U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance

Responding to the Community: Principles for Planning and Creating a

by John Feinblatt and Greg Berman, Center for Court Innovation

For many years an important element This bulletin is a guide for community Creating a Community has been missing from the criminal justice planners, particularly those Court in justice system.Although courts, police, interested in court reform. Using the and prosecutors have become increas- Midtown Community Court in New New York City’s Midtown Community ingly modernized in recent years, they York City as a case study, the bulletin Court, which opened in October 1993, still often fail to meet the needs of the presents a set of common principles differs dramatically from the way that justice system’s primary consumers: for community courts.These principles lower courts have operated in the city the neighborhoods that experience are offered not as a prescription for for many years. Nevertheless, it reflects crime and its consequences every day. what ails the criminal justice system, a return to an old idea. but rather as a starting point for fur- This problem was first recognized by In 1962, New York City closed a net- ther planning efforts. Establishing these advocates of community policing, work of neighborhood magistrate’s principles is vital to the success of any who argued that police officers could courts that handled intake for the city’s community court project, but the address neighborhood crime and dis- court system.These courts arraigned Bureau of Justice Assistance recognizes order more effectively if they estab- defendants and disposed of low-level that individuals in communities guid- lished a close relationship with offenses that did not need to be for- ing these ambitious efforts also need community residents and neighbor- warded to a higher tribunal. Under this concrete information about the obsta- hood groups.The idea of community system, intake and arraignment duties cles encountered in the New York justice has since spread to other were shifted to lower court judges in experiment. branches of the justice system includ- centralized courthouses serving each ing courts, probation departments, The Midtown experiment was born of of the city’s five boroughs. prosecutors, and corrections offices. a profound frustration with quality- While this change increased effi- of-life crime in the neighborhood, par- What is community justice? The con- ciency to an extent, its cost was ticularly prostitution, vandalism, and cept takes many practical forms, but at remoteness—the new centralized low-level drug offenses, but these same its core are partnership and problem courts were removed from the com- conditions may not fuel the creation of solving. Community justice is about munities they served.As caseloads community courts in other neighbor- creating new relationships both within increased, felony cases naturally began hoods. Community courts are not the justice system and with stake- to claim more and more attention. effective when implemented as holders in the community such as Fewer resources were devoted to cookie-cutter models; to be effective, residents, merchants, churches, and quality-of-life misdemeanors like each must meet the needs of its schools, and testing new and aggres- shoplifting, prostitution, and subway neighborhood. sive approaches to public safety rather fare cheating, and judges were under than merely responding to crime. tremendous pressure to dispose of such cases quickly.All too often defen- to honor the idea of community by creation of an effective community dants arrested for low-level offenses making justice restorative. Offenders court. were released after being sentenced to are sentenced to make restitution to either “time served” while awaiting the community through work projects Principles for Restoring their court appearance, a fine that in the neighborhood: caring for trees the Community might or might not be paid, or commu- lining the streets, removing graffiti, ❑ Recognize that communities nity service that might or might not be cleaning subway stations, and sorting are victims. Quality-of-life crimes performed. cans and bottles for recycling.At the damage communities. If unad- same time, the court uses its legal Mindful of these problems, Midtown dressed, low-level offenses erode leverage to link offenders with drug Community Court planners sought to communal order, leading to disin- treatment, health care, education, and recreate neighborhood-based intake vestment and neighborhood decay other social services. and arraignment along the lines of the and creating an atmosphere in magistrate’s courts, but with innova- By the summer of 1996, Midtown had which more serious crime can tions to meet the needs of the 1990s. become one of the busiest arraign- flourish.A community court It was hoped that such a court could ment courts in the city, arraigning an acknowledges this reality. focus on quality-of-life crimes that average of 65 cases per day for an ❑ Use punishment to pay back erode a community’s morale.This annual total of more than 16,000 the community. Standard sen- return to a concern about crimes that cases. Offenders sentenced by the tences that involve jail, fines, and affect neighborhood life coincided with court perform the equivalent of probation may punish offenders, but the New York City Police Depart- $175,000 worth of community service they do little to make restitution ment’s new emphasis on community work per year. Midtown’s emphasis on for the damage caused by crime.A policing, as well as with a growing immediate restitution—offenders must community court requires offend- interest in community-oriented justice report to the court’s community serv- ers to compensate neighborhoods on the part of prosecutors, probation ice or social service center immedi- through community service. offices, and corrections agencies ately after sentencing—has improved ❑ Combine punishment with nationwide. compliance rates. Nearly 75 percent of help. By permanently altering the offenders processed through Midtown Planning for the Midtown project last- behavior of chronic offenders, complete their community service ed from 1991 to 1993.With the help social service programs can play an sentences as mandated, which is the of the local community board—the important role in crime control. highest rate in the city. smallest unit of government in New Encouraging offenders to deal with York City—planners found a location The court’s success has stirred the their problems honors a communi- for the court near on interest of prosecutors, judges, court ty’s ethical obligation to people the West Side of , an area administrators, and neighborhood who break its laws because they teeming with quality-of-life crimes. groups across the country who hope have lost control of their lives. The 1896 building, which was once a to make courts responsive to commu- ❑ Give the community a voice in magistrate’s court, was renovated and nity needs and more effective in deal- shaping restorative sanctions. now has clean, bright holding rooms ing with quality-of-life offenses. The most effective community secured with glass panels—a sharp courts open a dialog with neigh- contrast to New York’s squalid down- Principles for Community bors, seeking their input in develop- town holding pens.The newly designed Courts ing appropriate community service courthouse includes an entire floor of projects. A community advisory Midtown Community Court’s planning office space for social workers to assist board can offer residents an team pursued six goals they consid- offenders referred by the judge in the institutionalized mechanism for ered to be at the heart of community courtroom a few floors below. In addi- interacting with the judge and justice: restoring the community, bridg- tion, the court’s offices are wired to court administrators. accommodate an innovative computer ing the gap between communities and ❑ Open social services at the system that allows the judge, attorneys, courts, knitting together a fractured court to residents. Others in the and social service workers to commu- criminal justice system, helping offend- community besides defendants can nicate with one another and access ers deal with problems that lead to benefit from educational, job train- defendants’ records at the click of a crime, providing the courts with bet- ing, and counseling programs, and mouse. ter information, and building a court- the court can be a resource for a house that fosters these ambitions. wide range of needs, opening its The court’s location, architecture, and The following sections explain the doors to Alcoholics Anonymous technology are part of a larger strategy importance of each principle to the

