In the fall of 2002, the New York State Unified Court System unveiled new technology designed to support an experiment in judicial problem-solving—the Harlem Juvenile Intervention Court, a community-based juvenile drug court that links delinquent youth to drug treatment and services such as counseling, tutoring and positive social activities. The goal is to give young people the structure and support they need to avoid further criminal behavior.
The Juvenile Intervention Court Application—developed by the Center for Court Innovation with support from the State Justice Institute—is a computer software program that uses Intranet technology to create an electronic workplace for the diverse group of players who participate in a juvenile drug court. Addressing the information challenges unique to a juvenile drug court, the technology enables judges, attorneys, probation officers, case managers and service providers to access information quickly and easily within the strict confidentiality guidelines of Family Court.
In developing the application, the New York State Unified Court System and the Center for Court Innovation drew on experience designing innovative technology for four other problem-solving courts: the Midtown Community Court, the Red Hook Community Justice Center, the Brooklyn Treatment Court and the Brooklyn Domestic Violence Court. These courts have all demonstrated that technology can increase a judge's ability to make informed decisions, enhance the accountability of offenders and promote collaboration among court partners.
Development of the Application
The first step was to create an advisory committee made up of court staff, service providers and community-based organizations. This committee helped identify the kinds of information the court and other players needed about each case, gave feedback about the design of screens and tested prototype versions of the application as they were developed.
Ideas came from all quarters. The judge, for instance, requested that each defendant's compliance information appear in reverse chronological order so that he could quickly review the most recent information first. Case managers wanted an assessment tool that allowed them to home in quickly on specific areas such as school information, home environment details and self-reported drug and alcohol use. The advisory committee also stressed the need to restrict access to drug-test results.
Planners decided to use Intranet technology for the application. The New York State Unified Court System's Intranet is a network accessible only by court system employees or others with formal authorization. An Intranet web site looks and acts just like any other web site, but the firewall surrounding an Intranet fends off unauthorized access. The application is easy and inexpensive to maintain because it uses software and hardware that are widely available, easy to support and familiar to many users. Unlike with older technologies, an authorized user can get online with just an Internet browser, proper security access and a network connection; there are no additional installation requirements.
Plus, since the database is accessible by web servers, the data can be utilized in other web-based applications. For example, the Juvenile Intervention Court created a companion Internet application—the Juvenile Intervention Network. Developed with support from the United States Department of Commerce's Technology Opportunities Program, the Network gives off-site partners, such as attorneys, service providers and even the young people access to communication tools and information about ongoing cases.
Easy-To-Use Application
The Juvenile Intervention Court Application is as an easy-to-use application with a point-and-click user interface and enables team members to:
- Build a profile of each participant, placing the respondent in the context of his or her family, school and peer group;
- Create a comprehensive plan of action mandated by the court;
- Share appropriate information among court partners; and
- Keep track of each participant’s progress in fulfilling a complex service plan.
The system was designed for use by all members of the Juvenile Intervention Court team, including the judge, clerks, attorneys, court-based case managers and service providers. By ensuring that all of the players at the Juvenile Intervention Court are on the same page, the system strengthens judicial decision-making, improves inter-agency coordination and promotes accountability.
Although the Juvenile Intervention Court Application was created specifically to meet the needs of Harlem, it can serve as a blueprint for any jurisdiction that is interested in developing a system for use in a juvenile drug court. It can be adapted for other specialized courts, also, such as family treatment courts and mental health courts, that involve family members and multiple service providers in complex service plans.