This monograph highlights how new and innovative community courts are building on the drug court model, expanding the reach of problem-solving principles beyond specialized courtrooms and making a significant contribution to the fight against substance abuse.
The manual draws from the experiences of successful programs across the state to provide youth court coordinators with resources, tools, and guides for effective youth court operations.
This report is a brief evaluation of the Youth Justice Board's work on alternative-to-detention programs during the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 program years. Findings show that the Board was successful in getting policymakers to listen to their policy recommendations and to implement one of them.
An evaluation of the comprehensive drug screening and referral system launched by the Brooklyn Criminal Court in 2003. The evaluation found that the initiative led to a significantly larger and more diverse pool of defendants to be screened, referred, and enrolled in treatment.
Abby Abinanti has served as Chief Judge of the Yurok Tribal Court since 2007. Here she discusses the creation of the Tribal Court Association (Yurok, Hoopa, Karuk, and Smith River tribes), the establishment of a cultural competency course in the tribal wellness court, and her experience bridging the gap between the tribal justice system and the state justice system. This interview was originally published in the Fall 2009 Journal of Court Innovation.
Irene Black serves as District Court Judge for the Aneth Judicial District, one of ten judicial districts within the Navajo Nation. She spoke with the Center in July 2010 about her role in planning a community court in Indian Country.
Darrell Dowty serves as Associate Justice of the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court and maintains a private law practice in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He also currently serves as Associate Justice of the Kaw Nation Supreme Court, as well as judge for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation District Court and the Sac and Fox Nation District Court.
Joseph Flies-Away formerly served as Chief Judge of the Hualapai Tribal Court, and he currently serves as pro tem judge for several tribal courts in the Southwest. In addition, Mr. Flies-Away works as a Community Nation Building Consultant in Phoenix, Arizona. He spoke with the Center in May 2010 about his experience as a tribal court judge and his vision for the future of the tribal judiciary.
P.J. Herne currently serves as Chief Judge of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and has previously worked as a prosecutor and defense attorney in Franklin County, New York. Here he speaks about the challenges of expanding a tribal justice system and opening the lines of communication between tribal and state courts. This interview was originally published in the Fall 2009 Journal of Court Innovation.