Last month I wrote about homelessness and the quality of life violations that involve some behaviors associated with that way of life. Police are routinely called to deal with homeless issues. I was at a community meeting recently and spoke about alternatives to the criminal justice system – specifically I mentioned the Community Justice Center (CJC) and was surprised that about half of the attendees had never heard of the CJC. I write the following to introduce and describe the CJC to those that may not have heard of the work done there. The following information is gleaned from literature provided to me by the Community Justice Center.

As part of the Superior Court of California, the CJC is a collaborative court that responds to the needs of participants and the central-city community with a philosophy that CARES (Community, Accountability, Responsiveness, Efficiency, and Support). It is currently located at 575 Polk Street and generally serves a specific geographic area, mostly the Tenderloin and South of Market areas. The court was created to encourage those in need to follow through with recommended or mandated services.

Participants in the CJC have become involved in the criminal justice system and been cited or arrested for myriad violations from quality of life infractions all the way through some nonviolent felony crimes. If the officer encountering the violator determines he or she may benefit from services offered by the CJC, the violator is given a court date to appear, usually within a week, at 575 Polk.

The CJC emphasizes defendant accountability through judicial monitoring. Immediate interventions address the primary issues facing defendants, including substance abuse, housing, employment, mental health, and physical health. The CJC is a collaboration of the San Francisco Superior Court, Department of Public Health, Office of the District Attorney, San Francisco Police Department, Bar Association, Adult Probation Department, Human Services Agency, and numerous partners that seek to improve the public safety and the lives of CJC clients and community residents. Since March 2009, the CJC has heard, on average, 72 cases per day, and over 1,000 San Franciscans have accessed clinical services at the CJC.

The CJC service center is located with the CJC courtroom – clients can access case management, housing services, on-site support groups, and links to related services open to all San Francisco residents. While many defendants are mandated to participate in treatment, the court encourages community members to make use of the resources when they are in need, whether or not they are involved in the criminal justice system.

The CJC also recognizes that neighborhoods, as well as individuals, can be victims of crime. The program provides opportunities for offenders to give back to the community by performing service hours in the community where they were cited. Offenders that would benefit from services offered by the CJC have been sent there regardless of where they were when the violation occurred.

When fully supported, the CJC is a very viable alternative to the traditional criminal justice system. The CJC has an open door policy and invites all community members to provide feedback. Visit their website at www.sfsuperiorcourt.org/collaborativecourts.

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