Collaborative Justice Courts

• Collaborative justice courts have a dedicated calendar and judge to address specific types of issues
• California currently has more than 400 collaborative justice courts in all but three small jurisdictions
• Most drug court caseloads average between 75 and 100 participants while other collaborative courts tend to have smaller caseloads

Collaborative justice courts, also called problem-solving courts, promote accountability for youth and adults by combining judicial supervision with services and treatment to help them address the issues that led to their court involvement. Collaborative justice courts have a dedicated calendar and judge to address specific types of issues (e.g., mental health courts for those with mental illness, drug courts for those with a substance use disorder).

Types and Numbers of Collaborative Justice Courts in California
California currently has more than 400 collaborative justice courts in all but three small jurisdictions. The most numerous types of collaborative courts include adult drug courts (83), adult mental health courts (62), veterans' courts (45), dependency drug courts (32), juvenile drug courts (23), DUI courts (20), reentry courts (19), homeless courts (19), community courts (12), and juvenile mental health courts (12). Newer courts such as girls’ courts and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) courts for commercially sexually exploited children are also growing. The balance of collaborative courts includes dual diagnosis courts, family law drug courts, truancy courts, and prop 36 courts. Participant caseload sizes vary depending on the type of court. Most drug court caseloads average between 75 and 100 participants while other collaborative courts tend to have smaller caseloads.

California Collaborative Courts on YouTube: