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1. A Comparison of Two Prosecution Policies in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence
2. Problem-Solving and the American Bench: A National Survey of Trial Court Judges
3. Action Research: Using Information to Improve Your Drug Court
4. Learning from Failure: A Roundtable on Criminal Justice Innovation
5. The State of Drug Court Research: Moving Beyond 'Do They Work?'
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There were 143 results for your search:
  “Applying the Problem-Solving Model Outside of Problem-Solving Courts”
  By Francine Byrne, Donald Farole, Jr., Nora Puffett, and Michael Rempel
  A brief article highlighting major findings and lessons concerning the potential to apply problem-solving practices in a more in-depth way throughout the courts. Longer versions of this research are available in other publications. Published in Judicature, Volume 89, No. 1 (2005).
  download PDF version
   
  A Comparison of Two Prosecution Policies in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence: Mandatory Case Filing vs. Following the Victim’s Lead (COMPLETE DOCUMENT)
  By Robert Davis, Donald Farole, Jr., Chris O'Sullivan, and Michael Rempel
  Whether prosecution should proceed in domestic violence cases without the support of the victim is an important question with valid theoretical arguments on each side but a dearth of empirical data. This study compared case outcomes, victim satisfaction, and costs in a jurisdiction where the DA’s Office typically declines to file cases when the victim opposes prosecution (the Bronx) with a jurisdiction where the DA’s Office has a universal filing policy (Brooklyn).
  download complete document
   
  A Comparison of Two Prosecution Policies in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence: Mandatory Case Filing vs. Following the Victim’s Lead (EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ONLY)
  By Robert Davis, Donald Farole, Jr., Chris O'Sullivan, and Michael Rempel
  Whether prosecution should proceed in domestic violence cases without the support of the victim is an important question with valid theoretical arguments on each side but a dearth of empirical data. This study compared case outcomes, victim satisfaction, and costs in a jurisdiction where the DA’s Office typically declines to file cases when the victim opposes prosecution (the Bronx) with a jurisdiction where the DA’s Office has a universal filing policy (Brooklyn).
  download PDF
   
  A Decade of Change: The First 10 Years of the Center for Court Innovation
  A white paper looking at the history and accomplishments of the Center for Court Innovation.
  download PDF version
   
  A Problem-Solving Revolution: Making Change Happen in State Courts
  By Staff of the Center for Court Innovation
  In recent years, a number of states have worked to transform how courts respond to difficult cases where social, human and legal problems intersect. Building on the success of pioneering drug courts, community courts, mental health courts and domestic violence courts, state court systems are increasingly seeking to make problem-solving innovation a permanent feature of the judicial branch. Recognizing this, the Center for Court Innovation has made a significant intellectual investment in understanding the practical, political and conceptual challenges of “going to scale” with problem-solving innovation. In this collection of essays Center staff have sought to identify and address some of the most challenging questions faced by states as they seek to reform their court systems.
  Click here to order the book for $9.95 (including shipping and handling), from amazon.com.
   
  Action Research: Using Information to Improve Your Drug Court
  By Michael Rempel
  A practical guide for drug court administrators and staff reporting how they can use data productively to monitor their operations, measure key performance indicators, identify areas of success, and bring to light problem areas or ways to improve.
  download PDF version
   
  An Informed Response: An Overview of the Domestic Violence Court Technology Application and Resource Link
  By Pamela Young
  A close look at the information system used in New York State's domestic violence courts.
  download PDF version
   
  And the Survey Says...: Making Change Happen in State Courts
  By Aubrey Fox
  Results from a survey of 500 state criminal court judges about their attitudes towards common problems within criminal courts as well as a variety of new tools and strategies for addressing these problems.
  download PDF version
   
  "Applying Problem-Solving Principles in Mainstream Courts: Lessons for State Courts"
  By Francine Byrne, Donald Farole, Jr., Nora Puffett, and Michael Rempel
  A summary of focus groups of judges in New York and California examining which practices of problem-solving courts can be integrated into conventional court operations. Published in The Justice System Journal, Volume 26, No. 1 (2005)
  download PDF version
   
  Beyond Big Cities: The Problem-Solving Innovations of Community Prosecutors in Smaller Jurisdictions
  By Nicole Campbell and Robert V. Wolf
  Community prosecution was developed in large and medium-sized jurisdictions, like Brooklyn, Portland and Austin. But the approach has relevancy to rural or smaller jurisdictions, too. This white papers examines the challenges and rewards of community prosecution programs in less populated and rural communities, using the experience of jurisdictions like Pueblo, Colorado; Madison County, Illinois; and Enotah, Georgia, as a guide.
  download PDF version
   
