In 1997, Pennsylvania's first problem solving court - an adult drug court - began operation in Philadelphia. A few short months later, similar programs began operating in Chester, Lycoming and York Counties. Today, over half of the judicial districts in the Commonwealth have adult drug courts or have adapted the drug court model to create juvenile drug courts, DUI courts, mental health courts, and most recently veterans courts. By the end of 2011, we have every reason to believe there will be nearly one hundred problem solving courts throughout the Commonwealth.
In 2004, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania established a program in the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) to coordinate and support these courts. In 2006, P. Karen Blackburn was appointed to administer this program and in 2011 April Billet-Barclay was appointed to assist in that effort.
In January 2008, Chief Justice Castille appointed Justice McCaffery liaison justice to Pennsylvania's problem solving court initiative. Justice Seamus McCaffery has been an advocate for problem solving courts since his tenure as a judge in Philadelphia's Municipal Court. As liaison, recognizing the overrepresentation of persons with mental illness in the criminal justice system and the profound public safety and public health implications associated with that overrepresentation, Justice McCaffery committed support of the judicial branch to a statewide effort to develop a strategy to reduce the prevalence of people with mental illness in Pennsylvania's jails and prisons. Starting in 2008, a great deal of planning has focused on developing problem solving courts to divert veterans who are coming into contact with the justice system as a result of their military service. Some of the earliest Veterans Courts in the country were started in Pennsylvania.
The Problem Solving Courts Program continues to expand in Pennsylvania. Each year new courts begin operation. As the program expands, so do administrative efforts at the state level. In 2011, the Supreme Court approved an Accreditation Program for adult drug and DUI courts. Later that year, AOPC embarked on a project to obtain a management information system for problem solving courts throughout the Commonwealth.
Links to References
Contact Information
P. Karen Blackburn
Program Administrator
Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts
215-560-6300
karen.blackburn@pacourts.us