Category: News

As states begin to issue partial restart orders, more than 3,200 people from state, federal, and international courts recently attended the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ)/Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) Pandemic Rapid Recovery Team’s webinar on planning for resuming normal court operations – the first of several to help courts as the coronavirus pandemic curve flattens and courts expand their services.  At this point, there are more questions than answers, but it’s clear to court leaders that the pandemic will lead to changes—some known and some unknown.

The webinar focused on nine factors that courts should consider to help them decide when and how to expand services, and webinar attendees received this document, which outlined the factors.  They include the health of court employees, scheduling, criteria for in-person hearings, vulnerable populations, social distancing, hygiene supplies, health screenings, face coverings, and cleaning courthouses.  During the webinar, three topics surfaced more than others: 1) screening the public; 2) resuming jury trials; and 3) collaborating with local health officials

SJI continues to provide support for the RRT as an important resource to state courts.  In addition, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has a pandemic website available that is cataloging state court actions to address the pandemic.

With over 500 million LinkedIn users and 100 million different companies and organizations registered, the State Justice Institute (SJI) has joined the ranks of those engaging with the platform to disseminate knowledge, provide informational leads, and share news of our organization’s development.

The SJI page on LinkedIn is now live, and aims to distinguish itself as something different than our social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, which are both accessible to the public.  Currently, we’re sharing our SJI Toolkit Q&A, and will feature links to our forthcoming podcast,  Court Cents. 

If you have suggestions of what you would like to see on our LinkedIn page, please let us know by e-mailing contact@sji.gov and sharing those ideas.

The National Association for Court Management (NACM) regular podcast series, Court Leader’s Advantage, which focuses on innovations, thought-provoking trends, and questions that matter to the court community, has been temporarily suspended in order to bring you weekly episodes on how courts are coping with the coronavirus crisis.

Court Leader’s Advantage podcast series, began as a forum by court professionals for court professionals to share experiences and lessons learned.  Episodes typically air the third Thursday of each month.  Currently, the podcast is examining how the crisis is like nothing we’ve seen before, and the impact this has had on state courts.  Throughout the crisis, the weekly podcast episodes will feature a “rotating panel” of guests that answer the question, “How are courts and court administrators dealing with the coronavirus on a daily basis?”

Do you have questions or comments about Court Leader’s Advantage Podcasts? Contact clapodcast@nacmnet.org

Once the crisis subsides, NACM will return to their regular monthly schedule.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted operations significantly in state courts across the United States, and courts across the world.  SJI has assisted a number of key partners in the immediate release of resources to judges, administrators, clerks, staff, and justice system partners. 

The list below contains an overview of some of these resources:

1.  National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has several resources to help courts through this public health emergency:  www.ncsc.org/pandemic
2. The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) is continuing to provide information related to COVID-19: https://www.ncjfcj.org/covid-19-resources-and-updates/
3. The National Judicial College has been offering regular webcasts and more information via the NJC Podcast: https://www.judges.org/
4. National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) is hosting a centralized portal for drug treatment court teams to access a variety of information: https://www.nadcp.org/covid-19-resources/
5. The National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) is keeping their site updated on the pandemic: https://www.nawj.org/covid-19

Learn about best practices, hear from experts from the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and elsewhere, and have a chance to think through court operations in the time of COVID-19, with an access to justice lens.

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Schedule a 30 minute brainstorming session: ncsc.org/drtinychat

In direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Karen Lash, from The Justice Government Project at American University has developed a compendium of the federal block/formula/open-ended reimbursement funds (AKA federal pass through funds), which are available now to state and local courts to support civil self-help, technology innovation, and domestic violence.  To support jurisdictions interested in exploring these kinds of funding opportunities, the NCSC has released a 15-minute conversation.

The Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS), and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) finalized a three-year project with the release of their new report, Transforming Our Civil Justice System for the 21st Century: The Road to Civil Justice Reform.  The report highlights the experiences of four states—Idaho, Maine, Missouri, and Texas – as they worked to implement guidelines adopted by the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) to ensure the just, prompt, and cost-effective resolution of civil cases in state courts.  With support from SJI, IAALS and NCSC provided each state with the guidance and tools necessary to support successful implementation, and then circled back to interview those involved.  Due to COVID-19, courts are currently operating under uniquely challenging circumstances and a tight timeframe—while reform takes time, the need for change has been accelerated.  The experiences of the states in this report, and their use of Transforming Our Civil Justice System for the 21st Century: A Roadmap for Implementation – a set of seven clear steps for courts to follow when implementing change – can provide invaluable guidance to other courts.  The Roadmap steps provide a key framework for reform that states can follow: leadership; assessment and definition of issues; engagement of stakeholders to gain input; development of vision and goals for reform; clear recommendations; and action.

