Community Courts

Of Current Interest

Red Hook Documentary on PBS (04/25/2005)
PBS will air "Red Hook Justice: A Legal Revolution Grows in Brooklyn" May 24, 2005 (check local listings for times). This one-hour documentary tells the story of the first year of operations at the Red Hook Community Justice Center, a community-based court that seeks to address crime and disorder in an isolated, low-income Brooklyn neighborhood. The film, which was independently produced by Meema Spadola and Sugar Pictures, offers a good look at the early successes and challenges faced by the Justice Center. "Red Hook Justice" is a must-see for anyone who cares about criminal justice innovation or the idea of problem-solving justice.

For more information about the Red Hook Community Justice Center, please visit our website at www.courtinnovation.org/demo_09rhcjc.html

Collaborative Justice Courts Project Reaches out to Courts
The Collaborative Justice Courts Project started a new outreach initiative with collaborative justice courts to enable similar courts to benefit from the experiences of their peers. The first of two conference calls focused on community courts The initiative gathers like-minded practitioners in a forum where they can ask questions, brainstorm about new innovations being designed and implemented, and disseminate timely information on program and policy innovations. Community Courts Outreach Initiative (PDF, 20 KB)

What are Community Courts?

Community courts are an experiment in community-based justice. Like other collaborative justice courts, community courts aim to improve efficiency in judicial proceedings, match sanctions and services to offenders, and build bridges between public and private agencies that serve offenders. Community courts focus on quality-of-life crimes and on cleaning up neighborhoods that are deteriorating from crime and neglect. The courts encourage community groups to identify neighborhood problems and become involved in developing solutions.

The Midtown Manhattan Court, which opened in New York City in 1993, was the first community court of its kind. It offers a wide array of services and programs in which participation can be included as part of the probation requirement. Often these are misdemeanor or infraction cases, such as quality-of-life violations, petty theft, prostitution, or drug-related charges that are disturbing to community members but are not appropriate for traditional court proceedings.

Each community court is unique because it is developed in response to community priorities. For instance, another community court, the Red Hook Court in Brooklyn, focuses on family issues, while a community court in Harlem focuses on juvenile justice. All community courts include principles of community involvement, balanced and restorative justice, accountability, and linkage to treatment or other services.

Currently there are 22 community courts nationally, with another 10 in the planning stage. These include California courts in Van Nuys (Los Angeles County), Santa Ana (Orange County), and San Diego. Some community courts, such as the one planned for Orange County, seek to integrate programs and services from a range of existing collaborative justice courts.

Resources

Community Court Quarterly

Center for Court Innovation (New York State)