  Blueprint for Change Executive Summary
  By Liberty Aldrich, Greg Berman, and Shirley A. Dobbin
  The Blueprint for Change outlines a step by step process to build on the reforms underway in New York City Family Court by institutionalizing the problem-solving approach.
  download PDF version
   
  "Breaking the Boundaries"
  By Greg Berman
  A description of the development of the Red Hook Community Justice Center, a multi-jurisdictional community court in Brooklyn, N.Y. Published in New Statesman, Vol. 17, Issue 794 (Feb. 16, 2004)
   
  Breaking with Tradition: Introducing Problem Solving in Conventional Courts
  By Robert V. Wolf
  An overview of why problem solving strategies are desirable and techniques practitioners can deploy to introduce these strategies in conventional courtrooms.
  download PDF version
   
  Bridging the Gap: Researchers, Practitioners, and the Future of Drug Courts
  By Aubrey Fox
  An edited transcript focused on the intersection of drug courts, research and state court system reform efforts.
  download PDF version
   
  Bridging Theory and Practice: A Roundtable about Court Responses to Domestic Violence
  By Carolyn Turgeon
  An edited transcript of a daylong conversation among 20 national experts as they explored options for improving criminal court responses to domestic violence, with particular focus on batterer program mandates, judicial monitoring, probation supervision, and victim advocacy.
  download PDF version
   
  Bringing Domestic Violence Best Practices to New York's Town and Village Courts
  By Amanda Cissner
  Based on findings from a recent training series, this descriptive study documents the current domestic violence policies and practices of town and village justice courts located in one rural county of upstate, New York. The report highlights the challenges faced by many rural jurisdictions in implementing domestic violence best practices and measures the effectiveness of a traditional training for small jurisdictions.
  download PDF version
   
  Bronx Community Solutions: A Video Introduction
  A documentary-style overview of Bronx Community Solutions, an experimental project that brings the problem-solving principles of the Midtown Community Court and Red Hook Community Justice Center to over 40 courtrooms in a busy urban courthouse. This 8 minute video was produced and directed by award-winning film maker Meema Spadola.
Click here to see the video
   
  Building Trust and Managing Risk: A Look at a Felony Mental Health Court
  A detailed look at a one of the first felony mental health courts in the country, this article describes why the court's planning team chose to focus on felonies rather than misdemeanors and how the court and its partners manage potential public safety risks.
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  California's Collaborative Justice Courts: Building a Problem-Solving Judiciary
  By Robert V. Wolf
  California has more problem-solving courts than any state in the country. This report discusses how those courts developed and the state judiciary's current efforts to inculcate problem-solving principles throughout the court system.
  download PDF version
   
  Center for Court Innovation: A Video Introduction
  An overview of the Center for Court Innovation. This 8 minute video was produced and directed by award-winning film maker Meema Spadola.
Click here to see the video
   
  Child Support Protocol: A Guide for Integrated Domestic Violence Courts
  By Liberty Aldrich and Judy Reichler
  A paper outlining best practice recommendations for courts hearing domestic violence cases, emphasizing that judges should consider financial support and other issues with victim safety in mind.
  download PDF version
   
  Collaborative Justice in Conventional Courts (Phase One): Opportunities and Barriers
  By Francine Byrne, Donald Farole, Jr., Nora Puffett, and Michael Rempel
  A study of the potential to apply specialized "problem-solving court" principles and practices more broadly throughout state court systems. Based on focus groups and interviews with 35 judges in California and New York, the study assesses which problem-solving court practices are transferable to general court calendars, the major barriers to transferability and how problem-solving methods may be more widely disseminated among judges and judicial leaders.
  download PDF version
   
  Collaborative Justice in Conventional Courts (Phase Two): Stakeholder Perspectives in California
  By Donald Farole, Jr., Nora Puffett, and Michael Rempel
  A second study of the potential to apply specialized "problem-solving court" principles and practices more broadly throughout state court systems. This study focused on the views of justice and treatment system stakeholders (prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation, treatment professionals, and representatives of statewide organizations) of whether problem-solving should be expanded beyond specialized courts; what concerns might they have about such an expansion; and, if problem-solving were to be expanded, what practical steps and operational changes would need to be implemented in and outside of the courthouse.
  download PDF version
   