2 Responding to the Community

groups or English-as-a-second- Principles for Knitting Together Principles for Helping Offenders language classes, for example. a Fractured Criminal Justice Deal With Problems That Lead to System Crime Principles for Bridging the Gap ❑ Use the court’s authority to ❑ Put problems first. By focusing Between Communities and link criminal justice agencies. on a defendant’s needs beyond case Courts Too often,criminal justice agencies processing and punishment, a com- ❑ Make justice visible. A communi- work in isolation, moving cases munity court looks for ways in ty court puts offenders to work in from street to court to cell and which sentences can help defen- places where neighbors can see back again without communicating dants change their lives.When what they are doing, outfitting them or taking the time to solve prob- appropriate, drug treatment, med- in ways that identify them as offend- lems. Because of its role as a cen- ical, educational, and counseling ers performing community service. tral hub in the justice process, a services are incorporated into By publicizing its social service and community court can play an sentences. treatment success stories, the court important coordination function. ❑ Use the court as a gateway to gives community residents and ❑ Don’t reinvent the wheel. treatment. The trauma of arrest organizations visible and tangible Courts cannot be expected to may prompt a defendant to seek evidence that the criminal justice solve difficult neighborhood prob- help. A court can use its coercive system is accountable to the lems alone.To play a more aggres- power to reinforce that impulse. community. sive role in addressing complicated ❑ Make justice accessible. A com- issues such as quality-of-life crime, munity court welcomes observers courts must look for new partners. and visitors from the community, Social service providers—both The Sixth Floor giving them an opportunity to see nonprofit organizations and govern- For the offender, an arrest is a justice in action. Calendars and ment agencies—bring valuable moment of crisis. For the court, other information about activities in expertise to the table, including this crisis is a window of oppor- the courtroom are available to the counseling, job training, drug treat- tunity, a chance to encourage the public on computer terminals in the ment, and mediation skills. offender to address the problems lobby.The courthouse staff are pre- ❑ Encourage social service that may be associated with pared to answer questions and to providers and criminal justice criminal behavior.The Midtown give tours. professionals to work together. Community Court engages peo- ❑ Make justice proactive. In a community courthouse, judges ple in social services in two ways. Administrators of community can consult with treatment profes- In some cases, defendants are courts monitor crime conditions sionals on individual cases, police ordered to participate in services in the community and look for can alert counselors to defendants such as drug treatment; in other opportunities to involve the com- who may be willing to receive help, cases, defendants voluntarily take munity in addressing crime-related and clerks can refer victims to advantage of the services offered problems as they develop. Medi- assistance they may not know is at the court. ators attempt to solve simmering available. Physical proximity makes community disputes before they closer and more coordinated Social services at Midtown are erupt into criminal acts. working relationships possible. available within the courthouse itself. Every defendant who ❑ Reach out to victims. A commu- ❑ Explore crossing jurisdictional receives a community service or nity court can be a safe haven for lines. The problems citizens face social service sentence is escort- victims, offering them assistance and often do not conform to the nar- ed to the sixth floor.After getting a voice in the criminal justice row jurisdictional boundaries a health screening by the New process. Because it is based in the imposed by modern court systems. York City Department of Health, neighborhood where victims live, a A criminal defendant also may be defendants meet with a coun- community court may be able to involved in a landlord-tenant dis- selor who schedules their com- provide access to services more pute or a small claims matter. munity service or social service quickly and in a less intimidating Handling all of a defendant’s cases obligation and tells them about setting than larger, centralized in one place enhances the court’s the social and educational serv- courts. ability to address the defendant’s ices available at the court. underlying problems.

