Society, Science, and Problem-Solving Courts

"While the U.S. has numerous problem-solving courts (e.g., drug courts, mental health courts, gambling courts), other countries do not have such courts, have altered versions of these courts, or have courts for other issues (e.g., aboriginal courts). Some societies address their social issues through courts in dramatically different fashion than problem-solving courts in the U.S. This book takes a psychological approach to explain what societal factors (norms, economics, politics, etc.) brought about development of the wide variety of problem-solving courts. It also highlights factors that prevent development of problem-solving courts or make them unnecessary. Justice principles (e.g., restorative justice, therapeutic jurisprudence) also play a part in some problem-solving courts, and are thus included in this discussion. Additionally, the book investigates the role of science and technology in the development of such courts. This includes the science needed to carry out these courts (e.g., ankle monitoring, drug testing) and science needed to evaluate these courts' effectiveness. The main premise of the book is that science and society together can explain much of the development, expansion, and variety of problem-solving courts world-wide. Psychologists have long recognized that culture affects the development of social behavior, social structures, and social procedures. Thus, it is no surprise that culture plays a role in shaping whether a society considers something to be a social issue, and whether that society's people choose to address this issue through the court system. This social science, in addition to medical science and technology, makes problem-solving courts possible"--