  "COMMENT: Redefining Criminal Courts: Problem-Solving and the Meaning of Justice"
  By Greg Berman
  A comment on James Nolan, "Redefining Criminal Courts: Problem-Solving and the Meaning of Justice." This essay rebuts Nolan’s contention that problem-solving courts have become so blinded by the seductive rhetoric of "therapeutic jurisprudence" that they have lost sight of fundamental legal principles like due process and proportionality. Published in American Criminal Law Review, Vol. 41, No. 3 (Summer 2004)
   
  Community Court Principles
  By Greg Berman and John Feinblatt
  A discussion of the principles underlying community courts.
  download PDF version
   
  Community Court Research: A Literature Review
  By Dana Kralstein
  A review of the basic findings of the seven most notable community court evaluations conducted to date.
  download PDF version
   
  Community Courts Across the Globe: A Survey of Goals, Performance Measures and Operations
  By Diana Karafin
  There are currently more than 50 community courts open in the U.S. and internationally. By the end of 2008, that number is expected to grow to as many as 79. Given this context of a burgeoning international community court movement, coupled with pressing questions about how to adapt the model to diverse settings, the Open Society Foundation for South Africa commissioned the Center for Court Innovation to conduct a systematic survey of community courts around the world (other than South Africa).
  link provided by the Open Society Foundation's web site
   
  "Community Courts: A Brief Primer"
  By Greg Berman and John Feinblatt
  A discussion of the history of community courts and the principles that guide them. Published in the U.S. Attorneys' Bulletin Vol. 49, No.1 (January 2001)
   
  Community Courts: An Evolving Model
  By Eric Lee
  Profiles of community courts around the country. Published by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice (October 2000)
  download PDF version
   
  Community Justice Around the Globe: An International Overview
  By Robert V. Wolf
  A survey of community court and community prosecution programs around the world. Published in Crime & Justice International, July/August 2006, Vol. 22, No. 93.
  download PDF version
   
  Community Justice Centres: A US-UK Exchange
  By Greg Berman, Jon Harvey, Adam Mansky, and Greg Parston
  A discussion of the similarities and differences between the Red Hook Community Justice Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and the North Liverpool Community Justice Center in England. The article also includes a summary of a discussion among academics, policymakers and criminal justice practitioners from the US and UK about community justice.
  download PDF version
  Reprinted with permission of the British Journal of Community Justice
   
  Court Responses to Batterer Program Noncompliance: A National Perspective
  By Rachel Finkelstein, Phyllis Frank, Melissa Labriola, Jim McDowell, Chris O'Sullivan, and Michael Rempel
  A study conducted in collaboration with VCS Inc. that examines how criminal courts respond when domestic violence offenders are noncompliant with a court mandate to a batterer program. The study, based on a national survey of courts, batterer programs, and victim assistance agencies in all 50 states, detected overwhelming support for the goal of "accountability" in theory but a gap between theory and practice, as most courts indicated that they do not always or often impose sanctions when offenders are noncompliant with the batterer program mandate.
  download PDF version
   
  Criminal Domestic Violence Case Processing: A case study of the five boroughs of New York City
  By Chandra Gavin and Nora Puffett
  A cross-borough comparison of prosecution and court processing practices for misdemeanor domestic violence cases. The study explores the views of different stakeholders--judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors and victim advocates--regarding the rationale and impact of criminal justice policies, with most expressing support for a specialized domestic violence court model but concern for issues of victim safety and recidivism.
  download PDF version
   
  Data, Delinquency and Drug Treatment: How Technology Can Aid a Juvenile Drug Court
  By Dory Hack
  A discussion of the web-based case management system designed for the Harlem Community Justice Center's Juvenile Intervention Court. A tool for court planners, this white paper addresses the information challenges unique to a juvenile drug court.
  download PDF version
   
  Defining the Problem: Using Data to Plan a Community Justice Project
  By Robert V. Wolf
  A look at how community justice initiatives across the county have used concrete data to define local problems.
  download PDF version
   
  Dispensing Justice Locally (PART I): The Implementation and Effects of the Midtown Community Court
  By Richard Curtis, Brian Ostrom, David Rottman, and Michele Sviridoff
  The executive summary of Part I of the original evaluation of the country's first community court--the Midtown Community Court. This evaluation was published in two phases. The first phase includes a comprehensive description of the Court and an analysis on the degree to which the Court met each of its goals. The second phase focused on impacts on recidivism rates for select sub-groups of defendants; examined impacts on jail costs after accounting for "secondary jail sentences"; explored other cost and benefit implications of the Court; and surveyed the opinions of community residents.
  download PDF version
   
