SAVE Commission's findings - La Follette School of Public Affairs ...

22.5
22.6
22.7
22.8
Aggressively develop a state alternative dispute
resolution strategy. To reduce the costs
of litigation, the courts, as part of an effort involving
all branches and levels of government,
should initiate a dialogue on alternative dispute
resolution and its application, from neighborhood
to corporate board room.
Address juvenile crime and violence. To support
existing efforts in addressing youth crime
and violence, the court system should consider
new ways to deal with first offenders, violent
offenders and the community and family environments
that can contribute to or discourage
criminal behavior.
Provide adequate information to justice system
professionals. To protect the safety of professionals
and better serve the needs of individuals
in the system, develop a meaningful
information set for individuals in the system.
This is not a technology issue, but a systems
issue ranking high in the view of police, social
workers, the courts and the corrections system.
22.9
22.10
22.11
22.12
Calculate the costs of crime and punishment.
To get a more accurate assessment of the cost
of crime and punishment, as part of a truth in
spending and legislative impact process, consider
the value of different ways of calculating
for and meeting the costs of incarceration to
keep the cost of punishment affordable.
Evaluate new ways of securing funding for
courts. To meet increasing court costs (including
ADA compliance and security), consider
new funding sources, such as punitive awards
going into a new fund, a sales tax on legal services,
etc.
Adopt a competitively driven social services
model. To eliminate duplication and provide
more effective social work services, adopt a
social services competitive model that focuses
on a single service provider rather than multiple
providers to individuals and families.
Place the court system on a sum certain budget.
To treat all branches equally, place the court
system on a sum certain budget.
Eliminate archaic procedural requirements.
To bring the legal system into the high-tech
visual age, eliminate the requirement that certain
functions or proceedings involve face to
face contact and hard copy (as opposed to electronic
copy). This will generate the greater dialogue
necessary on questions of rights, process,
efficiency and cost effectiveness.
CITIZEN • COMMUNITY • GOVERNMENT — WISCONSIN: THE 21 ST CENTURY 73