Criminal Justice Problem Solving InitiativeWe can all agree that an important goal of the American criminal justice system is rehabilitation. Most, if not all, offenders are expected to learn from their wrongdoings and become productive members of society (Ballenstedt, 2008). It is this thinking that is at the heart of a community initiative designed to bring together law enforcement officials to form a single, concerted effort to identify and combat patterns of crime, alleviate underlying conditions that fuel crime and to involve the community as an actor. active partner (Wolf, Prinicples of Problem-Solving Justice, 2007). It was this effort that identified the problem as failures in the legal process. These failures included slow courts, increased levels of recidivism, and a significant loss of public trust (Ballenstedt, 2008). To address the problem, the program takes a multi-dimensional approach to punishment in non-violent cases. Through this program, judges have more options when sentencing offenses such as drug possession, prostitution or even shoplifting. The concept combines social services and sanctions to reduce the use of costly and ineffective short-term prison sentences for nonviolent offenders and to build community trust in the system (Ballenstedt, 2008). This concept is not new, however. Problem-oriented justice programs can find their roots in several innovations in policing, including community and problem-oriented policing. It is on this basis that law enforcement's traditional role of responding, identifying patterns of crime, mitigating underlying conditions, and engaging the community has been replaced (Wolf, Prinicples of Problem -Solving Justice, 2007). New p...... middle of document...... 2008). "Today, states are at different stages in their attempts to coordinate problem-solving courts. These courts are often complex, involving new partnerships, new roles and of course new actors, both at the inside and outside the courthouse It is important to understand that each problem-solving court will be shaped by local circumstances. As such, problem-solving justice remains as much uncharted territory. today than when it was introduced. Works Cited Ballenstedt, B. (2008, May 1). :FEATURES: :Imperfect Justice (05/01/08) -- Retrieved August 1, 2010 from Government Executive. com: http://www.govexec.com/features/0508-01/0508-01s3.htmWolf, R. (2009). . Wolf, R. (2007). Legal Aid Bureau, Center for Judicial Innovation.