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A Project Reset staff-member fills out an intake form.

ABOUT

Project Reset and Reset+ offer people the opportunity to resolve their criminal cases by participating in community-based programming. If you complete the programming, your case will not be prosecuted. You will not have to appear in court, you will not get a criminal record for this case, and your arrest record for this case will be sealed.

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How Project Reset Works

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  • After your arrest, a police officer issues you a Desk Appearance Ticket (DAT).
     

  • The local District Attorney’s Office screens the case to determine eligibility.
     

  • If your case is eligible, you are offered the opportunity to participate in a 2-4 hour community-based program run by an independent nonprofit organization. 
     

  • When you complete programming, the District Attorney's Office in the borough where you were arrested will decline to prosecute your case. You will not need to go to court for that case, you will not get a criminal record for that case and your arrest record for that case will be sealed. 
     

  • If you do not complete Project Reset or Project Reset+, you must appear in court on the date indicated on your DAT paperwork.

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Eligibility

Eligibility varies by borough; please review the specifics of where you were arrested: the Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, or Manhattan.

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Programming

Programming is provided by the Center for Justice Innovation. In Manhattan, Project Reset is offered through the Midtown Community Court. In the Bronx, Project Reset is offered through Bronx Community Solutions. In Staten Island, Project Reset is offered through Staten Island Justice Center. In Brooklyn, Project Reset is offered through Brooklyn Justice Initiatives. In Queens, Project Reset is offered through Queens Community Justice Center.  Curricula may include restorative discussions, classes with local artists, or individual and group counseling sessions. Programming lasts 2-4 hours.

 

The location, program provider, and type of programming vary by borough. Please see Reset by Borough to learn more. 

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Free Legal Advice 

If you have questions about your case and/or participating in the program, you can speak to a lawyer. This legal advice is free of charge. Please contact us so that we can connect you with the agency and/or lawyer assigned to you.

 

Project Reset is a collaboration between the District Attorney's Offices in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens, the Center for Justice Innovation, and the New York Police Department. Project Reset is funded by the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, New York City Council, and the Mellon Foundation.

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