This article compares the demographic traits of participants in problem-solving courts (PSCs) with those of participants in probation.
This commentary presents an explorative comparison of the demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, race, ethnicity) of clients participating in either probation or problem-solving courts (PSCs) in 2019 using surveys previously published or pending publication to compare client demographic information they reported in the surveys. This comparison identifies discrepancies in the diversity of clients on probation compared to PSCs and finds that more men and Black individuals are sentenced to probation, whereas more women and white individuals agree to participate in PSC programs. Since their inception in 1989, PSCs have offered a therapeutic justice intervention for individuals with non-violent offense charges/convictions in an attempt to address the underlying social issues that resulted in an initial arrest. Prior research indicates that Black and Hispanic/Latinx people tend to be underserved in PSCs compared to incarceration and probation populations. The question is whether there are differences in the population served by probation and PSCs, as both are initial sentence alternatives to incarceration, but PSCs are considered to be more rehabilitative.