STATEN ISLAND — New York will commit $15 million to help turn a former criminal courthouse into a permanent home for community justice programs, youth services and support for residents affected by the justice system, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Oct. 2.

The planned Staten Island Community Justice Center would occupy the former courthouse at 67 Targee Street. State officials describe it as a neighborhood hub where government agencies and nonprofit partners can coordinate services that are now offered through existing programs.

The distinction is important: Staten Island already has diversion, counseling and youth programs operated by the Center for Justice Innovation. The announcement concerns a dedicated permanent facility that would bring services together and build on that work. It does not mark the first time those services have existed in the borough.

The governor’s office did not provide an opening date, a construction schedule or a detailed operating budget. The funding announcement is a step toward the project, rather than notice that residents can already obtain every planned service at the Targee Street building.

A permanent home for coordinated services

The state says the center will offer screening, assessment, case management and referrals connected to mental health, substance use, housing and employment. Plans also include youth diversion, mentorship, violence prevention and victim services.

The intended approach brings together professionals who address different needs. A resident might require more than one type of assistance, such as counseling and help finding employment. A coordinated center is meant to make those connections easier to organize.

Officials describe the planned services as trauma-informed and culturally responsive. In practical terms, the project’s stated goal is to account for a person’s experiences and circumstances while arranging support. How that promise is implemented will depend on staffing, partnerships and the services available when the facility opens.

The project also represents a new use for an existing public building. The former courthouse address gives the initiative a permanent physical destination, but the announcement leaves the renovation details and timetable for later updates.

What Staten Island already offers

The Center for Justice Innovation’s Staten Island program page describes services for young people and adults. They include individual counseling, group programming, mentoring, leadership development and workforce training.

One existing initiative, Project Reset, provides pre-arraignment diversion for eligible low-level cases in partnership with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office. The organization says participants may avoid a criminal record by completing community-based programming.

Other listed programs include supervised release, alternatives to incarceration and support for people returning to the community after incarceration. Youth programs address mentoring, education, employment readiness and emotional well-being.

Those descriptions establish that services precede the new building announcement. They do not mean that every program listed online will move into the former courthouse unchanged, or that every resident qualifies for every program. The final service arrangements and referral process will need to be confirmed as the facility develops.

State commitment builds on city support

The governor’s announcement identifies $15 million in new state investment. Local officials quoted in the release also point to an earlier $5 million city commitment associated with Councilmember Kamillah Hanks’ advocacy.

Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon described the state funding as bringing the project closer to realization. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Assemblymember Charles D. Fall also supported the plan.

These commitments should not be confused with a fully itemized project budget. The announcement does not explain how much will be spent on each building system, renovation stage, equipment purchase or service. It also does not give a complete accounting of future annual staffing and operating costs.

For readers tracking public spending, useful future documents would include the renovation scope, procurement schedule and operating plan. Those details would help show how the announced investment becomes a functioning center.

Public safety goals require follow-through

Hochul framed the investment as part of a public safety strategy. The stated aim is to address factors that contribute to repeated justice-system involvement while maintaining accountability and expanding access to treatment and support.

A building can provide space for that work, but its opening would not by itself establish a reduction in crime or recidivism. Those outcomes require measurement over time. Participation, successful referrals and consistent access to services are different measures from changes in public safety.

A useful assessment would ask how many people the center serves, whether they reach the programs to which they are referred and whether help remains available after an initial appointment. It would also distinguish services for victims from programs for people facing charges or returning from incarceration.

Residents will need clear information about who can use the center and how. Some services may involve court or agency referrals, while other community programs may operate differently. The announcement does not provide one universal intake rule.

Questions families can ask now

Families seeking immediate assistance should use verified contact information for an existing provider rather than waiting for the new facility. Ask whether a program is currently accepting referrals, what eligibility requirements apply and whether participation requires a court or agency connection.

It helps to describe the kind of assistance needed: youth mentoring, employment preparation, counseling or support after incarceration. A specific request gives the provider a clearer starting point for explaining available services.

Before attending an appointment, confirm its actual address. The future Targee Street facility and a currently operating service may be different locations. Also ask what documents to bring and whether language or accessibility assistance can be arranged.

A family should not interpret a general funding announcement as an individual determination about a court case. Questions about charges, court orders or legal obligations belong with the person’s attorney or the relevant court.

What comes next

The immediate milestone is the state’s $15 million commitment to help establish a permanent center. The next public updates should clarify the building work, the project’s schedule and how existing services will fit into the new location.

For Mohawk Valley readers, this is a New York City project rather than a local grant. Its broader relevance lies in the state’s use of community services as part of a justice and public safety strategy. Any comparison with programs in Utica or Oneida County would require separate local reporting.

The project’s ultimate value will rest on more than a renovated courthouse. Clear access, reliable staffing and continuity of care will determine whether residents can actually use the services that officials envision.

Sources include the governor’s Oct. 2 funding announcement and the Center for Justice Innovation’s description of existing Staten Island programs.

Source

Read the official Oct. 2, 2026 announcement from Governor Kathy Hochul’s office.