Reno Municipal Community Court

Reno’s Community Court, which I relaunched in April 2021, is now nationally recognized by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) for our innovative approach in working with our unsheltered population.  Nevertheless, we are continuing to expand services by adding more providers who are willing and ready to assist, as well as expanding access to any individual who needs our services.  

Community Court is a novel, empirically supported alternative to the traditional criminal justice system.  Similar courts either are established or are being created across the country in over 30 communities.  Reno’s Community Court is a problem solving court, which addresses the quality of life or “nuisance” type misdemeanor crimes using a treatment-centered approach.  This Court combines the traditional criminal justice sanction of community service with a focus on immediate access to on-site social service resources in an effort to help individuals end the cycle of homelessness.

Community Court is comprised of a criminal prosecutor, a defense attorney, a judge, court clerks, court marshals, case managers, liaison between the court and the providers, a clinical specialist who performs intake assessments, and our wonderful providers.  Consistent with the Community Court model of holding court in locations other than a traditional courthouse, Reno’s Community Court holds court at the downtown library (301 S. Center Street) every Wednesday morning.  If you know anything about this space, it offers an immediate sense of serenity to all those who enter.  The middle of the library is filled from floor to ceiling with plants and more plants lending a certain calmness throughout the building. 

Community Court engages with as many as 30 different social service providers, many of whom dedicate a member of their team to staff our court every Wednesday morning.  The rest are merely a phone call away.  Our providers are amazing!  Our providers know that the only way to intervene in the cycle of homelessness is to make an immediate, on-site connection with the individual to begin the process of rebuilding the person, including, acquiring Medicaid, SNAP benefits, obtaining state identification, social security cards, birth certificates, temporary, transitional, then permanent housing, substance abuse and mental health treatment, establishing with a primary care provider, etc.  As you might imagine, this process requires time, resources and substantial follow-through.  That is where the Court comes in.  

The Court serves as the external motivation to accomplish reasonable, achievable goals set throughout the person’s time with Community Court.  When people do not follow through, motivation swiftly follows in the form of same-day community service, supervised by Community Court’s very own Community Service Supervisor.  Community Court collaborates with Reno’s Public Works Department and Reno’s Clean and Safe Team in a collaborative effort to clean the shelter areas near the Truckee River.  

While many people naturally focus on the visible signs of our homeless population, the Court likes to turn its focus to the numerous successes.  Below you will find a fact sheet created at the end of 2021 (remember that we re-launched Community Court in April of 2021).  We served 258 people, with 70% of those people reaching their goals we set together!  This Court is set to become a fixture in our community because, above all else, it is a known and welcoming place to begin or continue the process of building a bridge out of homelessness.