3 ❑ Remain involved beyond dispo- ❑ Use current information to of stakeholders, not only judges, sition of the immediate case. enhance accountability. Updates police, and prosecutors but tenant A judge in a community court can on a defendant’s progress allow the groups, victim organizations, business- monitor offenders’ experiences in court to monitor compliance with es, schools, and block associations as treatment, using the court’s author- sentences and to quickly recognize well. Reaching outside the traditional ity to reward progress or impose and respond to problems as they disciplines of the justice system to new sanctions for failure. occur. involve new players and to create new partnerships complicates both Principles for Providing Better Principles for Courthouse planning and implementation.The Information to Courts Design obstacles to creating a court that is truly responsive to a community are ❑ ❑ Provide as much information Make the courthouse a physi- discussed in this section. as possible at the defendant’s cal expression of the court’s first appearance. Having detailed goals and values. A community Neighborhood Concerns information allows the judge to court should communicate its mis- solve problems, as well as impose sion in every facet of its design. Shifting the focus of criminal justice sanctions, by matching the defen- All elements of the courthouse— from case processing to community dant’s needs with treatment or holding cells, public entryways, and mending is easier said than done.A community service programs. office space—should reflect a sense community’s quality of life may be ❑ Make information available to of fundamental respect for the legal eroded by waves of small offenses, everyone at the same time. process and for all who participate while the justice system processes one Entering new data into a central in it, including defendants, victims, case at a time, obscuring crime pat- database that is simultaneously and the general public. terns in specific neighborhoods. accessible by the judge, prosecu- ❑ Make the court more than just Furthermore, communities are under- tors, defense attorneys, and social a courtroom. A community court standably reluctant to accept arrested service staff allows all parties to must accommodate social service offenders back onto their streets. share information as soon as it is workers, victim advocates, and Although they support the benefits of available. Simultaneous access helps community service managers. In community service, neighbors worry disparate agencies work together addition, the court needs room to that an impersonal justice system will and limits “gaming” of the system house community service projects be insensitive to their concerns about by attorneys who take advantage and to provide conference rooms supervision. of information delays. for treatment sessions and classes. Discomfort With New Roles After normal business hours, the courthouse can become a commu- Although the need to bridge the gap Midtown’s Compliance nity resource for tenant groups, between communities and courts may Monitoring Screen block associations, and others seem obvious, some judges, attorneys, needing a safe and adequate space and police believe that greater involve- When sentencing a defendant to to hold public meetings. ment with the community compro- community service or social ❑ Put everything under one roof. mises their objectivity.To maintain service sanctions, the judge Locating social service agencies impartiality, judges traditionally have expects to know whether that side by side with the instruments of insulated themselves from the com- obligation has been fulfilled.At the legal process makes it easier to munities and victims affected by the Midtown, case managers keep a formulate sentences that combine issues they adjudicate, while prosecu- detailed record of the defendant’s punishment and assistance for tors and police have restricted the progress in drug treatment in the offenders. discretion of frontline attorneys and court’s computer system.They officers on the beat. In addition, many record, on a daily basis, atten- Obstacles to Creating a criminal justice professionals feel too overwhelmed by the daily pressures dance in treatment, drug test Community Court results, and appointments with of their jobs to reach out to the com- the court-based case managers. Responsive to a munity.These professionals are reluc- This information is available for Community’s Needs tant to take on new responsibilities the judge and the caseworkers when they are unsure that they will Developing a community court is a in an easy-to-read summary. receive the tools they need to get complex undertaking. By definition, their jobs done. community courts embrace a variety

