Schools are increasingly using youth courts in place of detention and suspension, diverting students who commit school infractions from standard punishment. In this study of two New York City high school youth courts, youth court participants, teachers, and administrators expressed positive perceptions of the capacity of the youth court to serve as a meaningful alternative to the use of traditional discipline, although student surveys showed that the youth court did not have a quantifiable impact on school climate.
In order to address the high prevalence of children’s exposure to violence, in 2010, eight sites around the country were selected by the U.S. Department of Justice for the Defending Childhood Demonstration Program. This national initiative aims: 1) to prevent children’s exposure to violence; 2) to mitigate the negative impact of such exposure when it does occur; and 3) to develop knowledge and spread awareness about children’s exposure to violence, both within and beyond the chosen pilot sites. The eight demonstration sites are:
Writing in the pages of Judges Journal, Center for Court Innovation Director of Mental Health Court Programs Carol Fisler discusses the implications of a growing body of research on the efficacy of mental health courts.
This study investigated the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and intimate partner violence perpetration in a representative sample of self-identified heterosexual adult men in the U.S.
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.
Center for Court Innovation Associate Director of Research Sarah Picard-Fritsche discusses the risk-need-responsivity model for working with offenders and the Center's efforts to create a brief screening tool for assessing the risks and needs of criminal defendants. (May 2015)
For jurisdictions seeking to create or revise a domestic violence benchbook, this document reviews themes and best practices captured in similar guides around the country.
This video offers excerpts of speeches from the 10th anniversary celebration of Bronx Community Solutions on April 21, 2015 in the ceremonial courtroom at Bronx Supreme Court.
Bronx Community Solutions seeks to re-engineer the response to low-level crime in the Bronx, New York. By providing judges with additional sentencing options for non-violent offenders, Bronx Community Solutions reduces the reliance on short-term jail sentences and offers defendants the assistance they need to avoid further criminal conduct.
This podcast presents highlights from Sustainable Strategies, a one-day event organized by the Center for Court Innovation and Coro New York Leadership Center in September 2015. Representatives from 11 organizations discussed successes, challenges, and strategies used to meaningfully engage young people and elevate their voices in policy discussions through youth advisory boards. Members of youth justice boards also shared their experiences and insights with the group.