A community court will be added this summer to the Cleveland Municipal Court’s specialized docket.

A community court will be added this summer to the Cleveland Municipal Court’s specialized docket.

The Cleveland Municipal Court will receive a $200,000 federal grant to implement a community court.

The Cleveland project is one of 10 selected by the Center for Court Innovation and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance to participate in the 2016 Community Court Grant Program.

The community court will serve Cleveland and the neighboring village of Bratenahl. Community courts respond to quality-of-life crimes by ordering offenders to pay back the communities they’ve harmed through visible community service projects, such as painting over graffiti, beautifying neighborhood parks, and cleaning up litter and debris from public streets. At the same time, community courts link offenders to services designed to help them address the underlying issues fueling their criminal behavior, such as drug and alcohol treatment, mental health services, job training, and public benefits. Nationally, research has shown the community court model can reduce crime and substance use, increase services to victims, save money, and improve public confidence in the justice system.

“With evidenced-based practices, appropriate interventions, and close judicial monitoring, this docket will promote accountability and offer meaningful alternatives to incarceration. We look forward to the opportunity to partner with the Center for Court Innovation as we work together to make our communities safer places to live,” Cleveland Municipal Court Administrative and Presiding Judge Ronald B. Adrine said.

The community court is expected to start in July.