“The Brumby Government is committed to exploring problem-solving approaches in the criminal justice system, and to driving down the cost of justice through greater use of Alternative, or Appropriate, Dispute Resolution,” Mr Hulls said.

A key focus of his visit to the US and Canada this month will be looking at new ways of addressing mental illness in the criminal justice system.

“Mental illness affects an estimated 19 per cent of people in the community at some time in their lives, and is disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system,” Mr Hulls said. “We need to be looking at new approaches to address the needs of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system.”

Mr Hulls will visit the State of New York, a leader in the development of problem-solving courts, particularly mental health courts. While there, he will meet Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye, who has overseen the development of problem-solving courts in every district of New York.

Mr Hulls will also visit the Toronto Mental Health Court and the San Francisco Behavioural Health Court.

“Both these courts connect defendants who have mental illness to treatment services,” he said. 

“This benefits the community by improving public safety and reducing re-offending through appropriate treatment and intensive supervision.”

A similar approach to disadvantage and crime has been adopted at the Neighbourhood Justice Centre, Australia’s first community justice centre which opened in Collingwood last year and offers a range of services under the one roof to help address the causes of crime and reduce re-offending.

The Centre was born from a 2004 visit by Mr Hulls to the Red Hook Community Justice Center in New York, which Mr Hulls will revisit on this trip.

“We know there are strong links between crime, social disadvantage and poverty, and these problem-solving approaches aim to reduce re-offending by addressing the underlying causes of crime,” Mr Hulls said.

While overseas Mr Hulls will also visit a peer sentencing court which involves youth in the justice process.

Mr Hulls will visit the San Francisco Tri Valley Youth Court, an alternative justice program for first-time offenders.
 “The court deals with offences such as shoplifting, cyber bullying, graffiti and theft, and invites volunteer attorneys to serve as a judge and young people to serve as clerks, advocates and jurors,” he said.

“The aim is to provide a response that addresses the early stages of youth offending by encouraging young people to take responsibility for their actions and involving them in the court system.

“The Brumby Government is keen to examine innovative responses to young people who have become involved in the criminal justice system.”

The Brumby Government is expanding Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services across the State with a view to making Victoria an ADR leader in the Asia Pacific region, giving community members, business and industry better options for resolving disputes quickly and cheaply. A landmark $17.8 million was committed in this year’s Budget to expand ADR across Victoria.
 
Mr Hulls will visit the San Francisco Superior Court where a judicial mediation program provides early mediation of complex civil cases by judges.

To inform the expansion of community-based mediation in Victoria, he will visit the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center in New York.

The Center was established after two deaths resulting from inter-racial tension in the early 1990s. It provides mediation services, a community resource centre, training in conflict resolution and a number of youth programs and school-based conflict and mediation services.