Veteran prosecutor leads Queens DA’s new restorative justice bureau

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The Queens criminal court building. Eagle photo by David Brand

The Queens criminal court building. Eagle photo by David Brand

By David Brand

A veteran prosecutor with experience running alternatives-to-incarceration initiatives throughout New York City will helm a new restorative justice bureau in the Queens District Attorney’s Office, DA Melinda Katz said Friday.

Aisha Greene, an assistant district attorney and former principal court attorney in Queens, will lead the newly formed Rehabilitation Programs and Restorative Services Bureau, Katz said. The bureau will consolidate the Diversion and Alternative Sentencing Unit and the Crime Victims Advocate Program.

“Aisha Greene’s experience as a prosecutor and proven record in implementing and leading intervention programs make her an ideal choice to guide this new bureau,” Katz said.

More recently, Greene served as chief of the Alternatives to Incarceration Bureau in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office and an administrator at the Center for Court Innovation. There, she led the Brooklyn Justice Initiative and worked as associate director of Research-Practice Strategies

She was also the principal court attorney in the Integrated Domestic Violence part in Queens Supreme Court, Criminal Term and an assistant district attorney in Queens.

The two existing divisions incorporated into the Rehabilitation Programs and Restorative Services Bureau have different focuses, but both prioritize support and “justice with compassion,” Katz said.

The Diversion and Alternative Sentencing Unit provides opportunities for some defendants charged with low-level offenses to access treatment, rehabilitation and other programs. Typically, defendants plead guilty an offense and have their conviction expunged if they comply with the terms of their alternative sentence.

The Crime Victims Advocate Program provides support like counseling and case management to victims of crimes.

In a statement on LinkedIn, Greene said she was “excited to re-join the Queens County District Attorney's Office.”