Annual Report: 2009
Highlights of the Center for Court Innovation's accomplishments in 2009.
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Avoiding Failures of Implementation: Lessons from Process Evaluations
By Amanda Cissner and Donald Farole, Jr.
Part of a multi-faceted inquiry into failure undertaken by the Center for Court Innovation and the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance, this paper examines failures that occur during the implementation of a new initiative, seeking to identify common sources of failure and to develop a basic list of considerations that may help practitioners avoid future pitfalls.
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Lessons from the Battle over D.A.R.E.: The Complicated Relationship between Research and Practice
By Greg Berman and Aubrey Fox
An examination of the controversy over D.A.R.E., one of the most well-known and widespread crime prevention programs in the country, which has thrived despite research showing less-than-inspiring results. To its critics, D.A.R.E. is a cautionary tale of how criminal justice programs can live on despite evidence of failure. To its defenders, D.A.R.E. is a case study of resilience in the face of adversity. This paper unpacks the complicated relationship between research and practice, drawing lessons for future programming.
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Race, Bias and Problem-Solving Courts
By Robert V. Wolf
In order to ensure that problem-solving courts work as fairly and effectively as possible with all populations, research needs to be done into the issues of race and bias. This groundbreaking paper, published in the National Black Law Journal, is an attempt to guide researchers in the right direction by highlighting key concerns that are ripe for future exploration and analysis. Published in 21 Nat'l Black L.J. 1 (2009).
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Strong Families, Safe Communities: Recommendations to Improve and Expand New York Citys Alternative to Detention Programs
By Members of the Youth Justice Board
Written by the teenage members of the 2008-2009 Youth Justice Board, this report proposes 10 specific recommendations to strengthen and expand juvenile Alternative to Detention (ATD) programs in New York City and help young people and families involved in the juvenile justice system. The Youth Justice Board, which consists of New York City young people 14 to 18 years old, spent several months researching the City's ATD programs—interviewing over 30 juvenile justice and court professionals, conducting focus groups of justice system-involved youth and observing Family Court proceedings and ATD program operations. During the 2009-2010 program year, the Youth Justice Board will work with system stakeholders to encourage the implementation of the ideas contained in this report.
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