NCJ Number
103068
Date Published
1986
Length
116 pages
Annotation
Appointed in January 1986, the Citizens Commission to Improve Michigan Courts gathered data on civil and family, criminal, and community relations issues in order to make the Michigan court system more responsive to citizens' needs.
Abstract
Data were drawn from public hearings, experts in the field, and formal and informal attitudinal surveys. The commission presented 45 recommendations for the State supreme court and 5 recommendations for the legislature. Recommendations call for the courteous treatment of all court system users, improved scheduling, and fair treatment of all persons without regard to race, gender, age, economic class, religion, or physical condition. The commission also recommends training staff to meet public needs, conducting research on the extent and nature of discrimination in the courts, and giving equal employment opportunity to all court personnel. Other reforms include the institution of measures to reduce the trauma suffered by victims, particularly child sexual abuse victims, and greater sensitivity to family matters such as guardianship. Legislative recommendations focus on increased funding, sentencing and victim protection reform, and raising from 19 to 21 the age of jurisdiction over a delinquent juvenile. Appendixes detail the data-gathering activities of the commission in extensive graphs, tables, and statistics.