NCJ Number
151365
Date Published
1994
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This document summarizes the general direction the Wisconsin court system should head over the next decade, describes why the Planning and Policy Advisory Committee of the Wisconsin Supreme Court has chosen the recommended direction, and outlines the goals and objectives it intends to pursue over the next 3-5 years.
Abstract
The report notes trends likely to shape Wisconsin's future, including increasingly diverse expectations for the courts' role in society, increasing multiracial and ethnic population contact with the judicial system, population aging, economic restructuring, increased scrutiny of court and justice system resources, and increasingly sophisticated computer technology. An assessment of the court system revealed that the courts' greatest strengths are the flexibility local courts have to make appropriate rules for their daily operations and court personnel's reputation for integrity. Weaknesses include public lack of understanding of the courts, conflict among agencies over policy and funding priorities, and lack of resources for administrative supports. Five crucial issues for the courts, and strategies for responding to each issue, are presented. These include delineating the societal needs the judicial system can realistically meet, refining the manner in which the judicial system addresses the problems confronting it, improving the judiciary's ability to obtain sufficient resources, improving public understanding and support for the judicial system, and defining the courts' appropriate role in developing and taking part in alternative dispute resolution. Figures and appended figures