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In first half of 2001, the Community Court directed over 300 offenders to complete community service in over 28 Atlanta neighborhoods. An additional 500 individuals were referred from the Atlanta Municipal Court, City Traffic Court, and Fulton County State Court to participate in Community Court clean-up projects. Taken together, approximately 12,000 community service hours were completed. Service assignments included clean-up projects with various Atlanta neighborhood associations, MARTA, the Atlanta Ambassadors Task force, the Kiwanis Club, the Atlanta Humane Society, and AID Atlanta. More Information ...

In the first half of 2001, the Community Court's clinical evaluator assessed 110 drug-addicted individuals with 55% of the cases being diverted from incarceration to community treatment under the supervision of the Court. Offenders' treatment compliance was maintained through frequent review hearings and tight coordination between Judge Riley, the mental health evaluator, and the probation division. The Court partnered with numerous community-based inpatient and outpatient facilities to provide a continuum of treatment services for its defendants. An additional 100 cases were referred directly to Fresh Start and Women for Women, the Atlanta City Detention Center's in-custody substance abuse treatment programs that work closely with the Community Court. In 2003, the clinical evaluators assessed 547 drug addicted individuals, with 60% of the cases being diverted from incarceration to community treatment under the supervision of the court.  The court continues to monitor compliance through intense supervision and frequent review hearings. The Court continues to partner with numerous community in-patient and out-patient facilities to provide treatment services.

An education and community service project with AID Atlanta for men who have been charged with solicitation and both male and female prostitution. This project is expected to work with as many as 50 offenders to this program in 2002.  Defendants who appear before the Community Court will have been identified as treatment candidates.  If the defendant has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS they are referred to a clinical evaluator for assessment and treatment recommendations.
Through an education and community service  project developed and partnered with AID Atlanta, the Court has access to health care and housing for HIV positive individuals.  AID Atlanta provides a case manager who appears in court three times a week and evaluates the needs of each defendant who may be eligible for services.  Testing is available but not required.  The Community Court proposed the "JOHNS" program for those who have been arrested for solicitation of sexual service, both male and female prostitution.  The pilot started in the first half of 2001. In 2002, the Court referred 50 offenders to the program.  This past year 2004, the number of referrals has increased to over 250.  Statistics from the Atlanta Police Department have confirmed that solicitation and prostitution charges in neighborhoods known for these charges have decreased substantially.  The sentencing practice is a fine, mandatory HIV/AIDS education, and community service with an Atlanta based HIV/AIDS organization.

The Atlanta Department of Corrections runs this in-custody psychotherapeutic/substance abuse program for adult males. The program serves approximately 180 offenders each year and provides a network of treatment and aftercare services for graduates upon release.   The Fresh Start program partnered with Antioch Urban Ministries, Inc. which provides comprehensive substance abuse recovery services.  The men's in-custody program transitioned offenders from incarceration to The Land of Promise, a 45-90 spiritual, mental, and physical program located at a 273 acre retreat in rural Georgia, for those who are recovering from substance abuse.  Upon completion of the program, the offenders are returned to the community to Luke's Place, a substance abuse recovery home that houses men.  This 30-bed facility provides systematic program recovery through support groups, family education, relapse prevention counseling and a recovery activity center.  ( in 2003, due to city budgetary cutbacks, the in-custody program was discontinued for lack of correctional personnel to oversee the offenders.  As a 2004-2004 initiative, The Community Court/ Restorative Justice Center, Inc. (RJC). A non-profit organization, plans to generate funding through grant applications and fund raising in order to bring the in-custody program back to the Department of Corrections).  More Information ...

The Atlanta Department of Corrections operates this in-custody psychotherapeutic/substance abuse program for adult female prostitutes. Women for Women is partnered with Mary Hall Freedom House, a community based nonprofit organization that provides residential services and aftercare to offenders upon release from jail. ( in 2003, due to city budgetary cutbacks, the in-custody program was discontinued for lack of correctional personnel to oversee the offenders.  As a 2004-2004 initiative, The Community Court/ Restorative Justice Center, Inc. (RJC). A non-profit organization, plans to generate funding through grant applications and fund raising in order to bring the in-custody program back to the Department of Corrections). More Information..

