On page 288 of the textbook, the authors discuss Problem-Solving Courts and describe how they attempt to address special populations who commit crimes that are not effectively addressed by the traditional criminal court process. For this week's discussion forum, research Problem-Solving Courts (sometimes called Accountability Courts) and learn how they may, or may not, be a better pathway for justice for special groups. At a minimum in your discussion include descriptions of the types of offenses Problem-Solving Courts deal with and answers to the following questions: Are problem-solving courts effective? How do we know this? Is it worth the expense and effort to have separate courts for these offenses? What other types of special populations do you think might benefit from Problem-Solving courts? For information on this topic, use your textbook and this link to the National Institute of Justice Publication, "Problem-Solving Courts: Fighting Crime by Treating The Offender." Additionally, go to the Grantham Library and find the Gale Criminal Justice Collection. Once in the collection, search using the phrase "Rescuing Soldiers of Misfortune" and find an article by Art Beeler. Include comments and thoughts about this article in your discussion of the topic.

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