Judge (ret)
NYS Unified Court System, New York
Judge Jo Ann Ferdinand served as a Judge of the New York State Supreme Court for 30 years, 20 as the Presiding Judge of the Brooklyn Treatment Cort. BTC was the first drug treatment court in the City of New York and the model for those which followed around the State. After her retirment she becam President of The Joseph LeRoy and Ann C Warner Fund, a nonprofit fondation which supports programming by organizations providing meaningful services to children with disabilities and children in foster care.
Judge Ferdinand established the Brooklyn Treatment Court in 1996 in response to the over incarceration of non-violent defendats whose crimes were committed to support their ow substance abuse disorders. She granted over 6,500 individuals the opporltunity to resolve their felony charges by enrolling in court supervised substance abuse treatment and rewarded those who successfully completed their mandate with the dismissal of all charges. The Court achieved a notable reduction of recidivism to less than ten percent. During her tenure the court expanded to provide alternatives to incarceration for veterans, young adult marijuana users and DWI offenders. The court was known for its innovative practices working with persons with mental health and trauma ssues and was a pioneer in the use of medications for those with opioid use disorder.
Judge Ferdinand earned a B.S. from Cornell University and J.D. from New York University School of Law. She was President of the New York State Association of Treatment Court Professionals for two terms. She has lectured on many topics including trauma informed care, procedual fairness and best practice standards. She was inducted into the National Association of Drug Court Proessionals Hall of Fame in recognition of her role as a pioneer in the field and her contribution to changing the lives of thosands of criminal defendats
I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Friday, April 1, 2022
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM ET
