What is Community Court?

 Lynchburg Community Court is an initiative that seeks to apply a problem-solving approach to non-violent cases in the City of Lynchburg.  Its goal is to provide judges with increased sentencing options for non-violent offenses such as trespassing, shoplifting, and possession of marijuana.  The Lynchburg Community Court seeks to reduce the city’s reliance on expensive and ineffective short-term jail sentences and build public confidence that the system is holding offenders accountable and offering them the assistance they need to avoid further criminal conduct.  The project builds on successful community courts in Red Hook New York, Portland Oregon and Kalamazoo Michigan which have reduced local crime, improved compliance with alternative sanctions and strengthened the connections between courts and communities.

 How does it work?

The community court approach concentrates on three issues regarding both the offender and the impact the crime has on the community:Offender Accountability,Visible Community Restitution, and Offender Restoration.

 Increased Accountability:

By quickly assigning offenders to social service and community service sentences, requiring the service be completed in a short time frame, and monitoring their compliance, Lynchburg Community Court will send the message that community-based sanctions are taken seriously.  Additionally, the abbreviated court process will connect the crime more directly to sanctions than the traditional criminal court process.

 Community Service:

Offenders will be assigned to community service work in neighborhoods where they committed the offense.  Project staff will work with residents and community groups to create community service options that respond to local problems (for example, trash in a local park or walls marred by graffiti).

 Community Engagement:

Lynchburg Community court invites community groups and local residents to play a number of concrete roles in ongoing operations, including identifying hot spots and eye sores for community service projects, and participating in an advisory board for the court.

 Offender Restoration:

The Community Court Judges will have a broad set of sentencing options at their disposal including drug treatment, job training, family services, and mental health counseling to address the underlying reasons why the crime was committed.

Why?

n      To reduce local crime.

n      To address the underlying causes of crime.

n      To provide judges with increased sentencing options for non-violent offenses such as trespassing, shoplifting, and possession of marijuana.

n      To reduce the city’s reliance on expensive and ineffective short-term jail sentences and build public confidence that the system is holding offenders accountable and offering them the assistance they need to avoid further criminal conduct.

n      Improve compliance with sanctions.

n      Strengthen the connections between courts and communities.

What happens at Community Court?

n      The Community Court is an optional program; the offender may choose to participate or not. 

n      Pleading guilty is a condition of participation. 

n      If they decide not to participate, a traditional court date will be set and the officer will be sent a summons for that date.

n      The offender is evaluated by a counselor.

n      The information regarding the offender and the offense itself is brought before a small group of service providers, the public defender, the neighborhood ACA, and a community member. 

n      A two part sentence will be created and recommended to the judge.

n      That sentence will include visible community service and social service support if needed..

n      A quick return date will be set for the completion of the sentence.

n      If the offender completes everything by the return date the first offense will be dismissed.  If they do not, they will be given a traditional sentence.