The courts, along with some problem-solving courts, appear punitive in nature and focus on accountability rather than recovery. The criminal justice system has been slow to implement the trauma-informed model into their case processing system. By using a more trauma-informed approach in the court system, early identification and interventions provide alternative treatment methods and specialized services that address the deep-rooted trauma and thereby reduce recidivism.

NORC employs several subject matter experts who study and evaluate various types of problem-solving courts and their impact on participants. They have expertise in juvenile and criminal justice reform, violence prevention and support services, human trafficking, sexual assault, substance abuse, and traffic safety related to impaired driving. Our experts evaluate the delivery and effectiveness of various types of interventions to better identify best practices for serving the target clientele that will improve service delivery and outcomes for participants.

With support from the National Institute of Justice, NORC conducted formative research and an evaluability assessment of a trafficking victims' services and victim service delivery model centered in a problem-solving court. NORC partnered with the Buffalo City Court, Erie County, New York and the International Institute of Buffalo to describe the management and referral of criminal cases of trafficked persons to one or more of over two dozen victim service provider agencies collaborating with the Court in a partnership model.

NORC, in collaboration with American University and the Urban Institute, is evaluating training and technical assistance (TTA) provided to human trafficking courts across the U.S. Maximizing OVC’s Survivor Assistance in Court Settings (MOSAICS). This will assist human trafficking courts implementing trauma-responsive policies and procedures to better identify survivors of human trafficking, provide legal and social services tailored to their needs, and reduce the infliction of harm to survivors as they move through court proceedings.