The San Francisco Community Justice Center opened in March 2009, handling cases from the city’s Tenderloin, South of Market, Union Square, and Civic Center neighborhoods.
Judge Raymond R. Norko talked with Robert V. Wolf, director of communications at the Center for Court Innovation, about the court’s accomplishments and the changes he’s seen over the years.
Research and evaluation can help problem-solving criminal justice initiatives monitor their services, assess whether they’re achieving their goals, and identify areas for improvement. This information sheet lists the benefits of evaluations and the different forms they can take along with tips for planning an effective assessment.
Community service projects provide a proportionate response to low-level offending and are used by many problem-solving criminal justice programs. This information sheet provides tips for staff at problem-solving initiatives interested in incorporating community service into programming.
At the heart of problem-solving justice is the idea of providing more options for responding to criminal behavior. When used appropriately, diversion can be a valuable tool for justice officials and this checklist will help practitioners plan and implement an effective diversion program.
Community mapping is the process of identifying and documenting assets, such as civic associations, social service agencies, schools, and faith organizations, that can serve as potential resources or partners in a problem-solving justice initiative. This checklist will help you begin to make your list of the key community asset categories your mapping should actively discover.
Getting a problem-solving criminal justice initiative off the ground requires a strong concept and thorough planning. This self-assessment checklist is a guide to mark your progress as you pass through each stage.
Planners of problem-solving justice initiatives should look beyond the traditional sources of criminal justice funding. This fact sheet outlines six strategies for helping to sustain, and grow, a problem-solving program.
Problem-solving initiatives seek to improve public trust and confidence in the justice system, and publishing results is one way to demonstrate transparency and accountability. This fact sheet describes 10 strategies programs have used to let the community know about the success of their initiatives.
Engaging the community is a top priority in developing any problem-solving justice project. This fact sheet outlines several approaches planners have found successful.
