In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state courts accelerated efforts to implement online dispute resolution (ODR) programs that offer litigants a software platform in which to resolve legal problems, including negotiating settlements or exchanging information in preparation for in-court hearings. ODR programs are intended to increase access to justice, especially for self-represented litigants, through increased …
Read More
The Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice, with SJI support, is hosting the Transformation of Youth Justice Symposium (September 8-9, 2021) and supplemental half-day Training Institutes (September 10, 2021). The two-day symposium is designed for multi-disciplinary professionals and youth-serving stakeholders seeking to learn, network, and become part of the nationwide movement to …
Read More
The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has released a new resource, the Courts Continuity Assessment Tool (C-CAT), to help courts determine where the gaps may lie in their current continuity programming. Available as an interactive online self-assessment survey (as of June 2021), or for download as an Excel spreadsheet, the C-CAT builds on prior NCSC work in …
Read More
The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Family-Centered Justice is a court-wide approach committed to focusing on the family unit though meaningful, strength-based and trauma-responsive engagement, intentional case coordination, and multidisciplinary support. Similar to family-centered practice in child welfare, Family-Centered Justice promotes the value of family voice and family well-being. The Family-Centered Justice program aims to transform the …
Read More
Difficult Conversations Webinar Series Recording The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), with support from SJI, hosted a series of five webinars titled Opioids and the Courts- Difficult Conversations. NCJFCJ and expert faculty explored challenges associated with referring children and families to services in dependency and delinquency cases. The faculty and webinar attendees …
Read More
Funds Available for Mental Health Courts at the Bureau of Justice Assistance The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is now accepting applications for its Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. This year, funding is available through this program to jurisdictions creating or expanding a mental health court. The grant program seeks to provide support to justice …
Read More