Jill Harris says she's "shocked to find myself working for a D.A." A long-time advocate for criminal justice reform, Harris, now the head of the Brooklyn D.A.'s Justice 2020 reform initiative, offers her take on the role of the prosecutor in the third installment of our series on the debate over prosecutor power.
Legal Hand seeks to help people resolve civil justice issues before they need lawyers and court intervention. In our latest New Thinking episode, learn about how the program works, how civil justice issues impact different communities, and why it can be hard to get basic legal information to the people who need it.
Research has shown that checklists improve consistency and reduce the likelihood that critical steps are overlooked in technical fields such as aeronautics and medicine. The current study explores whether similar tools might promote the consistency and quality of legal representation among often overburdened and under-resourced public defense attorneys.
This webinar focuses on child support and its intersection with the work of Price of Justice grantees to address the overuse of justice fines and fees. Jacqueline Boggess, Executive Director of the Center for Family Policy and Practice, provides an introduction to the child support system and discuss the impact of child support debt on justice-involved individuals. Price of Justice grantee sites then explore the implications for their projects through a discussion facilitated by the Center for Court Innovation.
The breadth and flexibility of technology provides the opportunity to generate new and innovative solutions in our legal system and better serve people who encounter it, regardless of their location, technological literacy, or language skills. These solutions can make court systems, programs, and services more efficient while at the same time increasing access to justice.
Highlights from a public screening and panel discussion of Bill Moyers's 'Rikers: An American Jail,' moderated by our New Thinking podcast host, Matt Watkins. Commenting on the film and the future of criminal justice reform are Tina Luongo of the Legal Aid Society, Jill Harris of the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, and two of the people formerly held on Rikers featured in the film: Barry Campbell of the Fortune Society, and Johnny Perez of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
DeKalb County Compliance Project, Georgia seeks to create a victim-centered response to family violence protective order cases and ensure that respondents comply with Georgia law by enrolling in and completing a family violence intervention class. The court provides ongoing judicial oversight and mandatory check-ins with compliance officers from the moment a protective order is entered until the respondent is released from the project with a history of compliance.
Winnebago County Domestic Violence Coordinated Courts, Illinois: Comprises a dedicated domestic violence criminal and civil court. The criminal court adjudicates all appearances of intimate-partner criminal cases, as well as associated orders of protection. The civil court is assigned all domestic violence-related dissolution of marriage (divorce) cases and intimate partner orders of protection. On-site victim advocacy, advanced clerical practices, open communication, and innovative practices have been key to the success of the court.
Ada County Domestic Violence Court, Idaho: A fast-track court disposing of cases in 58 days on average from arrest to sentencing based on the integrated domestic violence court model. A multi-agency team allows the court to implement several best practices, including: supervised probation; post-sentence judicial monitoring; evidence-based offender assessment and specialized treatment; and comprehensive case planning. Click here to listen to Judges James Cawthon and Carolyn Minder discuss the Ada County response to domestic violence.
Ada County Domestic Violence Court, Idaho: A fast-track court disposing of cases in 58 days on average from arrest to sentencing based on the integrated domestic violence court model. A multi-agency team allows the court to implement several best practices, including: supervised probation; post-sentence judicial monitoring; evidence-based offender assessment and specialized treatment; and comprehensive case planning. Click here to listen to Judges James Cawthon and Carolyn Minder discuss the Ada County response to domestic violence.
