The Atlanta Community Court is a division of the Atlanta Municipal Court that responds to what are known as quality of life crimes: prostitution, disorderly conduct, panhandling, and low-level drug offenses.  The Community Court was established in March 2000 through the vision of former Chief Judge William F. Riley, Jr.  The creation of the Court was supported by then, Chief Judge Barbara Harris, the City of Atlanta, the Atlanta City Council and Central Atlanta Progress.  In July 2001, the Community Court adjudicated and managed up to 2,500 new defendants.  To date, year 2004, through expansion, the number of defendants increased to over 7,500.

The Atlanta Community Court, one of the most comprehensive community courts in the country, includes the following components: restorative justice, drug court, mental health court, homeless court, re-entry court initiatives, community re-development, family reunification, benefits procurement, and family court.  

In September 2003, the Mayor's Commission on Homelessness and the City Court Review Panel called for the expansion of Community Court.  In 2005, The Atlanta Municipal Court is anticipating a merger/consolidation with the City of Atlanta Traffic Court.  At the suggestion of the Commission, the Community Court division will expand to three separate courts.  The components of the Community Court division will extend to Traffic Court and include a Housing/ Environmental Court, which will address the City of Atlanta's senior citizens who can no longer afford the upkeep and maintenance of their homes.  The Community Court will continue to work with the Atlanta Metro Regional Board to build a stronger integrated provider network which will allow for the best possible resolution for each case.

Statistics announced by Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin have shown that the Atlanta Community Court handles more than twice as many cases as compared to other Drug Courts, Mental Health and Alternative Sentencing Courts nationally.  The findings were part of the report of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The BCG findings were based on information obtained from the Center of Court Innovations (New York) as well as other community courts, mental health, drug treatment, and alternative sentencing courts from around the country.  The Atlanta Community Court (ACC) shows an annualized estimated new defendants ratio at 2,680 while the national average of such courts is 1,150.

The ACC is committed to the dual principles of restorative justice and rehabilitation.  Restorative Justice promotes the idea that with low-level offenses, the criminal justice system can better serve the community by using alternative sentencing options, such as community service to allow individuals "to give something back" to their community.  Community service strengthens communities by reconnecting offenders with local residents through positive work projects and encourages smaller neighborhoods to organize and address crime problems by partnering with the criminal justice system.  Additionally, as an alternative to incarceration, community service allows the Court to move low-level offenders out of the criminal justice system, freeing up costly jail space for more serious criminals.   

The ACC takes a nontraditional approach to working with offenders, using sentencing alternatives and legal sanctions to promote rehabilitation and address the underlying causes of criminality.  The Court maintains that it has a clear interest, both ethical and financial, in seeing to it that offenders receive services that will help curb future criminal behavior.  Defendants can be referred to the ACC from a number of sources, including the Office of the Public Defender, Office of the City Solicitor,  and Municipal Court Judges.

At the first court appearance hearing, defendants who have been identified as treatment candidates are referred to the Court's Psychological Specialists for assessment and treatment recommendations.  When mental illness and/or substance abuse are identified as driving factors in an individual's antisocial or criminal behavior,  the Court's Inmate Services Assistants (case managers) reviews community-based and in-custody treatment options, diverting individuals to resources that offer the best chance of success.  The ACC takes a supervisory roll in the offenders' treatment plans through frequent review hearings, assertive case coordination with the Probation Division and the Restorative Boards, and when necessary, tough sanctions for non-compliance.

The ACC represents the combined efforts of the criminal justice system, local governments, non-profit agencies, and the private sector.  Although the Atlanta Municipal Court and presiding Judge Clinton Deveaux provide leadership, it is the dedication of other city departments, agencies and service providers that make ACC work.  The Community Court greatly values the vital partnerships that have developed with county and state agencies, especially the Metro Regional Board, which provides Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases MH/DD/AD funding and consultation to the ACC's mental health and addictive disease initiatives.  Additionally, the ACC maintains valued partnerships with over fifty private and non-profit agencies, many of them Regional Board and United Way affiliates which provide treatment services to the Courts' defendants.