4 Responding to the Community

Disparate Philosophies in new users.There is a real need to crime patterns in the neighborhood Law Enforcement and encourage a greater level of comfort and potential community service Social Services with technology—and a greater sense projects and to provide feedback of community—among the diverse on the court’s relationship with the The underlying assumptions and guid- professionals who make up the crimi- neighborhood. ing philosophies of law enforcement nal justice system. and social service differ in fundamental Understanding the Needs of ways. Criminal justice professionals Architectural Concerns Victims operate in a system of escalating sanctions in which defendants are pun- Architectural innovation doesn’t come Victims expect a lot from courts.They ished more severely each time they easily.The spatial needs of the various want to see justice done, but the fail; criminal courts are not comfort- criminal justice agencies are often in meaning of justice differs for each vic- able giving offenders a second chance. conflict. Correction authorities, police, tim. For some victims, justice means attorneys, court officers, and judges having their pain acknowledged by the Treatment professionals, however, each have special needs for physical offender, the court system, or the expect relapses and believe that it is space, and planning a new courthouse community. Other victims want courts critical that clients remain in treat- will intensify these conflicts. Moreover, to rehabilitate offenders and make a ment when a relapse occurs.Addicts the need to accommodate other pro- concentrated effort to improve the may need to hear the same message fessionals such as community groups neighborhood conditions that lead to many times before the message finally and treatment and education pro- crime. Still others want offenders to sinks in.The community court’s ap- viders further complicates the design express remorse and take responsi- proach can work only if criminal jus- process. bility for the harm they have caused. tice and social service professionals Some victims want all of these things. are willing to adjust their outlooks Community court planners should and work together. Practical Advice: Applying What Worked in the make a special effort to understand victims’ issues in their community. Information Roadblocks Midtown Experiment In so doing, they can ensure that the Providing timely and accurate informa- Although community court planners community court provides construc- tion to judges and other criminal jus- should not minimize the aforemen- tive channels for victim involvement tice and social service professionals tioned obstacles, they can overcome and offers victims meaningful infor- may prove problematic.Although many these obstacles if all parties share a mation and services that may help criminal justice agencies are auto- commitment to the process and an them recover from the trauma of mated, their computers are rarely understanding of the community victimization. designed for courtroom use. Infor- court’s goals and principles.The mation managers typically organize Midtown experience suggests a num- Identifying Key Political and and track transactions after they ber of practical strategies that can Financial Stakeholders occur rather than use information to assist in the development of any A community court project won’t suc- improve the quality of decisionmaking community court project. ceed without enthusiastic support at as it takes place. In addition, court- the highest level of both the executive room decisions often hinge on infor- Early Planning for Community and judicial branches of state and local mation maintained by different Involvement government.The court’s planners can agencies—police, the probation expect to invest significant time and department, social service providers, Before initiating plans for the court, energy explaining the idea and its mer- the court—whose computer hard- organizers met with scores of block its to the governor’s office and leaders ware and software may not be associations, business groups, local of the state court system, to the compatible. political leaders, and police officers. These early meetings made it possible mayor’s office, to the local district Finally, judges, prosecutors, defense for court planners to identify stake- attorney and the head of the public attorneys, court clerks, and social holders, define existing quality-of-life defenders’ office, and to judges and service staff each need different sets problems in the neighborhood, and the local bar association. of information, yet all must be able to articulate specific goals. Fundraising efforts should take advan- get the information they need from tage of the court’s capacity to make a the same system.To make matters Through this early outreach to the visible difference in community life, more difficult, criminal justice staff community, court organizers built a appealing to local businesses and non- rotate frequently, requiring any corps of supporters and recruited a profit groups that will benefit directly system to constantly interact with community advisory board to identify

