Therapeutic Jurisprudence in Municipal Courts: A Missouri Case Study

• In Event: At the Local Level: Jails and a Municipal Court

Abstract

A PowerPoint presentation illustrates the use of a Therapeutic Jurisprudence model in a Municipal Court setting. This presentation is based on thirty years of judicial experience in a small town in southwest Missouri. Typically municipal courts deal with relatively minor offenses that are dealt with by punishment such as a fine. This presentation posits that an intervention that is therapeutically oriented and that occurs at the municipal court level, for at least some offenses, may serve to reduce the number of persons who commit more serious crimes and in this manner may serve to reduce the rates of incarceration in state or federal prisons.

Authors

• Brad Cameron, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS

• Gary D. Wilson, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS

• Marjorie E. Donovan, Pittsburg State University