  Dispensing Justice Locally (PART II): The Impacts, Costs and Benefits of the Midtown Community Court
  By David Rottman, Michele Sviridoff, and Robert Weidner
  The executive summary of Part II of the original evaluation of the country's first community court--the Midtown Community Court. This evaluation was published in two phases. The first phase includes a comprehensive description of the Court and an analysis on the degree to which the Court met each of its goals. The second phase focused on impacts on recidivism rates for select sub-groups of defendants; examined impacts on jail costs after accounting for "secondary jail sentences"; explored other cost and benefit implications of the Court; and surveyed the opinions of community residents.
  download PDF version
   
  Dispensing Justice Locally: The Implementation and Effects of the Midtown Community Court
  By Richard Curtis, Brian Ostrom, David Rottman, and Michele Sviridoff
  This is the book form of Dispensing Justice Locally (PART 1): The Implementation and Effects of the Midtown Community Court. Published by Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam, 2000.
  Order from amazon.com
   
  Do Batterer Program Length or Approach Affect Completion or Re-Arrest Rates?
  By Amanda Cissner and Nora Puffett
  The research examines the use of two batterer programs with disparate program philosophies by the Brooklyn Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court, comparing outcomes among mandated defendants. The results suggest that neither underlying program philosophy nor program length alone predict either program completion or future violence.
  download PDF version
   
  Documenting Results: Research on Problem-Solving Justice
  By Staff of the Center for Court Innovation
  This collection of research reports, written by Center for Court Innovation staff, analyzes the impact of a broad range of problem-solving initiatives launched in New York State and nationwide over the past decade. Among the findings: judicially monitored drug treatment succeeds in reducing recidivism among addicted offenders; more than 85 percent of offenders at an experimental community court thought their cases were handled fairly-a significant improvement compared to conventional courts; by linking mentally ill offenders to community-based treatment instead of incarceration, courts can help improve offenders functioning and reduce the likelihood of re-arrest. The book also includes overviews of the national research literature on drug courts and community courts; an evaluation of a new approach to teen dating violence; and an investigation of how problem-solving principles might be integrated more broadly throughout state court systems.
  Click here to order the book for $9.95 (including shipping and handling), from amazon.com.
   
  Does Judicial Monitoring Deter Domestic Violence Recidivism? Results of a Quasi-Experimental Comparison in the Bronx
  By Robert Davis, Melissa Labriola, and Michael Rempel
  A study of the impact of intensive judicial monitoring with convicted domestic violence offenders. Key findings are also presented in Chapter Six of Testing the Effectiveness of Batterer Programs and Judicial Monitoring Published in Violence Against Women, Volume 14, Number 2 (February 2008).
  available from Sage Journals online
   
  Domestic Violence in Rural Communities: Applying Key Principles of Domestic Violence Courts in Smaller Jurisdictions
  By Liberty Aldrich and Robyn Mazur
  A discussion of how key principles from urban domestic violence courts are transferable to rural and suburban dockets.
  download PDF version
   
  Don’t Reinvent the Wheel: Lessons from Problem-Solving Courts
  By Robert V. Wolf
  A review of nine practical strategies to break down the conceptual and in some cases practical barriers that separate specialized courts from each other and the world of problem-solving from traditional courts.
  download PDF version
   
  "Drug Courts an Effective Treatment Alternative"
  By Amanda Cissner, Dana Fox-Kralstein, and Michael Rempel
  An overview of the findings of the groundbreaking study, "The New York State Adult Drug Court Evaluation: Policies, Participants and Impacts," one of the most comprehensive statewide evaluations of drug courts ever done. The study, conducted by the Center for Court Innovation and the New York State Office of Court Administration, found consistent and meaningful recidivism impacts across a large number of drug court sites. Published in Criminal Justice 19, No. 2, Summer 2004 © 2004 by the American Bar Association. Reproduced by permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.
  download PDF version
   
  Drug Treatment, Managed Care and the Courts: From Conflict to Collaboration
  By Robert V. Wolf
  A guide for drug court practitioners interested in building collaborative relationships with managed care organizations. The strategies suggested in this paper emphasize the importance of strengthening communication between drug courts and managed care organizations and also urge advocates of drug courts to play an active role in shaping their state's health care policies.
  download PDF version
   
