SJI Board Awards FY 2024 First Quarter Grants

SJI received 10 grant applications requesting a total of $1,231,514 for the 1st quarter of FY 2024. The Board met on December 4, 2023, at SJI Headquarters to make decisions on those applications.

During its meeting, the Board awarded one (1) Strategic Initiatives Grant to the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), in partnership with the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators to conduct five regional online and in-person summits, where court leaders will gain a deeper understanding of cybersecurity and technical disaster recovery resources and tools, enabling them to prevent, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity events. 

One (1) Project Grant application was awarded to the National Association for Court Management (NACM) to: 1) develop and deliver nationally significant educational programs, related materials, and curriculum with a continued focus on SJI Priority Investment Areas and the NACM Core©; and 2) continue distant learning opportunities to broaden the scope and delivery of educational content to court managers, judges, administrators, and other judicial branch employees. 

Five (5) Technical Assistance Grant applications were awarded: 1) the Kansas Supreme Court to conduct an organizational assessment of the staffing structure of the Office of Judicial Administration and district court administrators statewide; 2) the NCSC to develop a free, online self-study resource that will educate court staff about the role of courts in American society, and how court staff help fulfill the mission of courts; 3) the Superior Court of Mohave County, Arizona, to conduct a workload assessment of judicial officers; 4) the Alaska Court System to identify the most effective governance model that will result in a cohesive, responsive, efficient, and data-informed administrative system for trial court operations; and 5) the Wyoming Judicial Branch to implement a mental health diversion project with the immediate goal of launching a pilot in Campbell County, and a long-term goal statewide implementation.

Two (2) Curriculum Adaptation and Training Grants were awarded: 1) support to the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) to develop an advanced domestic violence educational session and toolkit for judges and other court personnel attending the NAWJ meetings; and 2) the Wisconsin Office of Judicial Education to provide a faculty development training program for judicial officers and other court personnel identified as potential future in-house faculty for educational programming in the state.

GIS Technology to Assist in Identifying “Legal Deserts”

The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has recently started utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping technology to assist state courts in identifying “legal deserts”- areas where people may face challenges accessing legal resources and services.

GIS technology can help courts gain deeper insights into the needs of people living in legal deserts by generating legal desert maps that consider access-to-justice risk factors such as the number of attorneys compared to the population, distance to a courthouse, poverty rates, limited English proficiency, and the absence of internet or broadband connectivity.

“We can integrate external data that we usually would not focus on, such as demographics, population characteristics, transportation routes, bus schedules, or public service provider locations,” said Miriam Hamilton, an NCSC senior court research analyst. “This allows us to identify problems that were not clear before, set priorities based on locations with the greatest need, or even forecast trends.”

NCSC Court Consulting Services Managing Director, Danielle Hirsch, expanded on Hamilton’s comments by saying, “Sometimes internal court data is not enough to help identify the full problem, and GIS data can help us to see other solutions.”

Hirsch recently shared some of these findings during a session at the CCJ/COSCA Midwest Summit. To date, NCSC has created legal desert maps for several states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Additional states may be added in the future.

GIS analysis has revealed that legal deserts are not always found in rural areas. Urban areas can also experience risk factors and limited resources. Furthermore, GIS mapping can also address other court issues, such as finding solutions for high failure-to-appear rates.

One state that has embraced GIS mapping is Michigan, where courts are using data to guide activities for their Justice For All Commission, Michigan Legal Help program, and MI-Resolve, a free online dispute resolution system.

Learn more by exploring the Mapping Barriers to Accessing Legal Services data.

Upcoming Webinar! What’s New with Virtual Child Welfare Hearings

Upcoming Webinar! The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) will be hosting: What’s New with Virtual Child Welfare Hearings on December 19th, 2023, at 3:00PM EST.

Virtual hearings were a necessity to move child welfare cases forward during the pandemic; however, some jurisdictions are continuing to find benefits to using them as a tool. In this webinar, hear from court experts about new resources to help you facilitate meaningful and effective child welfare virtual hearings.

For more information and to register now, click here: Webinar Registration – Zoom

2024 NACM Midyear Conference

Save the date! #EducationalSessions You Won’t Want to Miss!

Register now for the 2024 NACM – National Association for Court Management Midyear Conference, from February 4th-February 6th, 2024, in Orange County, CA. The conference will offer the most current information, tools, best practices, and training for #courtprofessionals. This upcoming live event features engaging presentations across three (3) educational tracks with insightful opportunities to network with fellow attendees, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors.

Register here: 2024 Midyear Conference – National Association for Court Management (nacmnet.org)

Rural Justice Collaborative Announces New Rural Justice Innovation Sites

Nation’s top rural policy reformers select six programs to serve as examples for rural communities

December 5, 2023 (Williamsburg, VA)- The Rural Justice Collaborative (RJC) Advisory Council, composed of rural judges along with additional stakeholders in the justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and
public health systems, selected six of the country’s most innovative rural justice programs to serve as models for other communities. The RJC initiative provides resources to enable rural communities to replicate these Innovation Sites’ successes.

