Community Courts Resource Guide

NCSC > Problem Solving Courts > Community Courts > Resource Guide

Resource Guide

NCSC Contact

Typically, a community court is a problem solving court that addresses quality of life or “nuisance” cases and takes a more proactive approach to public safety. There are several different models for community courts. Some meet in traditional courthouses and others meet in storefronts, former schools, or churches. All of these courts are experimenting with different ways to provide appropriate services and sanctions.

Links to related online resources are listed below. Non-digitized publications may be borrowed from the NCSC Library; call numbers are provided.

Community Justice

Berman, Greg Principles of Community Justice: A Guide for Community Court Planners. (2010). Center for Court Innovation This guide provides basic information and principles for developing community courts.

Katz, Shani Expanding the Community Court Model . (November 2009). Center for Court Innovation The current study tests the effects of an effort to extend community court practices beyond the community-based courthouse and into a larger centralized court context.

Meadows, Kieran K. Justice Center a Success, But Budget Cuts Loom. (March 2009). The Brooklyn Rail This article discusses the Red Hook Community Justice Center and the possible impact of budget cuts to this court.

Karafin, Diana L. Community Courts Across the Globe: A Survey of Goals, Performance Measures and Operations. (January 2008). Open Society Foundation This survey reports on community courts from a global perspective, examining the differences between traditional and community courts, primary court goals and objectives, measures of success and community court indicators.

Durkin, Mary et al. Process Evaluation of the Philadelphia Community Court Draft Report. (2007). National Center for State Courts The purpose of this process evaluation was to document the history, structure, and procedures of the program and to assess the extent to which the Philadelphia Community Court adhered to the operational plan, the key elements of the community court model, and the principles of problem-solving courts.

Carter, Terry. Red Hook Experiment. (June 2004). ABA Journal: 36 This article describes the Red Hook Community Justice Center which opened in 2000 and describes the activities of this community court and of those in other areas.

Henry, Kelli and Dana Kralstein Community Court: The Research Literature. Center for Court Innovation This report includes a review of the findings of 19 community court evaluations which were completed as of the end of 2010.

D.C. Superior Court's Community Courts. District of Columbia Superior Court is expanding its Community Courts program citywide in January 2012.