One of the enduring critiques of community courts is that they undermine the defense bar and erode due process protections. This essay in The Judges' Journal contends that community courts can actually enhance defense practice by providing opportunities for heightened advocacy and individualized case resolutions.
Emily Gold of the Center for Court Innovation spoke with Paul DeWolfe on his transition into the Maryland Office of the Public Defender and the role that strategic planning has played in shaping his vision for the office.
Emily Gold spoke with Herb Yazzie, Chief Justice of the Navajo Nation, about his thoughts on collaboration, defining success, and the personal and professional experiences that shaped him as a leader.
New York State Chief Administrative Judge Gail Prudenti talks about leadership transition, the value of mentors, and her greatest challenges as a leader.
Emily Gold of the Center for Court Innovation spoke with Vincent Schiraldi, commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation, who shared his views on leadership, agency culture, and bringing along the next generation of criminal justice leaders.
This article discusses the Staten Island Youth Justice Center's efforts to reduce the number of youth in preventive detention, detailed case studies of youths who have gone through the program, and some of the challenges of and lessons learned from putting this model into practice. Published in the New York Law School Law Review.
This article reports findings from the National Institute of Justice's Multi-Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation concerning the impact of drug courts on crime and incarceration. The study found that drug courts reduced the number of criminal acts by more than half over an 18-month tracking period. Published in the Journal of Experimental Criminology, Volume 8, Number 2 (2012), and available from SpringerLink online at http://www.springerlink.com/content/q555w562154l4011/.
This study reports the results of a survey of 1,002 adult residents of New York State concerning their perceptions of the courts. The study found that New Yorkers have high levels of trust and confidence in the courts in general, although racial and ethnic minorities, particularly African-Americans, are far less supportive than are whites. The study also determined that most New Yorkers have little knowledge of how their local courts work.
Derek Miodownik, restorative systems administrator for the Vermont Department of Corrections, talks about the state's innovative experiments in community and restorative justice, including Citizen Reparative Boards, which give panels of community members a role in working with misdemeanor offenders, and Circles of Support and Accountability, which link community members with parolees convicted of serious crimes.
