Strategic Initiatives Unit

To fund speakers to present at the NE conference as part of the Adult Drug Court Initiative (ADCTI).

A panel hosted by CJI to discuss serving Community Justice needs/principles in planning a community court. The panel included Judge Alex Calabrese (former judge from Red Hook Community Justice Center); Robert Kingham (Downtown Austin Community Court); Lynn Pride Richardson (Chief Public Defender of Dallas County); and Shegufta Huma (CJI Presenter/Moderator).

People centered practices, procedural justice, research findings, and practical examples

The Center continues to support long-established mentor community courts across the country. This reporting period, Center staff conducted at least one individual, substantive call with each of the four mentor courts: South Dallas Community Court; Orange County Collaborative Courts; Olympia Community Court; and Spokane Community Court. During these calls, Center staff inquired about operational and programmatic updates to best understand which mentor courts are suitable to support other community court practitioners based on requests for support.

The Center maintains a Court-Builders listserv that hosts 520 active subscribers and shares examples of promising practices, lessons learned, and timely news among the community court field. The listserv continues to be a valuable tool for peer-to-peer communication. From January through June 2023, users made 34 original posts (with many more posts in response) that included updated practices in the field, questions about current services that courts are offering, and support around common issues.

The Center provides a wide range of support in response to requests for assistance, including sharing publications, research, planning guides, and other resources; and connects practitioners with peers at community courts around the country. This reporting period, the Center’s training and technical assistance team assisted practitioners in Arlington, TX; Saint Augustine, FL; Bothell, WA; and Auburn, WA, on topics such as risk/needs assessment tools, court interpreter services, mental health and housing courts, and restorative justice practices.

Two-day training as part of the Adult Drug Court Operational Tune-Up training program.

To fund speakers presenting content on emerging topics at statewide or regional conferences in part of the Justice For Vets participation through VTTA (Veterans Training and Technical Assistance).

To fund speakers presenting content on emerging topics at statewide or regional conferences in part of the Justice For Vets participation through VTTA (Veterans Training and Technical Assistance).

To fund speakers presenting content on emerging topics at statewide or regional conferences in part of the Justice For Vets participation through VTTA (Veterans Training and Technical Assistance).