  Drugs, Courts and Neighborhoods: Community Reintegration and the Brooklyn Treatment Court
  By David Anderson and Greg Berman
  A description of the lessons learned by the Brooklyn Treatment Court about re-integrating recovered addicts into the community.
  download PDF version
   
  Emergency Planning and the Judiciary: Lessons from September 11
  By Thomas Birkland
  An overview of the New York State court system's actions immediately after the terrorist attacks, including policy changes and lessons learned, and how its emergency planning activities relate to the elements of "best practices" in emergency planning and management.
  download PDF version
   
  Engaging the Community: A Guide for Community Justice Planners
  By David Anderson and Greg Berman
  Tips for community justice planners about how to build stronger connections between neighborhoods and the criminal justice system.
  download PDF version
   
  Examining Defendant Perceptions of Fairness in the Courtroom
  By Somjen Frazer
  A brief article highlighting the major findings and implications of the Center's comparison of defendant perceptions of fairness at the Red Hook Community Justice Center and a nearby "downtown" criminal court. Published in Judicature, Volume 91, Number 1 (July-August 2007).
  download PDF version
   
  Expanding the Use of Problem Solving: The U.S. Department of Justice’s Community-Based Problem-Solving Criminal Justice Initiative
  By Robert V. Wolf
  An in-depth look at the 10 projects awarded grants under the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Community-Based Problem-Solving Criminal Justice Initiative. All the grantees are trying something new: expanding problem solving to include new populations, new geographic territory, or new agencies within the criminal justice system.
  download PDF version
   
  Fact Sheet—Developing a Community Service Protocol
  download PDF version
   
  Fact Sheet—Engaging Stakeholders in Your Project
  download PDF version
   
  Fact Sheet—Evaluating Your Program
  download PDF version
   
  Fact Sheet—Finding the Resources to Help Your Program Thrive
  download PDF version
   
  Fact Sheet—Mapping Community Resources
  download PDF version
   
  Fact Sheet—Planning Checklist
  download PDF version
   
  Fact Sheet—Problem-Solving Justice in the United States: Common Principles
  download PDF version
   
  Fact Sheet—Publicizing Your Program and Its Successes
  download PDF version
   
  Fact Sheet—Using Data to Build Your Program
  download PDF version
   
  Fact Sheet—Using Diversion as Part of a Problem-Solving Strategy
  download PDF version
   
  "Fixing Families: The Story of the Manhattan Family Treatment Court"
  By Robert V. Wolf
  A description of the Manhattan Family Treatment Court, including how it works and the challenges it has overcome. Published in the Journal of the Center for Families, Children and the Courts Vol. 2 (2000)
  download PDF version
   
  "From the Margins to the Mainstream: Community Justice at the Crossroads"
  By Greg Berman and Aubrey Fox
  A transcript of a discussion about community justice among a small group of leading practitioners and thinkers.
  download PDF version
   
  "Going to Scale: A Conversation About the Future of Drug Courts"
  By Greg Berman and Aubrey Fox
  An analysis of drug court efforts to move into the mainstream of court operations across the country. Published in Court Review (Fall 2002)
  download PDF version
   
  Good Courts: The Case for Problem-Solving Justice
  By Greg Berman and John Feinblatt
  Good Courts is the first book to describe the problem-solving court movement and features in-depth looks at Center for Court Innovation projects like the Midtown Community Court and Red Hook Community Justice Center, as well as other projects around the country, like Oregon’s Portland Community Court. By the Center for Court Innovation's founding director John Feinblatt and current director Greg Berman, Good Courts reviews the growing body of evidence that the problem-solving approach to justice is indeed producing positive results.
  Click here to order Good Courts from Amazon.com
   
  Hartford Community Court: Origins, Expectations, and Implementation
  The story of how a community court serving 17 neighborhoods and 135,000 residents was organized and launched.
  download PDF version
   
  How Do We Pay for That? Sustaining Community Prosecution on a Tight Budget
  By Robert V. Wolf
  A detailed look at strategies prosecutors have used to fund community prosecution programs. The paper includes a comprehensive list of internet resources.
  download PDF version
   
  How It Works: A Summary of Case Flow and Interventions at the Midtown Community Court
  A detailed description of how cases move through the Midtown Community Court.
  download PDF version
   
