Community Court

Community Court sign in front of the Downtown Library, where it takes placeThe Eugene Community Court aims to improve public safety and reduce misdemeanor activity in the City of Eugene to improve safety and quality of life for all. The process promotes responsibility in participants through a combination of supervised community service and direct connections to social service providers.
The foundation of the Community Court is a team of justice system and social service professionals dedicated to collaborating on cases to reach practical solutions. Representatives of several local social service agencies work with the Community Court team onsite to problem-solve with community members in need of assistance and connect them with services that will address their needs and help them move out of the criminal justice system and toward an improved quality of life.

The NCSC’s robust evaluation compared two groups of individuals who were cited to the Community Court program. One group included people who participated in Community Court, the comparison group did not participate in the program. These two groups were compared on new arrests, new convictions, and new incarcerations within one year of completing their respective programs. Key findings of this study included:  

  • Community Court participants were less likely to be arrested within one year of the program compared to those who did not participate (38% to 66%).
  • Only one in 5 (20%) Community Court participants were incarcerated within one year of completing the program compared to more than 2 in 5 (45%) in the comparison group.
  • Community Court participants had far fewer arrests within one year of completing the program than the comparison group (an average of 0.4 arrests for Community Court versus 5.5 for comparison group).
  • Based on the estimated reduced subsequent convictions, Community Court produces a return on investment to the justice system of approximately $190,000.

Community Court participants have lower health care costs compared to other groups and use fewer of the highest cost services, such as in patient stays and emergency room visits.

 

Read more in the full report.

  1. General Information
  2. Volunteer/Intern Opportunities
  3. Service Provider Opportunities
  4. In the News

When and where is Community Court?

  • Current Participants - Wednesdays at 9:00am
  • First Appearances - Wednesdays at 1:00pm
  • Eugene Municipal Court 338 W. 11th Ave., First floor

Who May Participate in Community Court?

Individuals are eligible if their offense was committed within the designated geographic area, the offense is identified as an eligible offense, and they do not have any violence in their past criminal history.  Every participant will be asked to complete a needs assessment to help create an individualized service plan.  In addition, other community members may be referred or seek services (walk-in) without a citation or arrest; the provider room is open Wednesday 1:00-3:30pm.


A variety of non-violent offenses are eligible for Community Court. A sample of eligible offenses includes:


  • Disorderly conduct
  • Interfering with public transportation
  • Criminal mischief
  • Prohibited noise
  • Theft
  • Criminal trespass

Who are the Community Court partners?

The City of Eugene Community Court has partnered with the following providers in a joint effort to provide needed services to community members. 


  • Catholic Community Services
  • Community Supported Shelters (CSS)
  • Downtown Eugene, Inc. (DEI)
  • Easter Seals of Oregon
  • Emergence
  • Eugene Mission
  • Eugene Parks and Open Space
  • Eugene Police Department
  • Eugene Public Library
  • F.U.S.E. (Laurel Hill)
  • Goodwill Jobs Connection
  • HIV Alliance
  • Hourglass
  • Ideal Option
  • Lane County Behavioral Health
  • Lane County Health and Human Services
  • Lane Transit  District (LTD)
  • Laurel Hill
  • Looking Glass/New Roads
  • Restored Connections Peer Center (RCPC)
  • Veteran Justice Outreach
  • White Bird Clinic
  • Willamette Family Inc.
  • Work Force Network

 

The City of Eugene Community Court is a collaborative response to local concerns regarding public safety. Public safety representatives, community members, and service providers work together to address the underlying challenges that may lead to criminal behavior, and give the justice system meaningful options to handle lower-level offenses. Community courts are founded on evidenced-based practices, problem-solving, accountability, community engagement, and alternatives to incarceration. 


Mailing Services

Mailing Services

Sample General Delivery Request