Lessons from Community Court: Strategies on Criminal Justice Reform from a Defense Attorney

Since the first community court was created in 1993, a generation of judges, lawyers, and court staff have developed new strategies for working with those charged with low-level crimes. In this report, Brett Taylor shares lessons he learned first-hand from his years working as a defense attorney at the Red Hook Community Justice Center and helping other jurisdictions adapt the community courts model. These lessons are relevant to any court system that seeks to improve outcomes for communities, victims, and offenders alike.