  Informed Decisions: Technology in the Courtroom
  By Greg Berman and John Feinblatt
  An article describing the principles behind technology at the Center for Court Innovation's demonstration projects.
  download PDF version
   
  "Institutionalizing Innovation: The New York Drug Court Story"
  By Greg Berman, John Feinblatt, and Aubrey Fox
  An analysis of New York's new statewide drug treatment initiative seeking full-scale reform of the courts. The article was first published in 28 Fordham Urb. L.J. 277 (2000) It is copyrighted by the Urban Law Journal and posted with permission
  download PDF version - abstract only
   
  Introduction to Problem Solving: Key Issues and Challenges
  This curriculum is based on the agendas and participant handbooks created for two workshops held for grante sites under the Community-Based Problem-Solving Criminal Justice Initiative of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. Intended to provide practitioners with the tools to initiate their own problem-solving initiative, it includes a number of resources that can be adapted for a variety of purposes. It is intended to assist court managers, judicial trainers, and other in putting on trainings at the local level, creating agendas and participant handbooks based on these materials. The hope is that it will help jurisdictions train their local system players in planning and implementing a community-based problem-solving criminal justice initiative.
  dowbload PDF version
   
  Judges and Problem-Solving Courts
  By Greg Berman and John Feinblatt
  A look at how problem-solving courts impose new roles and responsibilities on judges.
  download PDF version
   
  "Judicial Innovation at the Crossroads: A Look at Problem-Solving Courts"
  By Greg Berman, Derek Denckla, and John Feinblatt
  A look at the development of problem-solving courts. Published in The Court Manager.
  National Association for Court Management
   
  "Just the (Unwieldy, Hard to Gather But Nonetheless Essential) Facts, Ma'am: What We Know and Don't Know About Problem-Solving Courts"
  By Greg Berman and Anne Gulick
  Published in The Fordam Urban Law Journal Vol. XXX, No. 3 (March 2003)
   
  Justice in Red Hook
  By Greg Berman and Aubrey Fox
  An overview of the Red Hook Community Justice Center and the lessons learned from the Justice Center's efforts at neighborhood engagement. Published in The Justice System Journal, Volume 26, No. 1 (2005)
  download PDF version
   
  Kids, Courts and Communities: Lessons from the Red Hook Youth Court
  By David Anderson
  A comprehensive look at a youth court in Brooklyn, including program structure, lessons learned, challenges and snapshots of real court cases.
  download PDF version
   
  Learning from Failure: A Roundtable on Criminal Justice Innovation
  By Greg Berman
  In January 2007, the Center for Court Innovation and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance convened a day-long roundtable in New York that brought together judges, court administrators, probation officials, prosecutors, police chiefs and defense attorneys from across the country to discuss lessons they have learned from projects that did not succeed. The goal was to take a deeper look at failed reform efforts and extract concrete lessons that might aid the next generation of innovators, as well as those who authorize and fund innovation.
  download PDF version
   
  Lessons from the Field: Ten Community Prosecution Leadership Profiles
  By Robert V. Wolf and John Worrall
  Descriptions of the 10 community prosecution programs designated "Leadership Sites" by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. The profiles discuss funding, ahievements, challenges and examples of problem-solving in action.
  download PDF version
   
  "Neighborhood Justice at the Midtown Community Court"
  By Greg Berman, John Feinblatt, and Michele Sviridoff
  Published in Crime and Place, Plenary Papers of the 1997 Conference on Criminal Justice Research and Evaluation (1998)
   
  Neighborhood Justice: Lessons Learned from the Midtown Community Court
  By Greg Berman, John Feinblatt, and Michele Sviridoff
  An analysis of the lessons learned from the Midtown Community Court and the issues that are raised when justice is administered on a neighborhood level.
  download PDF version
   
  "New Strategies for an Old Profession: A Court and a Community Combat a Streetwalking Epidemic"
  By Robert V. Wolf
  An overview of successful approaches taken by the Midtown Community Court to combat street prostitution in Times Square. Published in The Justice System Journal, Volume 22, No. 3 (2001)
  download PDF version
   
  "New York's Problem-Solving Courts Provide Meaningful Alternatives to Traditional Remedies"
  By Greg Berman and Susan Knipps
  An overview of problem-solving courts, including community courts, drug treatment courts and domestic violence courts, in New York State. Published in the New York State Bar Journal, Vol. 72, No. 5 (June 2000)
  download PDF version
   
