Involving the Public and Serving the Public - Keys to a Successful Courthouse

• NCJ Number: 101227
• Journal: Justice System Journal Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: (Winter 1985) Pages: 339-352
• Author(s): J N Reich; W H Sobel; D H Mahan; E L Deam
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The courthouse is the most public of buildings. It is used by the public, paid for by the public and it embodies the ideas and traditions of the public. Yet, the people are usually not consulted, nor sometimes considered in the structuring of courthouse facilities.

Abstract

A recently built courthouse was described by the local press as 'a study in thoughtlessness, inside and out.' Although many people may have thought about the building, the thinking of those who use it most, paid for its construction and continue to pay for its upkeep -- the local community -- seems not to have been taken into account. In this article, we discuss the need for public involvement in all stages of courthouse planning and present creative ways of filling that need. The discussion is based on a sample of twenty out of eighty-three trial-level courts in which we have worked. (Publisher abstract)