DANE COUNTY COMMUNITY COURT REPORT 6/4/26

FINAL DANE COUNTY COMMUNITY COURT REPORT 6-2 

Consider participating in this meeting:

Dane County Community Justice Council, this is an opportunity to advocate for our youth!!

• Thursday, June 4, 2026 
• At 12:15 PM 
• Attend in person at the City County Building in Room 354
• To join the meeting in Zoom, click the following link (after you fill out the form, the meeting link and access information will be emailed to you): https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_scAYKTZzSimqFu8ugo8QtQ

REPORT

FINAL Dane County Community Court report 6.2 Dane County Community, Brett Taylor, J.D. Implementation Coach

• The recommendations for the Community Court start on page 12.

Some of the Major Recommendations

Expand Eligibility Immediately

The report's strongest recommendation is to broaden eligibility beyond retail theft to include:

• Disorderly Conduct
• Resisting Arrest
• Obstructing Justice
• Other cases where the individual's needs suggest community court would be beneficial.

Focus on People, Not Charges

The consultant argues that eligibility decisions should be driven primarily by:

• Treatment needs
• Willingness to engage
• Behavioral change potential rather than rigid charge categories

Connect Participants to Services Faster

Recommendations include:

• Screening individuals immediately after arrest.
• Reviewing jail populations before initial appearances.
• Creating earlier referral pathways.
• Reducing delays between arrest and treatment engagement.

The report concludes that Dane County's Community Court has finally launched after years of planning, but to achieve its intended goals it should:

1. Expand beyond retail theft cases.
2. Connect people to services earlier.
3. Reduce procedural barriers to participation.
4. Keep the focus on addressing underlying causes of criminal behavior rather than simply processing cases through the traditional court system.

Recommendation summary:

1. Expand beyond retail theft cases.
2. Connect people to services earlier.
3. Reduce procedural barriers to participation.
4. Keep the focus on addressing underlying causes of criminal behavior rather than simply processing cases through the traditional court system.