Collaborative courts are a newer idea in the justice system. They also expand into other areas of law, such as divorce. In general, the concept focuses on solving problems without using the traditional methods of punishment or procedures.
All collaborative courts have some specific characteristics that help lead to the ultimate goals of the system.
Reduce recidivism
One of the top goals of collaborative courts is to stop someone from continuing a life of crime or a path that will result in them getting into legal trouble again. The court uses monitoring and mandatory programs to help get to the root problems to help the person. One of the focuses of these courts is helping and offering tools to enable the person to get on a new path.
Seek positive outcomes
The whole system focuses on an outcome that is much better than if the person went through the traditional court system. Punishment is typically the goal of a criminal justice system, for example. But in a collaborative court, the idea is not to punish the person but rather to get to the heart of what led the person to this point and to fix it. By fixing what went wrong, the hope is the person moves forward to a more positive life.
For non-criminal courts, the ultimate goal is an agreeable solution. For example, in a divorce, the collaborative process would help resolve all issues as quickly as possible, with both parties walking away satisfied.
Collaborative courts use alternative options, monitored programs and various other tools to help offenders. All these courts also work in a team effort to reach the desired conclusion.
