Author: Lauren Curtis

New Videos Explain the Basics of Conservatorships

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has just released a new set of resources to help courts monitor conservatorship cases. A three-part video series for court staff is now available online and provides guidance on case management, detecting red flags and ways to respond to suspected fraud or abuse.

The videos – Monitoring Conservatorship and Guardianship Cases, Red Flags in Financial Reports and Responses to Potential Fraud or Abuse – provide specific instruction on how court staff can ensure a conservator or guardian appropriately fulfills their duties through communication and effective case management. Court staff can also learn how to identify and report suspected fraud.

To ensure conservatorship cases are effectively managed, NCSC recommends that courts:  

  • Make expectations clear by providing instructions and communicating deadlines to conservators.
  • Adopt case management practices that can easily track pending and closed cases, along with important deadlines and missing reports.
  • Proactively develop an action plan to address issues.

NCSC also released a series of videos for conservators and prospective conservators that defines the role and responsibilities of a conservator. The videos outline specific questions a conservator should ask the court when appointed and provide guidance on what to consider when making decisions on behalf of another person and the information needed to successfully complete reports.

Mississippi Center for Justice – Justice Court Access Program

Each county in Mississippi contains its own Justice Court where community members bring legal actions to settle local, small-dollar disputes. Court regulations and policies vary in each county, and they can be incredibly confusing for Mississippians to navigate, almost all of which are pro se litigants. The COVID-19 pandemic created more variation as judges and court staff introduced and adapted procedures and policies over the last two years. The Mississippi Center for Justice, through funding provided by SJI, created the Justice Court Access Program (“JCAP”) to build internet resources for community members to access crucial information ahead of their hearing. JCAP first identified the needs of the Justice Courts across the state by conducting a survey and reaching out community members to identify what tools and resources could best serve the people of the court. JCAP then created resources to fit with the results.

The JCAP website, www.msjusticecourthelp.com, offers visitors a convenient way to access guides on justice court procedures and policies, forms and filings, information on local law libraries, and other helpful references and links. The project also involved the creation of six self-help videos on issues ranging from preparing for court, post-hearing procedures, and how to dress for your court date. In addition, JCAP also created a virtual court navigator, “Lex,” who is hosted on the website and helps users navigate www.msjusticecourthelp.com in real time.

Federal Grant Programs Guide: Funding Opportunities

Need information on current federal funding opportunities? Rulo Strategies, with support from SJI, is releasing weekly updates on open solicitations for federal funding opportunities of potential interest to state courts and their justice system partners, organized by topic.  This resource highlights key information to help jurisdictions make decisions about whether to pursue these funding opportunities. Please note that the solicitation or notice of funding that is linked serves as the official guidance on how to apply for the funding, required and allowable expenses, and deadlines. If a funding opportunity looks relevant to the work you are planning for, please read through each solicitation/notice of funding closely to respond to all requirements. The current Federal Grant Programs guide can be accessed here.

Courting Judicial Excellence in Juvenile Justice: A 50-State Study

Newly released report, Courting Judicial Excellence in Juvenile Justice: A 50-State Study, is a first of its kind analysis from the CSG Justice Center and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), supported by the State Justice Institute, that examines how courts in all 50 states that handle juvenile delinquency cases (“juvenile courts”) are structured and operate. The purpose of this report is to draw attention to the critical role that juvenile court judges play and the need to treat the juvenile court as a specialty of practice. The report is structured around five key recommendations, including the rationale, concrete policies and practices for states to adopt, and related state best practices and innovations for jurisdictions to consider. States can use the report to identify gaps in their juvenile court policies and practices, identify best practices and innovations from other states, and advance a set of policy and practice recommendations for court improvement.  

In addition to the report, key findings displayed across all 50 states can be found at the Juvenile Justice GPS (Geography, Policy Practice & Statistics). The information provides background on and visualizations of findings related to judicial selection; judicial specialization; how cases are assigned; and judicial experience, training, and tools provided to juvenile court judges.

New COSSAP Site-based Funding Opportunity!