5 from the court’s activities to improve Short-Term Interventions Second, the court set up a street out- the quality of life in the community. reach unit, staffed by police officers A community court’s social service Foundations also may welcome the and caseworkers from the court, to program must involve more than long- opportunity to help a promising pro- enroll potential clients in court-based term drug treatment. Many criminal gram that demonstrates the value of social service programs before they court defendants are low-level offend- innovation. get into trouble with the law. Four ers who face little or no jail time, and mornings a week, outreach teams In addition, community courts are the court must establish punishments scour the neighborhood, encouraging capable of attracting a new audience proportional to the defendant’s record likely clients—prostitutes, substance of potential contributors: those inter- and crime. abusers, and homeless people—to ested in economic development. To meet the needs of these offenders, come in for help voluntarily. Businesses, government agencies, and the Midtown Community Court creat- foundations with a stake in a neighbor- Finally, the court launched Times ed several short-term interventions hood’s economic viability can be cru- Square Ink., an on-the-job training that take place in the courthouse cial constituencies for community program for ex-offenders who have itself.These interventions include (1) court planners.After all, meaningful graduated from community service. a 4-day treatment readiness group and lasting economic development Participants in the program learn job that introduces defendants without rarely takes place in areas where skills by staffing a copy center that serious records to drug treatment and residents, merchants, and employees services local businesses and nonprofit prepares them for long-term help, fear for their safety. By addressing organizations. (2) counseling sessions for prostitutes neighborhood blight, improving public that include health screenings and safety, and providing social services, a Research and Publicity meetings with outreach counselors to community court can make valuable support women who want to escape contributions to a community’s eco- Police and community groups lose their pimps and life on the streets, and nomic development. heart in fighting low-level crime when (3) job readiness sessions that match they lack a reliable way to measure chronically unemployed defendants progress.To measure its impact on the Minimizing Risk to the with employment counselors. community, a community court should Community deploy researchers, compile results, While these short-term interventions Communities will not be comfortable and publicize success. are modest, hundreds of defendants with community service, and judges have used them as stepping stones to Besides the traditional work of case- and prosecutors will not utilize it as a new lives, and many offenders volun- load and sentencing outcome analysis, sanction, without some attention to tarily return for counseling after com- research staff at the Midtown Com- risk assessment. Common sense dic- pleting their sentences. munity Court study problems raised tates that courts not consider violent by neighbors.The court’s researchers felony offenders for community serv- Beyond the Courtroom monitor patterns of prostitution and ice.At the Midtown Community drug dealing as well as street sanita- Court, only misdemeanor offenders Many quality-of-life problems in a tion.To help community groups and are sentenced to community service. community are not violations of the police target resources, the research- Work projects are classified as high, law and do not come to the attention ers have developed neighborhood- medium, or low supervision, and each of the police or the courts.The specific computer software to map offender is matched to the appropri- Midtown Community Court has arrests, complaints, and other quality- ate level based on his or her criminal sought to address these problems in of-life indicators. history, background, and crime of three ways. arrest. Offenders with more extensive When the research confirms success, First, the court established a media- criminal histories and those consid- a community court should be ready to tion service to resolve neighborhood ered less likely to complete their sen- make this success known locally and disputes (for example, the opening of tences are assigned to projects in the to other communities that have estab- an adult movie house or the operation courthouse such as serving on a build- lished community courts.A court can of a noisy repair shop) before they ing maintenance crew or staffing a create its own newsletter and Internet escalate to legal battles. In addition to bulk mailing operation. Offenders con- Web site and should promote media helping the community deal with such sidered lesser risks are assigned to coverage to ensure feedback on suc- problems, the service conveys the more visible outdoor projects such cesses to the community. court’s commitment to the communi- as cleaning graffiti and painting fire ty and its quality of life. hydrants.

