Thousands of adult and juvenile drug courts, domestic violence courts, mental health courts, DUI courts, and other specialized courts address behaviors not adequately handled by the traditional criminal justice system. These problem-solving courts operate with the intent of serving justice and safety through court-supervised management of individuals who break the law as a result of personal, psychological, and social problems.
At least since the late 1980s, with the development of the first drug court in Dade County, Florida, the justice system has undergone what some believe is a revolution—the movement toward problem-solving courts. Problem-Solving Courts: Justice for the Twenty-First Century? provides a concise, thorough, well-documented, and balanced foundation for anyone interested in understanding this phenomenon.
Detailing the “promise and potential perils” of problem-solving courts, the authors represented here examine the development of the problem-solving court movement, the rationale for the courts, the approaches they take, and their anticipated benefits and potential pitfalls. Using case examples and looking at various types of problem-solving courts, the book offers “foundational” information about the specific types of problem-solving courts, their goals and philosophies, their organization and operation, their variation in structure and procedures, and the extensiveness of the court. It draws conclusions about the relative merits or disadvantages of such courts and considers prospects for the future.