From implementing restorative justice panels in rural Alaska to providing access to recovery support services in Massachusetts, the new class of Innovation Sites work on solving problems in underserved communities across America. “This is the third, and final, year we’re adding to the Rural Justice Innovation Site roster, and I’m continually impressed at the innovations we’re finding during this highly competitive selection process,” said Tara Kunkel, Executive Director of Rulo Strategies and co-director of
the RJC in partnership with the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). “We know that many rural communities lack access to resources to develop their own program concepts from scratch. So, when they find examples of other communities that have developed innovative solutions to complex problems, they can emulate those frameworks.” The Rural Justice Innovation Site Program is the first nationally concerted effort for justice leaders and their collaborators in other sectors to share what they know.

Research shows rural Americans are more likely than urban residents to be jailed, overdose, and lack access to substance use and mental health care and public health services. Communities sometimes try to implement solutions that have worked in urban centers but those are often unsuccessful. “Programs that are built in rural communities and informed by rural practitioners are providing solutions that take into account unique geographic characteristics and the availability of resources,” said Jonathan Mattiello, Executive Director of the State Justice Institute (SJI).

Innovation Sites work with the RJC to create educational materials for an online resource center. The sites also host visits and participate in regional conferences. “Thanks to funding from SJI, we’re compiling a deep pool of knowledge and actionable content that individual communities may not have the resources to put together on their own,” said Michelle Cern of the National Center for State Courts who serves as the co-director for the RJC. “These coaching and mentoring resources will allow rural community leaders to quickly get up to speed on promising and best practices and avoid missteps so they can launch their own successful initiatives.”

New Rural Justice Innovation Sites
(For full descriptions of each program, visit https://www.ruraljusticecollaborative.org/innovation-sites.)

Alaska’s Tribe/State Rural Court Restorative Justice Program | 4th Judicial District

Restorative justice processes in rural Alaska include, but are not limited to, circle sentencing, family group conferencing, reparative boards such as Elders panels, and victim/offender mediation.

End Domestic Violence Task Force | City of Kingsville and Kleberg County Texas

With the nearest domestic violence shelter located more than an hour away, this task force developed a three-component solution to support individuals in domestic violence situations as they seek help.

Jersey County Drug Court Program | Jersey County, Illinois

The Jersey County Drug Court program is responsive to social determinants of health by providing housing and employment services to participants in partnership with local community-based organizations.

Operation Better Together | Adams County Ohio

Operation Better Together is a collaborative that addresses issues related to child welfare, substance use disorders, and access to treatment for individuals and families involved in the criminal justice system. Programs include jail-based treatment, access to virtual treatment, a ‘Justice Bus’ that provides free legal aid and services, and prevention events to reduce the number of children in foster care.

Project NORTH (Navigation, Outreach, Recovery, Treatment, and Hope) | Berkshire County, Massachusetts

Project NORTH is a free, confidential, and voluntary court-based program providing access to recovery support navigation, transportation, and certified sober housing for court-involved individuals and families impacted by substance use. It is operational in 14 courts across Massachusetts.

Substance Use Disorder and Reentry Initiative at Legal Aid of West Virginia | Statewide

Legal Aid of West Virginia (LAWV) helps individuals affected by substance use achieve long-term recovery by reducing or removing legal barriers to safe housing, transportation, and employment. They do this through several programs including a Recovery Medical-Legal Partnership Program and a Jobs & Hope Project.

About the Rural Justice Collaborative

The RJC showcases the strengths of rural communities and highlights the cross-sector collaboration that is a hallmark of rural justice systems. The work under the RJC is supported by a cross-sector advisory council composed of rural judges along with additional stakeholders in the justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and public health systems. The advisory council will guide the multi-year initiative and identify innovative programs and practices.

The RJC priority focus areas are:

○ Increasing access to behavioral health treatment

○ Reducing victimization

○ Facilitating employment/educational opportunities for justice involved individuals

○ Eliminating barriers of access to justice

○ Reducing incarceration

○Facilitating reentry

○Reducing the number of children in foster care due to substance use disorders

About the National Center for State Courts

The National Center for State Courts, headquartered in Williamsburg, Va., is a nonprofit court organization dedicated to improving the administration of justice by providing leadership and service to the state courts. Founded in 1971 by the Conference of Chief Justices and Chief Justice of the United
States Warren E. Burger, NCSC provides education, training, technology, management, and research services to the nation’s state courts. Learn more at ncsc.org.

