Let's give 'Community Courts' a try

IN RECENT years, municipalities across the country have embarked on an experiment to test the proposition that courts can play a role in solving complex neighborhood problems and building stronger communities.

Since the 1993 opening of New York City's Midtown Community Court, the nation's first, dozens of other cities have begun planning community courts.

The current population in the Philadelphia prisons is 9,712, with 64 percent awaiting trial. Roughly 1,000 of those are nonviolent offenders facing nominal bail they can't raise.

According to the prison commissioner, it costs $34,000 a year to house a prisoner, or $95 a day. That's $330 million a year to house the city's prisoners. For the 64 percent awaiting trial, it cost the city more than $211 million. It's been reported that the cost to house the 1,000 non-violent offenders is $34 million a year.

Philadelphia is facing a severe budget deficit over the next five years. The mayor has called for plans that would cut 10 to 30 percent across city departments. The first 10 percent cuts for prisons would see the elimination of all re-entry programs. This means the system could potentially be solely focused on warehousing all offenders, violent and non-violent, with no focus on integrating them back into the community.

Twenty-five percent of the city budget is devoted to police, courts and prisons. In light of the budget crisis, any real discussion surrounding solutions to close the budget gap must address prisons in a constructive way. City officials must address ways to effectively increase revenue while decreasing expenses.

If a prisoner is being held on $300 bail and is sitting in jail for 180 days because of frivolous continuances, it costs the city $17,000. That prisoner could be monitored through an alternative to incarceration at a cost of $3,600.

I'm proposing that a "Community Court" option would, while saving incarceration money, also provide much-needed community service, which has a very real intrinsic value.

Cleaning lots, removing graffiti, weatherizing homes and any number of tasks needed throughout our neighborhoods could be provided at a fraction of the current cost. And because each community has its own needs and concerns, the Community Courts would be composed of members from each of the communities, with sentencing reflecting each area's specific needs.

Community courts are as relevant in the 5th Police District in Roxborough/Manayunk as they are in West Philadelphia's 19th.

The model used in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn has proven to be effective. By using judges who are members of the community, along with various members of civic organizations, the clergy, behavior/health professionals and educators, Red Hook has been able to stem physical blight while improving the quality of life for residents.

This is not a "hug a thug" approach. It's a real and tested approach to addressing the rise in crime, relieving the burden on our court system and significantly reducing the cost of prisons.

But the primary benefit of Community Courts is addressing the root causes of crime, restitution for crime victims and productive community projects.

WE CAN'T ARREST our way out of this problem.

A local approach can be a cost-effective way to provide restitution and rehabilitation to individuals and communities.

Restorative justice throughout community courts is a win for all involved. *

City Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. represents the 4th Council District in West and Northwest Philadelphia.