Arlington Community Court

The Arlington Municipal Court, located at 101 S. Mesquite Street in Arlington, Texas, requests a $900,000 Category 1 Planning and Implementation grant through the BJA FY 2023 Community Court Initiative for the purpose of establishing a community court. The Arlington Community
Court seeks to employ innovative solutions to reduce the number of Class C Citation warrants in the city and effectuate greater justice for marginalized communities. Activities: The Court will create community engagement and collaboration with community partners so that
participants charged with low-level misdemeanors are provided with the opportunity to participate in restorative justice instead of payment. Examples of individually tailored alternative justice activities to be performed include mental health and drug treatment, job training and placement, life skills counseling programs, G.E.D. programs, and mentorship opportunities. All Community Court participants will be assessed according to a Criminal Court Assessment Tool to determine the type and level of services necessary. Multiple non-profit entities are committed to this project, including one dedicated to providing treatment and urinalysis testing to participants coping with substance abuse issues. Participants will participate in compliance dockets and will be held accountable for successful completion of the program. Intended beneficiaries: The intended beneficiaries are defendants who are indigent, or who have continued health issues, addiction issues, or other systemic problems.