Accomplishments

Since 1981 CCA has worked successfully to reduce reliance on incarceration, to demonstrate the role of communities in building innovative solutions for justice and to advocate for more responsive juvenile and criminal justice policies. On this page are some key successes of CCA's staff, clients, and community members.

Court Services

With the enactment of restrictive federal sentencing guidelines in 1987, CCA expands its work in Federal Courts advocating for downward departures.
Client Specific Planning clients donate thousands of hours of community service through work in AIDS hospices, senior citizen center, homeless shelters, meals-on-wheels and other human service and community agency.
Over 80 percent of CCA's clients successfully complete their alternative sentences and move on to law-abiding, productive lives.
In 1995 New York State enacts the death penalty; CCA expands death penalty mitigation.
In 2000 the National Association of Sentencing Advocates give its Award For Outstanding Service and Organizational Contribution to CCA.
Court Appointed Special Advocates gives first National Diversity Award to CCA in 2003.

Health and HIV/AIDS

In 1994 CCA pioneers comprehensive HIV/AIDS services in prisons across the state.
CCA educates more than 17,000 people in prisons and jails each year through its HIV/AIDS prevention programs.
CCA trains more than 3000 peer educators each year.
CCA leads support groups for people incarcerated in 7 NYS correctional facilities.
CCA develops a special component for women based on research and agency experience.

Youth Services

In 1985 CCA establishes the first Client Specific Planning program for juveniles in Family Court.
In 1989 CCA starts New York's first program for juveniles charged as adults.
Young people volunteer more than 4,000 hours of community service.
CCA's Youth Advocacy Project is the subject of a CBS Special "Young Justice".
CCA pioneers school-based services for children of incarcerated parents in 1994; a U.S. Department of Justice study of the problem is released in 2001.
The percentage of youth who have returned to court for rearrest is typically less than 10 percent per year.
For youth who participate in CCA's Strategies for Success program, resuspension rates drop by nearly 50% and their ability to manage anger and avoid fights improve by over 40%.

Women and Girls

In 1991 CCA founds the first gender-specific alternative to incarceration drug treatment program for women in NYS.
CCA's Crossroads is found to have the highest retention rates overall and the highest reduction in post-program criminal activities by an independent study of women's programs.
U.S. Department of Justice selects CCA to train judges and drug courts around the U.S. on the special needs of women.
Each year roughly 50 women and girls gain leadership skills and opportunities through CCA's programs.

Drug Treatment

National Institute of Justice study cites Crossroads as a national model.
CCA develops the design for the Syracuse Drug Treatment Court.
CCA's Drug Treatment programs serve more than 300 people per year.
Syracuse Recovery Community is but one of two recovery communities in the country organized by former prisoners.
Recovery Community members "give back" by working in reentry programs mentoring young people returning home.

Community Connections

CCA pioneers mentoring program for court involved young people in 1986.
Over 5,000 of hours of community service per year.
More than 500 community members volunteer in CCA programs each year.
Over 350 clients pursue further education to achieve their employment goals.
CCA receives 2003 federal grant to mentor children of incarcerated parents: community groups and churches will recruit mentors.

Justice Strategies

CCA establishes Justice Strategies in 2000.
2001 Justice Strategies issues its first study of racism in a local criminal justice system that spurs community activism and legislative and policy responses.
"Your report on Racial Disparities in the local criminal justice system performed an invaluable service. Justice Strategies has helped to prepare our organization to face the issues that we must address in the coming years for a safer, healthier community, and that will be less reliant on incarceration."
— Preston B. Fagan, President, Syracuse/Onondaga County NAACP
2002 Justice Strategies director, Alan Rosenthal receives the Kharas Award for Distinguished Service in Civil Liberties from the NY Civil Liberties Union.
2002 Justice Strategies organizes the first Central New York Practice-to-Research Network Conference.