Question

Specialty courts have been developed for various categories of crimes and offenders (e.g., mental health, substance use, domestic violence). Are there crimes or offender types in which a specialized court should be developed? Why or why not? How would it be implemented? What would it offer that traditional courts cannot?

Answer 1

Specialty courts are developed with the purpose of treating mental health or substance abuse issues that may influence criminal behavior. These are problem-solving courts that aim to provide treatment instead of punishment, The first specialized court was established in Florida in 1989 for the drug abused now it has crossed 2500. There are many numbers of the Specialized court they are usually based on and organized around one of three guiding principles.a). the problem-solving orientation attempt focussing on underline issue b). It works in collaboration with its calls for courtroom players and others to work together to solve the issue, c), The third basic principle is accountability as it involves defendants, courtroom players. social service agents – by tracking performance and results.

By mental health court, : There are now more people with mental illnesses in jails and prisons than in all the states’ psychiatric hospitals combined. By the use of mental health courts, this population can be reduced, the .benefit to the minor offenders will improve with help and health services provided, The second Specialized court that I recommend would be domestic violence court. This court is with the view of protecting the victims mostly women's as they have dependent children too. The third Specialised Court can be a community court which deals with the crime in the neighborhood particularly crime of prostitution, vandalism, and low-level drug offenses, These Specialized Court reduces the burden on the lower court, The judges and the attorneys are specialized in that fields, In some cases, if offender remain crime-free he can get his offence to reduce and can have normal community life. It reduces the burden of expenses a court requires, Specialised courts are a feature of many judicial systems in many countries, These courts are recommended because of the emphasis of protecting the victim. Since the victims are often economically weak. If a mentally ill person poses no threat to the community, his can be best dealt through mental health and social services, Specialized court by its nature is cost saving and reduces the crime by working on offenders with social workers and health services, They attempt to bring positive change in the offenders, The offender gets a chance to change for the better. The focus of these courts are on improving quality of life by helping offenders getting rid of the criminal life and having quality social life