About Rulo Strategies

Rulo Strategies is a woman-owned business focused on supporting and evaluating initiatives designed to foster collaboration between diverse stakeholders with distinct but complementary missions. Founder Tara Kunkel served as a Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) where she advised on the policy direction of all opioid-related and overdose prevention initiatives. Learn more at rulostrategies.com.

About the State Justice Institute

The State Justice Institute (SJI) was established by federal law in 1984 to award grants to improve the quality of justice in state courts, and foster innovative, efficient solutions to common issues faced by all courts. SJI is a non-profit corporation governed by an 11-member Board of Directors appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Learn more at sji.gov.

Upcoming Webinar! Mental Health Diversion: Lessons from the Field

Upcoming Webinar! Mental Health Diversion: Lessons from the Field on December 11th, 2023, at 4:00PM EST.

In 2022, the National Judicial Task Force to Examine Courts’ Responses to Mental Illness recommended that the Judge’s Guide to Mental Health Diversion, a vital tool for judges across the country for over a decade, should be updated.

The new guide, with revisions by the National Center for State Courts, along with stakeholders and national experts, contains updated information and relies on a better understanding of how to effectively divert people with mental health and co-occurring disorders towards treatment at every stage of legal system involvement.

Attendees of this webinar will learn about the soon-to-be-released Judge’s Guide to Mental Health Diversion, how courts in Kentucky and Missouri used the guide to develop new diversion opportunities, and NCSC’s ongoing efforts to improve outcomes for people with mental health and co-occurring disorders.

Register here: Webinar Registration – Zoom

Upcoming Webinar! Nonlawyer Navigators in State Courts: Voices from the Field

Upcoming Webinar! Nonlawyer Navigators in State Courts: Voices from the Field on December 8th, 2023, at 2:00PM EST.

In this NCSC webinar, you will hear from Mary McClymont to discuss emerging trends in across the country from her report, Nonlawyer Navigators in State Courts: Part II — An Update. You will also hear from a panel of experts who run navigator programs about how to leverage nonlawyers to provide essential services to court users and best practices in launching and evolving court-based navigator programs. For more information and a copy of the original 2019 navigator report, visit the Georgetown Justice Lab’s Court Navigators Research Website, and don’t miss NCSC’s Tiny Chat with tips on how to start a navigator program!

Register here.

Seeking Juvenile Courts for Demonstration Sites Project

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), with funding from the State Justice Institute (SJI), is pleased to announce that they are seeking juvenile courts that are interested in participating in the Enhanced Juvenile Justice Guidelines Demonstration Sites Project. Applications are due by December 31, 2023.

What Does it Mean to be a Demonstration Site?

The jurisdictions that participate in the Enhanced Juvenile Justice Guidelines Demonstration Sites Project will engage in an eighteen-month process to identify and address issues in adjudicating and delivering services in juvenile delinquency cases. The Enhanced Juvenile Justice Guidelines identify many different areas that courts can consider for improvement including improving timelines for case processing; using risk/need assessment information; reducing the use of fines and fees; implementing alternatives to detention; collaborating with the education system to reduce school pathways to the justice system; identifying and addressing gaps in services, and many more. Jurisdictions who participate in the project will have access to regular assessment of court practice, technical assistance, strategic planning support, expert national training and trainers, and a peer support network. Please note that while there is no site-specific funding available, you will receive all of the support and tools you need to change your court practice.

The project is open to all courts that work with delinquent offenses. Your program should be judicially lead and be prepared to bring together a group of system stakeholders who are committed to changing court practice. A commitment from your lead judge and the approval of your presiding judge is required. Tribal courts are encouraged to apply.

Application direct link will be available soon. In the meantime, any questions regarding the application process please contact Jessica Pearce, Senior Site Manager, NCJFCJ at jpearce@ncjfcj.org or (775) 507-4799.

Upcoming Webinar! Ensuring Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) – Court Considerations

Upcoming Webinar! Ensuring Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) – Court Considerations. When? December 4th, 2023, at 12:00PM EST.

Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), formerly known as Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), which may be in combination with counseling and psychosocial services, is the evidence-based standard of care for treating opioid use disorder (OUD). However, access to and retention in MOUD remains limited in many jurisdictions.

This webinar will educate courts and their collaborative partners on:

-The Neurobiology of #OUD and how #MOUD works and their FDA-approved uses;

-MOUD myths and misconceptions;

-Basics of MOUD in court settings and judges’ roles and responsibilities to persons with OUD;

-Legal protections for persons taking legally-prescribed MOUD.

Register now: https://ncsc-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3iQ_-eCmS-mcehS_9-cXqg?utm_campaign=422207_Webinar%3A%20Ensuring%20Access%20to%20Medications%20for%20Opioid%20Use%20Disorder%20%28MOUD%29%20-%20Court%20Considerations&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotdigital&dm_i=7L57,91RZ,4VVT7N,1APF4,1#/registration