“I am sitting in a circle alongside the women of CATCH, sharing stories, offering comfort, laughing, crying, encouraging one another, and walking together on a path toward healing,” wrote Judge Jodi Thomas.

The Franklin County Municipal Court judge published an article that was recently featured in a National Association for Court Management publication for her work leading “CATCH Court,” a specialized docket focused on survivors of human trafficking who are in the justice system.

When Judge Thomas took over handling the specialized docket in 2020, she and her team reviewed the policies and procedures that guide its operations.

Judge Thomas embarked on a mission to shift the perspective of the docket. Working with insights from experts in trauma and the criminal justice system, the team recognized that procedures meant for safety had unintended consequences that perpetuated the cycles of trauma already experienced by participants. Powered by testimonies from past participants, CATCH Court emphasizes support and ensuring participants are given the skills to make decisions for themselves.

“Our focus is now firmly on equipping each woman with the tools to make empowered decisions about her recovery and her life, and on offering support, not punishment, when those decisions are challenging or imperfect,” Judge Thomas wrote.

This transition was met with greater engagement from current participants.

“As trust grew, especially in difficult moments, they began to see us as allies in their journey,” she said.

Through each phase of the specialized docket, participants must be monitored by probation officers, attend weekly meetings, and agree to frequent drug testing. Each month participants also engage in community-building activities to promote sober, healthy connections with others. If all phases of the program are completed, participants also have the opportunity to have their criminal charges expunged.

The specialized docket staff also collects data from past graduates to identify ways to improve outcomes for future participants. From recently gathered data, the court has added a special curriculum for participants for their final six months of the program, built more partnerships in the community to offer additional resources, and refined the process for status review sessions.

In her article, Judge Thomas also detailed the path forward for her specialized docket. She hopes to incorporate family support into the program based on suggestions from past graduates.

With a September graduation of 14 participants, Judge Thomas proudly reflects in her article about the journey of the women in the program and the developments the docket has adopted.

“Every step we have taken, from reevaluating policies through a trauma-informed lens to reimagining our name to co-designing new family-based interventions, has reaffirmed our commitment to walk alongside each participant with empathy, respect, and unwavering support.”

The National Association for Court Management is an organization concerned with guiding collaboration and discussion between courts from across the country. The organization issues several publications per year detailing the work of courts and judicial administrators to inspire courts. Judge Thomas’ specialized docket was featured in the organization’s summer issue.