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Conference paper

Specialised courts and sentencing

Professor Arie Freiberg
University of Melbourne, Victoria

Presented at:
Probation and community corrections : making the community safer
Novotel Langley, Perth
23-24 September 2002

Abstract

Problem-oriented courts are specialised courts which seek to use the authority of the courts to deal with some of the underlying problems of individual offenders. They use ongoing judicial supervision and monitoring, involve multi-disciplinary teams and collaborate with community and government organisations. Drug courts, mental health courts, domestic violence courts and community courts are examples of such an approach.

This paper examines the relationship between problem-oriented court, sentencing and corrections and suggests that correctional authorities may learn from some of the desirable practices and practices of such courts such as judicial supervision, treatment and service provision, teamwork, use of rewards and sanctions and more inclusive processes while avoiding some of the dangers that inhere in this judicial innovation.