Problem-Solving Justice

Problem-solving justice seeks to go beyond processing cases to solve the problems that bring people to court.

Problem-solving justice traces its roots to community and problem-oriented policing, which encouraged officers to identify patterns of crime, address the underlying conditions that fuel crime, and actively engage the community. Today, thousands of problem-solving courts are testing new approaches to difficult cases where social, human, and legal problems intersect. For example, community courts work with citizens to address local problems through individualized services and community restitution; drug and mental health courts seek to return those with substance use and mental disorders to society as productive citizens; and domestic violence courts emphasize accountability and victim safety.

Publications & Digital Media

Audio
Renewing Justice: When the Library Becomes a Community Court

by Matthew Watkins

Since 2016, the community court in Eugene, Oregon, has met every week in the downtown library. It's part of an effort getting a lot of attention on the West Coast to bring problem-solving justice to friendlier settings. On our 'New Thinking' podcast, hear about Eugene's success with the new model.

Community Justice, Diversion, Problem-Solving Justice
Video
'They Treated Me Like a Person': Inside the Red Hook Community Justice Center

The Red Hook Community Justice Center has become an international model of justice reform by implementing innovative strategies that have reduced the use of jail, lowered recidivism and strengthened public confidence in justice.

Community Justice, Problem-Solving Justice
Publication
Coming Home to Harlem: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court

by Lama Hassoun Ayoub and Tia Pooler

This study of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court compares participants in a neighborhood-based reentry program to similar parolees on traditional parole. Results indicate that the reentry court, which implemented a validated and reliable tool for assessing the risks and needs of individuals returning from prison, produced a 22% reduction in the reconviction rate and a 60% reduction in the felony reconviction rate over an 18-month follow-up period.

Reentry, Problem-Solving Justice, Treatment Courts, Procedural Justice, Risk Assessment, Community Justice

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News

New York Empties Its Jails

February 1, 2018
Open Democracy

Featuring the alternative sentencing work of our Bronx Community Solutions, an investigation of the factors driving New York City's historic reductions in both incarceration and crime.
The People's Court

January 10, 2018
Urban Omnibus

A rich consideration by Urban Omnibus of the connections among justice design, courtroom procedures, and improving outcomes for defendants and their communities featuring our Red Hook Community Justice Center and Near Westside Peacemaking Center in Syracuse, N.Y.
Midtown Court Solves Problems Instead of Handing Out Sentences

June 28, 2017
Chelsea Now

Chelsea Now profiles the range of problem-solving justice work at our Midtown Community Court, now more than 20 years strong.

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Publications & Digital Media

Renewing Justice: When the Library Becomes a Community Court

'They Treated Me Like a Person': Inside the Red Hook Community Justice Center

Coming Home to Harlem: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Harlem Parole Reentry Court

News

New York Empties Its Jails

The People's Court

Midtown Court Solves Problems Instead of Handing Out Sentences

We work with reformers around the world.