Why Community Court?

The purpose of San Francisco's Community Court Initiative is to discourage criminal violations that impact our City's neighborhoods. As a restorative justice program, community courts strengthen neighborhoods undermined by criminal activity. The courts do this in five ways:

• Heal Victims
  Community courts order offenders to pay restitution to victims who have suffered monetary losses or property damage.
• Heal the Community
  Community courts sanction offenders with fines and/or community service that go directly to improving conditions in the impacted neighborhoods. The courts also create an atmosphere of inclusion and responsibility, building community and providing a direct role for residents to oversee the resolution of offenses in their neighborhoods.
• Heal Offenders
  Community courts give offenders a second chance by allowing them to avoid a criminal conviction in exchange for completing the community court program. Offenders are also helped with assistance to understand the consequences of their actions and by having the opportunity to pay back to the community they have harmed. Some offenders are also ordered to receive addiction treatment, anger management counseling, and other support services to change destructive behavior.
• Shoplifter Offender Program (SHOP)
  The District Attorney's Office, in collaboration with the City-Wide Steering Committee, developed the Shoplifting Program as an alternative resource for first time shoplifting offenders. This serves as a resource for community courts sentencing and rehabilitation.
• Community Court Fund
  Each community court establishes a fund of their own through fines from various misdemeanor offenses. Once the fines accumulate in each separate account, the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice issues an RFT (Request for Proposal) Request, usually three times a year. Any non-profit organization in any of the communities can apply to do neighborhood improvements and other activities that fit the criteria of the RFP.