  One Step at a Time: Recommendations for the School Community to Improve Safety
  By Members of the Youth Justice Board
  Written by the 16 teenage members of the 2005-2006 Youth Justice Board, this report makes recommendations to help to reduce disruptive behavior, prevent crime, and improve the safety of New York City schools. The Youth Justice Board, which consists of New York City high schools students 14 to 18 years old, spent eight months researching the topic of school safety, meeting with over two dozen experts and formulating the policy recommendations included in this report.
  download PDF version
   
  Op Data, 2001: Red Hook, Brooklyn
  By Kelli Moore
  Results of an annual survey carried out by AmeriCorps volunteers and analyzed by researchers at the Center for Court Innovation. The 2001 survey, which is used as a planning tool by staff at the Red Hook Community Justice Center, focuses on residents’ perceptions of: neighborhood public safety and quality of life, existing community resources, and the criminal justice system.
  download PDF version
   
  Op Data, 2003: Crown Heights, Brooklyn
  By Amanda Cissner and Amy Ellenbogen
  Results of a baseline survey of the community served by the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. The survey, which was administered by AmeriCorps members and analyzed by researchers at the Center for Court Innovation, provides a forum for community members to voice their concerns about issues of quality of life, safety, services, conflict, and diversity in their neighborhood.
  download PDF version
   
  Op Data, 2003: Long Island City, Queens
  By Liz Bracco, Amanda Cissner, and Michael Freedman-Schnapp
  A community survey, coordinated by staff of the Queens Plaza Community Cleanup and researchers at the Center for Court Innovation, that measures the opinions of community members on issues of quality of life, safety, and community services.
  download PDF version
   
  Overcoming Obstacles to Community Courts: A Summary of Workshop Proceedings
  By Staff of the Center for Court Innovation
  Representatives of eight cities discuss how they have adapted the community court model to their neighborhoods' unique needs. Published by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice (November 1998)
  download PDF version
   
  Planning a Domestic Violence Court: The New York State Experience
  By Liberty Aldrich, Samantha Moore, and Robert V. Wolf
  A close look at the development of the Domestic Violence Court Model in New York State, with a special focus on the launching of the Brooklyn Felony Domestic Violence Court in 1996.
  download PDF version
   
  "Predictors of Engagement in Court-Mandated Treatment: Findings at the Brooklyn Treatment Court, 1996-2000"
  By Christine DeStefano and Michael Rempel
  A study of key criminal justice, demographic, drug use, and neighborhood-based characteristics associated with serious engagement in treatment at the Brooklyn Treatment Court. Published in the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, Voulume 4 (2002).
   
  Predictors of Program Outcome and Recidivism at the Bronx Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court
  By Chandra Gavin and Nora Puffett
  An analysis of mandate completion and criminal recidivism rates for defendants sentenced to a batterer intervention program and/or substance abuse treatment. The study found that defendants with more serious criminal histories were more likely to be mandated to substance abuse treatment, were more likely to be non-compliant with court mandates from the outset, and were more likely to be rearrested. Findings suggest that courts may be able to predict defendants' probability of success in programs and make sentencing decisions accordingly.
  download PDF version
   
  Principles of Problem-Solving Justice
  By Robert V. Wolf
  An examination of the six principles that animate problem-solving justice. The principles are based on the Center for Court Innovation’s experience developing problem-solving initiatives, an analysis of problem-solving projects from across the country, and feedback from leading practitioners.
  download PDF version
   
  Problem-Solving and the American Bench: A National Survey of Trial Court Judges
  By Francine Byrne, Yueh-Wen Chang, Donald Farole, Jr., and Michael Rempel
  A nationwide survey of more than 1,000 trial court judges concerning their attitudes and practices with respect to problem-solving. The results indicate broad support for problem-solving methods and offer encouraging news for those interested in integrating problem-solving court principles in conventional court settings. The results also identify important obstacles, including limited resources and a need for greater education and training of judges.
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  "Problem-Solving Courts-Beyond Process and Precedent"
  By various authors A special issue of The Judges' Journal guest-edited by the Center for Court Innovation. Articles chronicle the development of problem-solving courts from various perspectives - judge, prosecutor and defense attorney. Articles also include a profile of New York State Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye, an overview of the Red Hook (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Community Justice Center, a discussion of the applicability of the drug-court model to mental health courts and the proliferation nationwide of youth courts. Published in The Judges' Journal, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Winter 2002)