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Plymouth DA unveils plan for Brockton community court; finance committee backs resolve
Summary
The Finance Committee favorably recommended a resolve inviting Plymouth County officials to prepare a community court pilot in Brockton, supported by a $900,000 Department of Justice grant to divert low‑level offenses to treatment and services.
The Brockton Finance Committee on Monday recommended favorably a resolve to invite Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz and partners to prepare a plan for a Brockton community court funded by a $900,000 Department of Justice grant.
DA Timothy Cruz and community court coordinator Jeffrey Smith described the proposal as a restorative, accountability‑based court to handle low‑level, nonviolent misdemeanors and link defendants to mental‑health counseling, substance‑use treatment, housing assistance and other services. Cruz said the program will be countywide in scope but intends to operate out of Brockton District Court as a hub for services and case management.
“This is a county wide court,” Cruz told the committee. “It will be the first community court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” He said the office received the four‑year Department of Justice award last September and that the pilot will draw on best practices from about 34 community courts nationwide.
Jeffrey Smith, who has probation and community‑rehabilitation experience, said the court will provide a case manager who meets defendants before they see a judge, conduct risk assessments and assemble individualized service plans. Officials said the grant contemplates serving roughly 50–55 people in the pilot year and about 600 over the life of the four‑year grant if the program scales as planned.
Councilors expressed broad support but also asked practical questions about where services will be based, how citations and municipal ordinances (including the city’s anti‑encampment ordinance) would feed cases to the court, and whether trial court administrators would accept citations in lieu of traditional preliminary proceedings. Cruz said the administration was working with trial court stakeholders and acknowledged the judiciary has questions; he said the DA’s office would continue discussions to ensure the court can accept appropriate cases and track outcomes.
Councilors said they will support outreach and data collection; several praised the county outreach teams and diversion efforts that have contributed to reductions in juvenile cases and overall crime statistics in recent years. The committee recommended the resolve favorably.
