The Columbia Homeless Court has been an inspiring success story in our community

The City of Columbia has been honored by the Municipal Association of South Carolina with the 2020 Achievement Award in the Public Safety Category.

The award is for the City of Columbia Homeless Court, which was the first of its kind in South Carolina when it was established nearly six years ago.

The Homeless Court is a voluntary program created to help individuals who are currently homeless or were homeless at the time of an offense that falls within the criteria of participation in the Homeless Court.

The purpose of the Homeless Court is to encourage participants to receive and complete treatment and rehabilitation programs in exchange for the dismissal of the fines associated with their criminal offenses.

In some cases the charges may be dismissed.

Given their living situation, our homeless population comes into contact with law enforcement more often than most citizens.

They are sometimes issued citations are issued that result in fines which they are unable to pay — which in turn leads to warrants and arrests.

Break the cycle

We needed to do something to break this cycle.

Beginning in 2013 a working group was established that consisted of:

▪ The Columbia police chief.

▪ The chief judge of the Municipal Court.

▪ The Richland County solicitor.

▪ The Public Defender’s office.

▪ Representatives of organizations that provide services to the homeless (including Transitions, Appleseed and the United Way).

▪ Representatives from the law firm of Nelson Mullins.

▪ Representatives from the South Carolina Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission.

This group met on a monthly basis to design the working concept of the Homeless Court.

Successful elsewhere

Drawing on the successful experiences of similar courts in California and Alabama, the committee approached the South Carolina Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and the Homeless Court was created as an alternative court in September 2014.

The first session of the court was held on January 27, 2015.

Although the Homeless Court convenes in a shelter for the homeless, it is a real court. A municipal judge presides, the solicitor prosecutes the case and the public defender represents the defendant.

The court gives the homeless offender an opportunity to have a positive experience within the court system — and to regain their dignity through employment and housing.

It has achieved the goal of reducing recidivism.

It has improved the quality of life for our homeless citizens by giving them treatment and other services — but it has also improved our entire community.

The success of the Columbia Homeless Court has led to similar courts being established in five other South Carolina cities.

Law enforcement and judicial officials from all over the Southeast now come to visit Columbia to see the court in action.

It has become a laboratory for social scientists, judges and law enforcement officials to see how a unique approach can improve the relationship between the homeless population and the overall community.

I would like to offer my congratulations to all of the partners that have worked for years to create and sustain the Columbia Homeless Court.

Howard Duvall is an At-Large councilman on Columbia City Council.

This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 3:42 PM.