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Neighborhood Justice and Collaborative Courts Unit (NJU) Informational Links

Community Prosecution and Community Policing

Community Courts, Alternative Sentencing, and Prevention Programs

The Neighborhood Prosecution Unit is involved in several alternative sentencing programs and community courts. In our alternative courts, offenders give back to the community in which they have committed certain crimes. Our alternative sentencing programs are aimed at intervention, diversion, and reducing recidivism.

  • Beach Area Community Court: BACC is an alternative court that is a unique collaboration between the office of the City Attorney, the San Diego Police Department, Discover Pacific Beach, Scripps Hospital, and the Park and Recreation Department, striving to stop quality of life crimes in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and Mission Bay Park areas. BACC participants who complete both the educational session and community service session receives the benefit of no criminal charges being filed against them.
  • Homeless Court: The Homeless Court Program (HCP) is a special monthly Superior Court session where homeless participants can voluntarily resolve outstanding misdemeanor offenses and warrants. The HCP builds on partnerships between the court, the prosecutor, the public defender, local shelters, service agencies, and homeless participants. The homeless service agencies and providers are the gateway to the HCP. Fines and custody are replaced with participation in service provider programs completed prior to appearing at the HCP session. Cases are dismissed or reduced in consideration for demonstrated accomplishments in program activities.
  • Prostitution Impact Panel: The Prostitution Impact Panel (P.I.P.) is a three-hour educational panel for first-time, customer-side prostitution offenders ("john" offenders). Through a series of panelists, (including former prostitutes and community members), offenders are exposed to the far-reaching impacts of prostitution activity on San Diego communities.
  • Serial Inebriate Program: The San Diego City Attorney's Office partners with the San Diego Police Department, San Diego Superior Courts, Mental Health Systems, Inc., San Diego Emergency Medical Services, San Diego Sheriff's Department, County Alcohol and Drug Services, the Office of the Public Defender, and St. Vincent de Paul Village, in an effort to end the revolving door of chronic drunkenness with the Serial Inebriate Program ("SIP"). Under SIP, chronic offenders facing Penal Code § 647(f) charges are given the option to complete substance abuse treatment in County-funded treatment programs in lieu of serving custody time.

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