In the more than 30 years since the drug court model transformed the criminal justice landscape, problem-solving courts have expanded their reach beyond criminogenic needs. They now address demographic similarities (e.g., veterans courts, tribal wellness courts, community courts) and offense characteristics (e.g., prostitution courts, sex offender courts). The rapid expansion of problem-solving courts to meet many different individuals suggests this template is appropriate and adaptable to just about any categorical characteristic. This book calls on problem-solving court experts to offer a fresh perspective on the evolving discourse on these courts' proliferation. Contributors describe diverse applications of the problem-solving court model while critically appraising these niche courts' evidence. This book provides a comprehensive account to date of how problem-solving courts are continuing to revolutionize justice. This collective body of work strengthens our understanding of their placement in the throes of a call for meaningful criminal justice reform.Taking Problem-Solving Courts to Scale is presented in three sections to address specialty courts focused on criminogenic needs, individual characteristics, and offense characteristics. At the outset of each section, the editors describe the courts' purpose falling under these broad categories and highlight key elements from the chapters falling within.
Eileen M. Ahlin is associate professor of criminal justice at Penn State Harrisburg. Anne S. Douds is retired trial attorney and an assistant professor of public policy at Gettysburg.
Section I. Courts Based on Criminogenic Characteristics Chapter 1. Drug Courts: The Beginning of the Movement by Cassandra Atkin-Plunk Chapter 2. Mental Health Courts: Policy and Practice by Irina Fanarraga and Deborah Koetzle Chapter 3. DWI Courts by Carrie Petrucci Chapter 4. Reentry Courts by Lama Hassoun Ayoub and Michael Rempel Chapter 5. Creating a Home Base for Treatment in Homelessness Courts by Kyle C. Troeger and Anne S. Douds Section II. Courts Based on Individual Characteristics Chapter 6. Juvenile Dependency Courts: Goals and Challenges of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 by Mitra Z. Honardoost and Eileen M. Ahlin Chapter 7. Community Courts: Restoring the Community One Case at a Time by Tyrell Connor Chapter 8. A Trifecta of Challenges for Veterans Treatment Courts by Jared A. Michaels and Anne S. Douds Chapter 9. Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts by Elyshia Aseltine and Joan Lobo Antunes Section III. Courts Based on Offense Characteristics Chapter 10. Seeking Safety and Accountability through Domestic Violence Courts by Amanda B. Cissner and Rebecca Thomforde Hauser Chapter 11. Restoring Humanity through Human Trafficking Courts? by Anne S. Douds, Ella R. Warburton, and Kealy A. Cassidy Chapter 12. Sex Offense Courts: A Historical and International Overview by Ashley Kilmer and Amanda Emmert Chapter 13. Opioid Intervention Courts by Lisa Shannon, Monica Himes, Shondrah Nash, and Jennifer Newell
Taking Problem Solving Courts to Scale is a superbly assembled deep dive into a variety of problem-solving court models three decades after the origin of these innovative, yet at times challenging, correctional models. Editors (and authors) Ahlin and Douds bring together some of the most prolific scholars in this area to consider what problems these courts "solve," how, and in what ways they both help and possibly hinder legal and social processes. Of particular note is the chapter on Tribal Courts that beautifully considers the role of cultural traditions within these justice systems. This volume is a must read for students or scholars interested in understanding the complex landscape of these courts, the organizational actors within them, and the clients and communities they serve. -- Danielle S. Rudes, Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence, George Mason University