In the first half of 2001, the Community Court's clinical evaluator assessed 134 mentally ill individuals with 66% being identified as dually diagnosed (i.e., mentally ill and drug addicted). Community mental health resources for indigent individuals with mental illness and co-occurring disorders are limited, but the Court was able to divert 60% of the cases from incarceration to community treatment with the support and dedication of its stakeholder network, including the Atlanta Department of Corrections, Mental Health Unit; Atlanta Pre-Trial Services; The Grady Health System; The Fulton County Regional Board; Office of the City Solicitor; Office of the Public Defender; the Probation Division, and numerous community-based treatment providers. The Community Court is constantly working to enhance its services for mentally ill individuals in the criminal justice system: in October the Court hired a second mental health evaluator and was assigned a post-doctoral fellow in community psychiatry from Grady Hospital for several months to help enhance the assessment procedure. Additionally, the Community Court has introduced a weekly case staffing to review each case involving mental illness or substance abuse to promote a common understanding of treatment issues and improve case coordination. In 2003, the Court added three Case Managers to support the Mental Health Evaluators.  The Community Court's Mental Health Team assessed over 344 mentally ill  individuals with 63% being identified as dual diagnosed.  The Court has been able to divert 58% of the treatment cases from incarceration to community treatment with the support and dedication of it's network of providers.

What is Restorative Justice? Restorative justice is defined as a response to crime that focuses on holding offender accountable for the harm they have caused and building peace within communities.
How does Restorative Justice benefit offenders?Offenders can tangibly and symbolically reimburse the community for some damage they cause, as they perform visible, meaningful community service within the community .Citizens see the offender as an individual working for, rather than against the community.
How can the community benefit from Restorative Justice? Restorative justice can restore the community by allowing the offender to contribute labor or talent to valuable and visible community projects and prove his/her worth as a member of the community therefore regaining acceptance by its citizens.                       
The Goals of Restorative Justice:
-          To promote citizen ownership of the criminal justice system by involving them directly in the justice process.
-          Provide opportunities for community members to confront offenders in a constructive manner about their behavior.
-          Provide opportunities for offenders to take personal responsibility and be held directly accountable for the harm they caused to victims and communities.
-          Generate meaningful "community-driven" consequences for criminal actions that reduce a costly reliance on formal criminal justice processing. 

The mission of the Atlanta Community Court/ Restorative Board is to prevent, control and aid in reducing crime, drug abuse and gang activity in the Mechanicsville and Pittsburgh communities of the City of Atlanta.  Through funding from the Department of Justice Weed and Seed program and Project Safe Neighborhood, the Restorative Board's vision is to empower and support community residents and stakeholders to identify and solve their own neighborhood problems through collaborative efforts. The purpose of the Restorative Board program is to serve as a conduit with the Atlanta Municipal Court/ Community Court Division and target community residents to work more effectively using the principles of restorative justice, in the criminal justice system.  In addition to linking and coordinating federal, state, and local law efforts with social services, the private sector, and the community efforts.  The Restorative Board monitors and regulates the mandates ordered by the Court and the community in an attempt to lead and focus defendants back into society and to become more productive citizens.As of August 2004, the Restorative Board program has received 225 new participants.  A goal of an additional 125 participants has been planned by December 2004.  As part of their sentencing with the Court, each participant has been mandated to participate in community service, GED or continuing education/ job training/ health awareness/ career counseling/ or parenting classes.  These conditions are stepping stones to aid the participant in focusing their lives and redirect them from offending again.   The second Restorative Board for the communities of Booker T. Washington, English Avenue, Vine City and Washington Park has been established.  The Board will be comprised of sworn citizens of the various communities. (On December 3, 2004, Presiding Judge Deveaux of the Community Court performed the swearing in ceremony). The hearing of cases and case assignment to the Restorative Board of the PSN has already begun.  The Restorative Boards will continue their alliance and collaboration with:  the Fulton County Juvenile Court; the U.S. Attorney's Office/ Northern District of Georgia; the Office of Weed and Seed/ City of Atlanta; the Criminal Justice Coordinating Department; the Intensive Surveillance Officers (ISO); and Georgia's Pardons and Parole Board.  Long range goal is to have a Restorative Board located in each Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) throughout the City of Atlanta.