Atlanta, 2007: Second Annual Community Based Problem-Solving Criminal Justice Initiative Workshop

Update May 31, 2007
"Making the Pitch": Judge Crystal Gaines of the Atlanta Community Court makes a funding pitch to a panel of mock judges during the "Problem Solving Idol" exercise. Chris Watler of the Center for Court Innovation served as moderator.
"Making the Pitch": Judge Crystal Gaines of the Atlanta Community Court makes a funding pitch to a panel of mock judges during the "Problem Solving Idol" exercise. Chris Watler of the Center for Court Innovation served as moderator.
"Problem Solving Idol": Acting as mock judges for this activity were Michael Magnani from the New York State Office of Court Administration, Preeti Menon from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and Phillip Rush from the Atlanta Community Foundation
"Problem Solving Idol": Acting as mock judges for this activity were Michael Magnani from the New York State Office of Court Administration, Preeti Menon from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and Phillip Rush from the Atlanta Community Foundation
Hon. Michelle Hank, tribal judge for the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, with board member Todd Gravelle
Hon. Michelle Hank, tribal judge for the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, with board member Todd Gravelle
Regina Cannon, Phillip McDonald, Judge Crystal A. Gaines, and Pamela Blume Leonard from the Atlanta Community Court team, with Karen Moen from the California Administrative Office of the Courts
Regina Cannon, Phillip McDonald, Judge Crystal A. Gaines, and Pamela Blume Leonard from the Atlanta Community Court team, with Karen Moen from the California Administrative Office of the Courts
Judge William Grim, Michael Miller, Sherri Carsey, and Leo Carsey from the Athens County Substance Abusing/Mentally Ill Court in Ohio
Judge William Grim, Michael Miller, Sherri Carsey, and Leo Carsey from the Athens County Substance Abusing/Mentally Ill Court in Ohio
Teresa Martin, Regan Savalla, and Ben Nichols from the San Diego Beach Area Community Court team
Teresa Martin, Regan Savalla, and Ben Nichols from the San Diego Beach Area Community Court team
Robin Steinberg, Aubrey Fox, Judge Ralph Fabrizio, and Maria Almonte from the Bronx Community Solutions team
Robin Steinberg, Aubrey Fox, Judge Ralph Fabrizio, and Maria Almonte from the Bronx Community Solutions team
Michael Doucette, Shannon Hadeed, Donna Nash, and Judge William Light from the Lynchburg, Virginia Community Court team
Michael Doucette, Shannon Hadeed, Donna Nash, and Judge William Light from the Lynchburg, Virginia Community Court team
Bill Stewart, Liz Bartell, and Judge Douglas V. Van Dyk from the Overland Park Community Court in Clackamas County, Oregon
Bill Stewart, Liz Bartell, and Judge Douglas V. Van Dyk from the Overland Park Community Court in Clackamas County, Oregon
Michael Doucette of Lynchburg, Virginia, Martin Carrillo from Pima County Juvenile Probation, and Jaquelyn Ellerbee from the 4th Circuit Soliciter's Office in South Carolina
Michael Doucette of Lynchburg, Virginia, Martin Carrillo from Pima County Juvenile Probation, and Jaquelyn Ellerbee from the 4th Circuit Soliciter's Office in South Carolina

EXPANDING THE USE OF PROBLEM-SOLVING JUSTICE: Reflections on what works, what doesn’t and how to overcome challenges, the second workshop for the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Community Based Problem-Solving Criminal Justice Initiative, was held at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta on May 23 and 24, 2007. The workshop's learning goals were to identify successes and challenges of the initiative's demonstration sites, to explore ideas for overcoming challenges, and to build skills in seeking local resources.

Keynote speakers were BJA Director Domingo Herraiz; Center for Court Innovation Director Greg Berman; Multnomah County, Oregon District Attorney Mike Schrunk; and President of the Atlanta City Council Lisa Borders. Julius Lang and Chris Watler, director and deputy director of technical assistance at the Center, spearheaded a faculty consisting of Aaron Arnold, director of the Center for Court Innovation’s upstate office; Steven Jansen, director of the Center for Community Prosecution at the National District Attorneys Association; Diana Karafin, senior research associate at the Center for Court Innovation; Michael Magnani, Director of the Division of Grants and Program Development for the New York State Unified Court System; Preeti Puri Menon, BJA’s Policy Advisor for Adjudication; Karen Moen of the California Administrative Office of the Courts’ Center for Children, Families and the Courts; and Phillip Rush, program officer at The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.

The workshop was an opportunity for team building as well as learning, with project leaders from the following ten grantee sites attending: Pima County Juvenile Court Center, Arizona; San Diego Beach Area Community Court, California; the City of Atlanta Community Court Division, Georgia; the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan; Bronx Community Solutions, New York; the Athens County Substance Abusing/Mentally Ill Court, Ohio; Overland Park Community Court, Clackamas County, Oregon; the Fourth Circuit, South Carolina; Lynchburg Community Court, Virginia; and the Seattle Community Court, Washington.

Here are some photos from the event:

Teams not pictured: Pima County Juvenile Court Center, Arizona; the Fourth Circuit, South Carolina; and the Seattle Community Court, Washington