This fact sheet briefly describes Midtown Community Court's tailored use of social services along with specialized youth programming and community service in lieu of incarceration and fines. Through this problem-solving justice approach, the court seeks to reduce crime and incarceration and improve public trust in justice.
On any given day, the Hartford Community Court sentences 35 to 40 people to perform community restitution as part of their sentences. Deborah Barrows has helped create the court's robust community service program by harnessing relationships developed during her long career, including 28 years with the Hartford Police Department.
Victoria Pratt, chief judge of the Newark Municipal Court, provides a short answer to the question: What kinds of alternative sentencing options are available to you through Newark Community Solutions?
This podcast is part of a series highlighting innovative approaches to reducing violence and improving health outcomes among at-risk minority youth at the nine demonstration sites of the Minority Youth Violence Prevention Initiative.
Newark Municipal Court Chief Judge Victoria Pratt discusses procedural justice and her work with Newark Community Solutions on MSNBC with Melissa Harris-Perry.
Tribal courts around the country are exploring the use of problem-solving justice, which offers a way to blend the adversarial process with more traditional practices that focus on healing and restoration. This toolkit offers tribal justice planners a step-by-step guide to developing effective problem-solving justice initiatives.
This report summarizes lessons learned from the Center for Court Innovation's efforts to cultivate better communication and understanding between police, communities, and youth. (June 2015)
This study of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court compares participants in a neighborhood-based reentry program to similar parolees on traditional parole. Results indicate that the reentry court, which implemented a validated and reliable tool for assessing the risks and needs of individuals returning from prison, produced a 22% reduction in the reconviction rate and a 60% reduction in the felony reconviction rate over an 18-month follow-up period.
This report evaluates a pilot program that screens misdemeanor defendants for mental health disorders. Those assigned to a brief mental health intervention were significantly less likely to be re-arrested within one year, compared with similar defendants who were not assigned to the intervention. Results were especially positive for female defendants.
