A Quasi-Experimental Analysis of the Role of Community Courts in Reducing Recidivism

• In Event: The Impact of Specialized Courts

Abstract

This study explores the impact of community courts on recidivism, aiming to address the methodological limitations of previous research. Using a quasi-experimental design and propensity score matching, we compared 686 defendants (393 who completed the program and 293 who did not) referred to community courts with a matched group of 1,797 defendants adjudicated in traditional magistrate courts. Recidivism was assessed using reconviction data at one, three, and five years following case resolution or release from incarceration. The findings indicate that while defendants referred to community courts had fewer reconvictions than those in mainstream courts, no significant differences were found between the treatment and control groups overall. However, when separating those who successfully completed the community court program from those who did not, we observed that program completers had significantly lower recidivism rates compared to the matched group in mainstream courts.

Authors

• Roni Factor, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Hadar Dancig-Rosenberg, Bar-Ilan University

• Tali Gal, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem