Noteworthy Court-Community Relations Activities: A Compilation of State and Local Court Programs

• NCJ Number: 203590
• Author(s): Shavonne R. Cassidy
• Date Published: July 1999
• Length: 110 pages
• Grant Number(s): 97-DD-BX-0074
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Corporate Author: American University Criminal Courts Technical Assistance Project
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services; American University Criminal Courts Technical Assistance Project
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program Description (Model)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This resource document offers judicial system officials ideas for new and innovative Court-Community Relations Programs designed to enhance the pubic image of justice and boost public understanding of the judicial process.

Abstract

In order to provide meaningful examples of innovative and noteworthy justice programs, data were gathered from a national sample of 300 jurisdictions that offer a wide range of services for those who become involved in the judicial process. Many innovative court programs have been developed with the idea of enhancing public trust and confidence in the judicial process; educating the public about the judicial process; improving public safety; providing job skills for offenders; and providing educational programs for juveniles. The survey responses garnered descriptions of a myriad of programs, such as the Family Violence Coordinating Council, information brochures, Web-sites, the Self-help Legal Access Center, and Inside the Courts: A Pro Bono Education Program, among many others. The report is organized into three parts: part 1 provides a general overview of the survey results, broken down by survey questions. This section also provides a breakdown of the types of programs offered in rural versus suburban and urban settings. Part 2 offers a summary of noteworthy court-community relations programs recommended by the survey respondents. This section presents findings in table format by court and program. Over 150 programs are listed by court of origin in this section, with contact information provided. Part 3 describes 44 selected court-community relations programs in which operational information was provided by the respondents. These in-depth descriptions include the goal of the program, the program description, interagency support, training, reason for selection, cost, and contact information. This report represents the first phase of a multi-phased research project; the report will be updated biannually to provide up-to-date program information.