCA's work, and consistent positivity in the face of every challenge is inspiring. Ray has done so much to break down the myths held to be "truths" in our society about the people society chooses to lock away for long periods of time. He has helped humanize our view of incarcerated men and women. Ray had an unbelievable ability to build a life inside the wall that stretched out beyond prison cells. Ray showed patience and kindness, not only to clients but to everyone he met. He shared powerful messages with youth and touched the lives of so many. Ray is pure of heart. We have all been made better for knowing Ray.

"I loved my friend. He went away from me. There's nothing more to say. The poem ends, soft as it began--I loved my friend."
Langston Hughes

Tribute to Ray by Friends and Colleagues [NOTE: This is a 32M Powerpoint file.]

News & Events

CCA's work in the field and publication, The Use of Criminal History Records in College Admissions Reconsidered, is referenced in two articles in Represent: The Voice of Youth in Foster Care. The first article, "From Inmate to College Student" is a poignant story of a young man's journey from youth to adulthood, school to prison to college. The companion article, "If you have a Criminal Record...", describes the issues in CCA's study of college admissions practices.

PBS Documentary "Slavery by Another Name". Dr. Sharon Malone, wife of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, tells the heartbreaking story of her uncle Henry in the upcoming 90-minute PBS documentary “Slavery by Another Name.” The film is based on the eye-opening book by Douglas A. Blackmon, which exposes a part of American history that most folks either had no clue existed, or didn’t know existed to the extent that it did. History has repeated itself with the rate of incarceration of this century. Full video can be found online at http://video.pbs.org/video/2176766758

The Center for Community Alternatives applauds Governor Cuomo's continue reform of New York's juvenile justice system with the "Close to Home" initiative. Click here to read CCA's full statement.

CCA Executive Director, Marsha Weissman, was presented with the prestigious Sara Tullar Fasoldt Leadership and Humanitarian Award from New York State on January 12 at the Governor's Office in New York City. Ms. Weissman is being recognized for her "outstanding leadership and significant contributions to the field of community corrections".

CCA announces the release of its new publication and annual report, More than 2 Million Americans. Click here for a pdf copy.

The publication commemorates CCA's 30th Anniversary and is well-worth having in print form. For a print copy, please e-mail your address to us at cca@communityalternatives.org, or call us at 315-422-5638, and give us your mailing address.