Through an interagency agreement, the Renton Municipal Court received $260,865.60 from the Washington State Administrative Office of the Court to support RMC’s therapeutic court efforts, specifically the community court, whose participants have only a 7.6% re-offend rate.
This agreement was adopted Aug. 12 by the Renton City Council and its funding is effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
Sierra Simmons, RMC’s Community Court Coordinator and one of two community court case managers, said the community court’s main goals include helping participants become self-sufficient and productive members of society and reducing recidivism — which means the likelihood of committing future crimes.
Simmons said the Renton Municipal Community Court does this by first identifying the “why,” or the underlying challenges that may contribute to criminal activity through a risk-needs assessment to determine participants’ strengths and challenges. She said they connect participants to appropriate community resources, including housing, education, employment, health care, mental health services and more.
Last year’s agreement was $202,633 — which was $58,232.60 less than this year’s agreement. Simmons said the extra money will be used for treatment services, recovery supports for program participants, personnel costs, staff equipment and technology, and staff training and travel.
“Community courts are one of many types of therapeutic courts. Therapeutic courts are specialized judicial programs designed to offer participants the opportunity to engage in closely monitored interventions that address the underlying issues leading to their involvement in the criminal justice system,” Simmons said. “These courts operate through interdisciplinary teams led by a judge, who collaboratively support and supervise participants. … The aim is to promote holistic health and recovery, with the ultimate goal of having their charges dismissed and reducing future interactions with the criminal legal system.”
Some examples of other therapeutic courts include drug courts, DUI courts, veteran courts, mental health courts, family courts, and tribal courts.
“One of my favorite aspects of therapeutic courts is the relationships they foster,” Simmons said. “These include connections among our staff, with program participants, community resources, and other therapeutic courts. Participants continue to stay in contact and update the team or inquire about available resources long after they graduate.”
Simmons said many participants report improvements in self-esteem, confidence, personal and family relationships, and physical and mental health by the time they graduate. Additionally, she said participants start educational or job training programs that they might not have pursued independently.
“Many individuals involved in the criminal justice system lack positive social support, a factor directly related to recidivism. In community court, each participant has a group of individuals they check in with on a weekly basis who truly care about their well-being and success, and with whom they can share their struggles and successes,” Simmons said. “Our team has supported participants through challenges such as addiction, domestic violence, eviction, and loss of employment. We’ve also been there to celebrate the good times – getting a new job or key to a new apartment, graduating from school or treatment, or bringing new life into the world.”