6 Responding to the Community

Staffing of treatment issues and risks of suc- Bureau of Justice Assistance cess and failure. Over time, lawyers Clearinghouse Community courts require larger, and judges have come to trust the P.O. Box 6000 more diverse staffs than do tradition- recommendations of resource Rockville, MD 20849–6000 al courts. In addition to clerks and coordinators. 1–800–688–4252 security officers, community courts World Wide Web: www.ncjrs.org may need social workers, victim advo- E-mail: [email protected] cates, job developers, community serv- Conclusion ice managers, and research and public As stated earlier, to be effective a Clearinghouse staff are available information officers. For example, out- community court must address the Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to reach to introduce the court to local needs of the court system’s most 7 p.m. eastern time. Ask to be placed merchants, community groups, and important constituency: the people on the BJA mailing list. elected officials and to manage the who live and work in neighborhoods U.S. Department of Justice court’s relationships with community affected by crime.To address these Response Center service partners may require a full- needs, a community court must ask 1–800–421–6770 or 202–307–1480 time ombudsman.A court using a a new set of questions.What can a computerized data-sharing system may court do to solve neighborhood prob- Response Center staff are available need a technician to install the system lems? What can courts bring to the Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to and to adapt it to the court’s unique table beyond their coercive power 5 p.m. eastern time. needs.A court offering a mediation and symbolic presence? And what service will need trained professionals roles can community residents, busi- Additional Resources to run the program and a skilled staff nesses, and service providers play in on the Midtown to quickly compile current information improving justice? Community Court about each defendant’s legal and social There are many answers to these service status. The following publications and video- questions. Community courts should tapes can be ordered from the Center These new staff members need not be not proceed from a single generic for Court Innovation by calling court employees.At Midtown, plan- model; instead, they must reflect the 212–397–3050 or online at ners convinced nonprofit and govern- neighborhoods in which they are www.courtinnovation.org. The center is ment social service providers to assign housed. For that reason, this bulletin a public/private partnership that works personnel to the courthouse.The has focused on principles and sugges- to foster court innovation. It has de- reasoning was simple: service pro- tions rather than on a universal veloped national models, such as the viders should bring resources to the definition or formula. A court that award-winning Midtown Community problem, not vice versa. Every day puts these principles into operation Court, for adjudicating quality-of-life, the court has physical custody of will make a powerful investment in the domestic violence, and drug crimes. individuals in dire need of services future of neighborhoods and the cred- who can be served by drug treat- ibility of the criminal justice system. Midtown Community Court Newsletter. ment providers, general equivalency Keep up with the latest happenings. diploma programs, and health-care For Further Information The Midtown Community Court Video.A providers. Center for Court Innovation 12-minute documentary on the court The Midtown Community Court also Valerie Raine narrated by Charles Kuralt. depends on a new party to the legal 520 Eight Avenue Community Courts Catalog. An introduc- process: resource coordinators. Sitting New York,NY 10018 tion to building a community court in the well of the courtroom, the Phone: 212–397–3050 and a guide to the resources available coordinators play an important role in World Wide Web: for each step in the process. the case processing system by ensur- www.courtinnovation.org ing that criminal justice and social Neighborhood Justice: Lessons Learned service professionals work together in Bureau of Justice Assistance from the Midtown Community Court.An the best interests of both the commu- Timothy J. Murray analysis of the lessons learned from nity and the defendant. In each case, Director, Program Development the court and the issues that are the resource coordinator tracks the Division raised when justice is administered on range of available sentencing options 810 Seventh Street NW. a neighborhood level. and helps the judge and attorneys Washington, DC 20531 Dispensing Justice Locally: Effects of the match the defendant with the right Phone: 202–307–5974 Midtown Community Court. An evalua- program.At the same time, they are World Wide Web: tion of the Midtown Community part of the court’s clinical team, aware www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA

7 Court prepared by the National How It Works. A detailed description of street outreach program, launched in Center for State Courts. how cases move through the Midtown concert with the New York Police Community Court. Department. The Midtown Community Court Experiment:A Progress Report. A review Resource Manual. An array of sample Community Justice Bibliography. A list of of the Midtown’s first 3 years. documents—newsletters, floor plans, the best articles and books on com- concept papers—from the Midtown munity justice. Design Pak: Principles for Community Community Court. Court Design. A fresh set of ideas about Engaging the Community. Tips for com- courthouse design. There Are No Victimless Crimes. A munity justice planners about how to description of Community Impact build stronger connections between Experiments in Technology:A Handbook Panels, a unique response to quality- neighborhoods and the criminal for Court Innovators. A look at the of-life offenses piloted by the Midtown justice system. award-winning computer technology Community Court. at the Midtown Community Court. Street Outreach Services. A description of Midtown Community Court’s This document was prepared by the Center for Court Innovation Community Justice on the Web under grant number 96–DD–BX– www.communityjustice.org 0090, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Jus- tice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, find- ings, and conclusions or recom- mendations expressed in this document are those of the au- thors and do not necessarily rep- resent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

NCJ 185986 Updated February 2001

U.S. Department of Justice PRESORTED STANDARD Office of Justice Programs POSTAGE & FEES PAID Bureau of Justice Assistance DOJ/BJA PERMIT NO. G–91

Washington, DC 20531 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300