How does the court, with its centralized structure, respond to neighborhood-specific problems?
It’s worked out well. I go to the neighborhoods and [Court Coordinator] Chris Pleasanton does, too. For example, one of the church organizations invites us to talk monthly. We also visit all the social service agencies that we refer to. I want to see the social service agencies personally to understand how they work and to see if they’re doing quality work. I also conduct twice monthly truancy court sessions at Quirk Middle School with the assistance of the Center for Children’s Advocacy and school staff. We try to send offenders to perform community service in the neighborhood where they offended but that isn’t always possible. Recently, I sent two kids back to paint over their own graffiti. When we talk to communities, we tell them when they need help from us, to call us, and they do. How do you get so many different players to fit together—not only defense attorneys and prosecutors, but other government agencies and social service providers? Chris and I are busy all week listening t
