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.
In this New Thinking podcast, Judge Jeffrey Kremers of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court brings procedural justice to bear on domestic violence. Sharing his insights from the bench, Judge Kremers talks about the importance of procedural justice for both defendants and survivors as well as their families, and discusses strategies for addressing the unique challenges posed by domestic violence cases.
In this New Thinking podcast, Kerry Walker, director of the Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Melbourne, Australia, describes some of the ways the Justice Centre engages the community, all with the long-term goal of promoting the rule of law and a “civil, caring society.” The podcast concludes with a discussion of ways the Justice Centre is using technology to promote safety and make the court more user-friendly.
Ana Bermudez, commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation, responds to the question: What are the benefits of giving youth a voice in their probation supervision and service plans?
Joe Perez, the presiding judge of the Orange County Community Court, discusses how the principles of procedural justice inform both design and process in his courthouse. Perez is a lifelong resident of Orange County whose father was the first Spanish-speaking attorney and judge in the county.
Monitoring compliance with orders of protection in domestic violence cases is crucial. Circuit Court Judge Jerry Bowles of Louisville, K.Y., takes a hands-on approach to monitoring civil protection orders by conducting regular compliance review hearings. This video takes you into the courtroom to see how he holds respondents accountable while promoting the principles of procedural fairness.
This monograph starts with a question: What can we do differently to enhance public safety, reduce the use of incarceration, and improve public perceptions of justice in a Brooklyn neighborhood that experiences both high crime and high rates of incarceration?
"Practical Tips" highlights communication strategies that can be used to promote perceptions of fairness in the court context. This resource was developed as part of a multi-year collaboration involving the Center for Court Innovation, National Judicial College, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, with guidance from a national advisory board.
The evaluation toolkit is designed to help judges and other criminal court practitioners assess their use of procedural justice - both in terms of individual practices, as well as agency-level or environmental factors that may contribute to court users’ perceptions of fairness. The toolkit includes a self-assessment, defendant survey, and courtroom observation instrument.
This project summary outlines the key activities of the Improving Courtroom Communication initiative, a partnership between the Center for Court Innovation, National Judicial College, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Guided by a national advisory board, the project has included multi-disciplinary trainings in four jurisdictions and the creation of practitioner tools to help courts assess and improve their procedural justice practices.