The OJP Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), in collaboration with the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) team, is seeking applications to respond to illicit substance use and misuse to reduce overdose deaths, promote public safety, and support access to treatment and recovery services in the criminal justice system. Awards will be made in two categories for the following amounts:

Category 1: Local Applications

Subcategory 1a—An urban area or large county with a population greater than 500,000: up to $1,600,000

Subcategory 1b—A suburban area or medium-size county with a population between 100,000 and 500,000: up to $1,300,000

Subcategory 1c—A rural area or small county or tribal area with a population of fewer than 100,000 or a federally recognized Indian tribe: up to $1,000,000

Category 2: State Applications

Applications from states on behalf of county, local, municipal, or tribal communities: up to $6,000,000

Period of performance start date: October 1, 2022

Period of performance duration: 36 months

Grants.gov Deadline: June 13, 2022, 8:59 p.m., ET

Application JustGrants Deadline: June 17, 2022, 8:59 p.m., ET

In FY 2022, applications must be submitted in a two-step process:

Step 1: Applicants will submit an SF-424 and an SF-LLL in Grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

Step 2: Applicants will submit the full application, including attachments, in JustGrants at JustGrants.usdoj.gov. To be considered timely, the full application must be submitted to JustGrants by the JustGrants application deadline.

Visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/o-bja-2022-171280 for solicitation information, eligibility details, and application guidelines.

Texas Dispute Resolution System / Office of Dispute Resolution for Lubbock County – Mediation and Mental Health

Participating in the judicial system can be traumatic and stressful. Mediation is a tool used for resolving many judicial matters, thus mediators often encounter disputants experiencing the worst time of their lives. With this in mind, Texas Dispute Resolution System™ (TDRS) began a process to enhance their mediators’ skills and knowledge when engaging disputants during their traumatic journey. Unfortunately, this nationwide search identified very few resources. As such, TDRS endeavored to fill this void.

With extensive collaboration with the National Center of State Courts and the generous funding from the State Justice Institute, TDRS provided a national 6-hour webinar in July 2021 with dynamic speakers from across the United States. The knowledge gleaned from these speakers was instrumental in developing the “Mental Health and Mediation Best Practices Handbook”, a first of its kind. This Handbook is now available to all mediators with the intent to continue assisting mediators in improving and building their toolboxes. The handbook is available online via the National Center for State Courts website at Mediation and Mental Health Best Practices Handbook – Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) – National Center for State Courts (oclc.org). TDRS welcomes feedback and ideas on how to expand this educational resource. Emails may be sent to odr@lubbockcounty.gov.

Fair Housing Overview for State Courts Webinar

Register now! Fair Housing Overview for State Courts Webinar: Monday, May 9th at 3PM EST.

For over fifty years, the Fair Housing Act has protected individuals and families in the United States from housing discrimination. State court judges and subject matter experts at the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will discuss fair housing protections, enforcement mechanisms, and implications for state courts.

Register here: Webinar Registration – Zoom

For more information: Webinar: Fair Housing Overview for State Courts | NCSC

Utah Is Using Data to Drive Debt Litigation Reform

A new analysis by the Utah Bar Foundation (UBF), conducted with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts, uses state-collected court data on tens of thousands of credit card, medical, rent, and other debt-related cases to assess civil court processes and recommend improvements. Utah is one of the few states working to gather data on and address issues related to debt collection cases in its courts.

To read the full article: Utah Is Using Data to Drive Debt Litigation Reform | The Pew Charitable Trusts (pewtrusts.org)

Second Round of Sites Selected of Convening County, Court and Justice Leaders Applicants

The National Association of Counties (NACo) and its partners at Rulo Strategies and Praxis Consulting, has just announced the second round of participants for the Convening County, Court & Justice Leaders: A Framework for Cross-System Collaboration initiative. The initiative was launched in January 2022, with support from the State Justice Institute. It is designed to support county, court and justice leaders as they partner to establish local priorities and align resources to achieve their justice and public safety goals. Sites will receive ongoing one-on-one technical assistance, have access to a peer network and be offered the opportunity to showcase their results in a nationally disseminated toolkit.

The second round of participating sites are:

  • Berrien County, Michigan
  • Cambria County, Pennsylvania
  • Gallatin County, Montana
  • Mesa County, Colorado
  • Rockdale County, Georgia

To read the full NACo article: NACo Selects Second Round of Convening County, Court and Justice Leaders Applicants