SAN FRANCISCO —Participants from more than 75 U.S. jurisdictions and 10 countries gathered in San Francisco for Community Justice 2014, an international summit on how to reduce crime and incarceration while improving public trust in justice.
The Center for Court Innovation hosted the summit in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance and the California Administrative Office of the Courts.
Denise O’Donnell, director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, delivered the first day’s keynote address.
O’Donnell said that the Bureau of Justice Assistance has evolved its mission in recent years “to focus more holistically on justice system reform.” In addition to community courts, she highlighted a number of other Bureau of Justice Assistance initiatives that are advancing the idea of community justice, including the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program, Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, Improving Courtroom Communication, and an effort to create new assessment tools for misdemeanor offenders.
“We see reducing recidivism and reducing unnecessary confinement as going hand in hand with making our communities safer,” O’Donnell said.
Conference participants hailed from a wide range of programs, from the Midtown Community Court in Manhattan, which opened 20 years ago, to “Safer Together,” a newly-launched initiative of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office that addresses neighborhood-level crime in the Eastern Bayview neighborhood.
Among the speakers were California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and leading criminal justice researchers Edward J. Latessa, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, and Tracey Meares, of Yale Law School. Latessa spoke about evidence-based approaches to alternatives to incarceration, highlighting the eight risk factors that are most strongly associated with recidivism. (For more on evidence-based strategies for misdemeanor offenders, click here.)
Meares spoke about procedural justice, describing the large body of research that has shown that when defendants and litigants perceive that the justice system is fair, they are more likely to comply with court orders and follow the law in the future. (For more on procedural justice, click here.)
Michael Botticelli, acting director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, addressed the summit on the second day. Botticelli noted that law enforcement plays a “crucial role to ensure we have safe communities” but is also coming to recognize that the problem of addiction has significant public health dimensions.
“I get to talk to a tremendous number of local law enforcement officers who will say, ‘You can’t arrest your way out of the problem. We have to partner with public health.’”
Botticelli’s office is supporting innovative strategies to divert addicts from the justice system. He cited overdose prevention programs, community courts, and drug courts, among others.
A key characteristic of community justice is community engagement, which involves building meaningful bridges between justice agencies and the neighborhoods they serve. "Community engagement is hard work but helps sustain any community-based project," said Julius Lang, director of Training and Technical Assistance for the Center for Court Innovation.
The summit concluded with a discussion of international efforts to plan and operate community justice projects, featuring reports from Australia, England, Mexico, New Zealand, Ireland, Israel, and Singapore.
To see the complete summit agenda, click here. View the supplemental materials here.
Twitter coverage of the summit used the hashtag: #CommunityJustice2014.
Related Podcasts
Evidence-based Practices, Reducing Unnecessary Incarceration are Priorities for Bureau of Justice Assistance -- An interview with Bureau of Justice Assistance Director Denise O'Donnell.
Evidence-based Practices, Reducing Unnecessary Incarceration are Priorities for Bureau of Justice Assistance
How Procedural Justice Strengthens the Public's Willingness to Obey the Law -- An interview with Tracey L. Meares, the Walton Hale Hamilton Professor at Yale Law School.
How Procedural Justice Strengthens the Public's Willingness to Obey the Law
Deploying Public Health Strategies to Address Drug Addiction -- An interview with Michael Botticelli.
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After 5 Years, the San Francisco Community Justice Center Continues to Adapt -- An interview with Judge Braden C. Woods.
After 5 Years, the San Francisco Community Justice Center Continues to Adapt
Thoughtful Implementation is Essential for Evidence-based Practices to Succeed -- An interview with Professor Edward J. Latessa.
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Minimizing the Collateral Consequences of a Conviction -- An interview with Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.
Minimizing the Collateral Consequences of a Conviction
Improving Outcomes by Assessing the Impact of Trauma on Offenders -- An interview with Kathleen West.
Improving Outcomes by Assessing the Impact of Trauma on Offenders
Los Angeles City Attorney Says Listening is Key to Developing Effective Community-Based Programming -- An interview with Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer.
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