With support from SJI, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) has released a new guide: Treatment Courts and COVID-19 What to Consider During a Pandemic.  The guide provides practical solutions for treatment courts as they adapt to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, including timely information for judges, practitioners, and partners involved in treatment courts.  The guide includes both short- and long-term examples on ways courts can maintain positive outcomes, while protecting the safety of treatment court participants and the community.

In addition to this guide, the NADCP is maintaining a COVID-19 Resources website for the treatment court community.  The website includes:

• Adaptations by treatment courts to state/local restrictions regarding COVID-19;
• A Hot Topics, Q&A, and A-Z Resource Index;
• Numerous Training and Publications, including webinars and resources from NADCP for programs responding to COVID-19; and,
• Relevant federal, state, and national partner resources from the experts in federal and state governments and national associations.

NADCP’s annual conference – All Rise – made the decision to go virtual in May 2020.  Those interested in the world’s largest conference on addiction, mental health, and justice reform, will join experts from across disciplines for the latest on COVID-19 responses and much more.

Courts and legal services organizations are creating new resources to help people with legal issues navigate the justice system during the pandemic.  To support legal professionals engaged in these initiatives, the National Association for Court Management (NACM) is re-releasing theNACM Plain Language Guide as a free downloadable PDF.

NACM hopes that this comprehensive guide on how to incorporate plain language into court forms, websites, and other materials will help authors and designers create content and solutions that are easily understandable by everyone.  Even in these challenging times, courts and legal professionals are working hard to improve access to justice.  NACM applauds the undeterred efforts of the court community and will continue to serve as an access point for resources and timely information.

The Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) was developed as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) legislation. COSSAP’s purpose is to provide financial and technical assistance to states, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to develop, implement, or expand comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by illicit opioids, stimulants, and other drugs of abuse.  With over $150 million in available grant funding under this opportunity, local and state courts are encouraged to apply!

Please see the detailed information below regarding the solicitation and plan to participate in the informational webinar on March 31, 2020 at 2pm ET by registering via the link below.  You are also encouraged to visit www.grants.gov to research and apply for additional opportunities.

About BJA’s COSSAP
The Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program (COAP) was developed as part of the 2016 Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). Since 2017, BJA has supported innovative work in more than 300 COAP sites and demonstration projects.
In 2020, responding to upward trends in the abuse of other drugs in many American communities, COAP was renamed the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) in order to support jurisdictions’ efforts to reduce the impact of opioids, stimulants, and other substances on individuals and communities, including reducing the number of overdose fatalities and mitigating the impacts on crime victims by supporting comprehensive, collaborative initiatives.

New COSSAP Site-Based Funding Opportunity
BJA is seeking applications to develop, implement, or expand comprehensive programs in response to illicit opioids, stimulants, or other substances of abuse through COSSAP. Awards will be made in two categories for the following amounts:

• Category 1:  Local or Tribal Applications
  Subcategory 1a – An urban area or large county with a population greater than 500,000:  up to $1,200,000
  Subcategory 1b – A suburban area or medium-size county with a population between 100,000 and 500,000:  up to $900,000
  Subcategory 1c – A rural area or small county (as defined in the eligibility section) with a population of fewer than 100,000 or a federally recognized Indian tribe:  up to $600,000

• Category 2:  State Applications
  Applications from states on behalf of county, local, municipal, or tribal communities:  up to $6,000,000

Period of performance start date:  October 1, 2020
Period of performance duration:  36 months

All applications are due by 11:59 p.m., ET, on May 21, 2020.
Visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17023 for solicitation information, eligibility details, and application guidelines.

COSSAP Site-Based Solicitation Webinar

Want to learn more?  BJA will be hosting a COSSAP site-based solicitation webinar on March 31, 2020, at 2:00 p.m., ET.   Register at http://s.iir.com/COSSAP2020.