Clark County’s Community Court, a rehabilitation program, recently celebrated a move to a larger facility on 5107 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Suite 105, Vancouver after its first year of operation.
Community Court, a joint effort between Clark County District Court and the City of Vancouver, connects individuals cited for certain offenses with resources to set them on a path that will avoid further citations and future involvement with the criminal justice system, a city news release stated.
At Community Court, Clark County District Court and attorneys collaborate with social service workers to rehabilitate defendants while still holding them accountable for their citations. Citations are dropped for those who complete the program. Those who are unsuccessful return to a regular court process, the news release stated.
Participants in the Community Court program are provided a personalized case plan with a checklist, which includes several steps the individual must complete. Participants have 90 days to complete their case plan, the Community Court website states.
Eligible offenses for Community Court are often associated with homelessness and include unlawful camping, public urination, criminal trespass, park curfew violations and more, the news release stated.
“Community court offers the best of community resources to turn lives around and represents hope for those brought before it,” County Council Chair Gary Medvigy said in the release. “These collaborative efforts are an invaluable investment in public safety for the community as recidivism will be directly reduced while helping to return participants to productive citizens.”
For more information about Community Court, visit clark.wa.gov/district-court/community-court.
