Procedural Justice

Procedural justice seeks to ensure that the justice system treats everybody with dignity and respect.

Research has shown that when court users perceive the justice system to be fair, they are more likely to comply with court orders and follow the law in the future—regardless of the outcome of their case. Researchers such as Tom Tyler of Yale Law School have boiled down procedural justice to a handful of key elements: treating court users with dignity and respect, ensuring that they understand the process, that they have a voice, and that decisions are made neutrally. The Center for Court Innovation works to promote procedural justice in the U.S. and internationally. In addition to testing promising practices on the ground in our operating programs, we offer training and expert assistance to jurisdictions interested in assessing or enhancing their procedural justice practices.

Initiatives

Harlem Community Justice Center

The Harlem Community Justice Center works to increase housing stability, engage and support young people at risk of becoming or currently justice-system involved, and help individuals who have been
MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge

The MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge seeks to reduce over-incarceration by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails.
Red Hook Community Justice Center

The nation's first multi-jurisdictional community court, the Red Hook Community Justice Center seeks to solve neighborhood problems in southwest Brooklyn.

Publications & Digital Media

Book
To Be Fair

by Emily Gold LaGratta and Tom Tyler

To Be Fair is a compilation of interviews with practitioners from around the country who have worked to implement the tenets of procedural justice in criminal courts.

Procedural Justice
Publication
How Video Changes the Conversation: Social Science Research on Communication Over Video and Implications for the Criminal Courtroom

by Lisa Bailey Vavonese, Elizabeth Ling, Rosalie Joy, and Samantha Kobor

The COVID-19 pandemic forced courts across the country to close their physical doors and rely exclusively on video conferencing technology. A scan of social science research shows that communicating over video can alter an interaction, making it more difficult for participants to understand each other, speak up, and relate to each other. This paper presents social science research to inform the long-term debate about video’s role when courts can safely reopen.

Access to Justice, Procedural Justice
Publication
Evaluating Probation Reform in New York City

by Lama Hassoun Ayoub, Jennifer A. Tallon, Sarah Picard, and Cassandra Ramdath

Punishments for violating the terms of probation are a major driver of prison and jail populations across the country. Calls for meaningful reform are growing. This study examines the impact of New York City’s early efforts to shift to a more client-centered approach to probation, including improved case management and establishing neighborhood-oriented probation offices.

Procedural Justice, Reentry

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News

Are Efforts to Improve ‘Fairness’ Enough?

September 23, 2019
The Crime Report

In an effort to improve fairness, a Manhattan courthouse made physical improvements to the building itself and implemented changes in how judges and court officers interacted with visitors. The Crime Report highlights findings from our recent study that these efforts aren't enough on their own to change perceptions of the justice system.

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We work with reformers around the world.

Do you need help solving a problem, launching a new initiative or improving an old one? Contact our experts.

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Initiatives

Publications & Digital Media

To Be Fair

How Video Changes the Conversation: Social Science Research on Communication Over Video and Implications for the Criminal Courtroom

Evaluating Probation Reform in New York City

News

Are Efforts to Improve ‘Fairness’ Enough?

We work with reformers around the world.