Harm Reduction After the War on Drugs: Reimagining New York’s Treatment System
Harm reduction offers a powerful roadmap for building drug treatment systems that keep people supported and rooted in their communities. This dynamic hybrid event will showcase critical conversations concerning a health‑first, community‑led approach to substance use care that prioritizes the populations criminalized and marginalized by the War on Drugs. Cohosted by the National Black Harm Reduction Network (NBHRN), Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ), From Punishment to Public Health and the Center for Justice Innovation (CJI), the event will bring together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and advocates to imagine what comes next.
Anchored by the upcoming release of NBHRN’s new analytic report and complementary research from DCJ and CJI, the program will highlight promising models that move beyond coercion toward evidence‑based and culturally rooted support, including harm-reduction-oriented outpatient care, street outreach, and community‑based residential programs. Speakers will chart a data-driven forward path for opioid settlement investments, drug policy reform, and local innovations that center health and justice for people with substance use disorders who are impacted by New York’s criminal legal system. Read about the agenda and speakers.
In-person registration
Virtual registration
John Jay College educates fierce advocates for justice, a calling that demands robust debate, rigorous inquiry and respectful dissent. Consistent with this commitment, we support academic freedom and convene conversations reflecting multiple perspectives. The views expressed at events held at John Jay belong to the speaker(s) and do not represent the opinion of the college. See Legal and Ethical Guidance: Political Activities and Equal Access.
