Community Justice Centres: New Trajectories in Law

This book explores the potential of Community Justice Centres to transform the justice landscape by addressing the underlying causes of crime and working with local people to improve safety and community cohesion. It examines case studies from around the world and discusses the challenges and potential for bringing its learnings into the mainstream.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 88 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The criminal justice system faces numerous challenges, including recidivism, addiction, family violence, overcrowded courtrooms, soaring prison spending, and extremely high incarceration rates. In response to this crisis, Community Justice Centres have emerged as a novel approach to addressing the underlying causes of crime and transforming the justice landscape. These centres aim to address the root causes of criminal behavior in specific neighborhoods by collaborating with local communities and fostering a sense of community.

A Community Justice Centre houses a court that collaborates with an interdisciplinary team to address various factors contributing to criminality, such as drug addiction, cognitive impairment, mental illness, poverty, abuse, and intergenerational trauma. By involving the community in the justice process, these centres empower individuals to become agents of change and work together to address local issues and improve safety and community cohesion.

This book, based on extensive research into this innovative justice model, explores case studies from around the world, examines the challenges faced by Community Justice Centres, and discusses the potential for integrating their learnings into the mainstream criminal justice system. It will appeal to academics in law and criminology, as well as psychology, and will be of considerable interest to professionals working in the criminal justice field, including police officers, government policy advisers, psychologists, and social workers.

By addressing the underlying causes of crime and promoting community involvement, Community Justice Centres offer a promising solution to the ongoing challenges of the criminal justice system. Their innovative approach has the potential to enhance justice outcomes, reduce recidivism, and promote a more inclusive and equitable society.

Weight: 144g
Dimension: 215 x 139 x 9 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032137209