Law Archives - Justice Speakers Institute

Building an Evidence-Based Justice Response to Substance Use Disorders

Tuesday, 29 September 2026 by Hon. Brian MacKenzie (Ret.)

The conclusion to JSI’s six-part substance use disorders series brings its principles together and offers practical steps for courts and justice agencies.

Published in Law, Substance Use Disorder

Tagged under: Community Supervision, Evidence-based justice, Public Safety, Recovery, Substance Use Disorders, Treatment Courts

Connecticut Chief Justice Raheem L. Mullins on Court Leadership

Thursday, 24 September 2026 by Justice Speakers Institute

Chief Justice Raheem L. Mullins discusses mental health courts, artificial intelligence, court modernization, judicial security, public trust, and Connecticut’s judicial selection process.

Published in Chief Justices of America, Law, Podcast

Tagged under: Artificial Intelligence in Courts, Connecticut court modernization, Connecticut mental health court, Connecticut Supreme Court, Judicial leadership, public trust in courts

Substance Use Disorder Stigma: Language and Attitudes Matter

Tuesday, 15 September 2026 by Hon. Brian MacKenzie (Ret.)

Language and attitudes can influence how justice professionals evaluate behavior, impose accountability, and respond to treatment and recovery. Principle 5 examines how substance use disorder stigma affects justice-system decisions and why evidence must take precedence over labels and assumptions.

Published in Law, Problem Solving Courts, Substance Use Disorder

Tagged under: Evidence-Based Practices, Medications for Opioid Use Disorder, Procedural Fairness, Stigma, Substance Use Disorders, Treatment Courts

Nebraska Chief Justice Jeffrey J. Funke on the Future of Justice

Thursday, 10 September 2026 by Justice Speakers Institute

Chief Justice Jeffrey J. Funke discusses judicial leadership, treatment courts, artificial intelligence, public trust, rural access to justice, and the future of Nebraska’s courts.

Published in Chief Justices of America, Concepts in Problem Solving Courts, Law, Podcast, Technology

Tagged under: Artificial Intelligence in Courts, Chief Justice Jeffrey J. Funke, Criminal Justice Reform, Justice Reform, Justice Speaks Podcast, Nebraska Supreme Court

Evidence-Based Responses to Substance Use Disorders

Tuesday, 08 September 2026 by Hon. Brian MacKenzie (Ret.)

Evidence should guide how the justice system responds to substance use disorders. Effective practices match interventions to individual risk and need, use drug-testing information appropriately, reinforce positive behavior, implement proven models with fidelity, and measure whether programs achieve their intended outcomes.

Published in Law, Substance Use Disorder

Tagged under: Criminal Justice Reform, Drug Testing, Evidence-Based Practices, Substance Use Disorders, Treatment Courts

Accountability and substance use disorder recovery in the justice system

Accountability: Recovery and Public Safety Can Coexist

Tuesday, 01 September 2026 by Hon. Brian MacKenzie (Ret.)

Accountability does not have to mean punishment alone. Principle 3 of JSI’s Substance Use Disorder series examines how purposeful responses, treatment, procedural fairness, and clear expectations can promote both recovery and lasting public safety.

Published in Law, Medication Assisted Treatment, Procedural Justice, Substance Use Disorder

Tagged under: Accountability, Community Supervision, Criminal Justice, Procedural Fairness, Public Safety, Recovery, Substance Use Disorders, Treatment Courts

Substance Use Disorders Are Treatable: Recovery Is Possible

Tuesday, 25 August 2026 by Hon. Brian MacKenzie (Ret.)

Substance use disorders are treatable, and recovery is possible. Principle 2 of JSI's framework examines what effective treatment means for courts, prosecutors, law enforcement, community supervision, and treatment court teams.

Published in Law, Substance Use Disorder, Treatment

Tagged under: Addiction Treatment, Criminal Justice, MOUD, Recovery, Substance Use Disorders, SUD Treatment

substance use disorders and the justice system

Understanding Substance Use Disorders in the Justice System

Tuesday, 18 August 2026 by Hon. Brian MacKenzie (Ret.)

Science has changed what we know about substance use disorders. Principle One of JSI’s framework examines what that understanding means for judges, prosecutors, supervision professionals, corrections, and the justice system.

Published in Law, Substance Use Disorder

Tagged under: Addiction, Criminal Justice, Dependency, Recovery, Substance Use Disorders, SUD

Specialty Courts: What the Evidence Actually Shows

Tuesday, 04 August 2026 by Hon. Brian MacKenzie (Ret.)

Do specialty courts improve public safety and reduce recidivism? This evidence-based review examines current research on treatment courts, addresses common criticisms, and explains what today's evidence and national best practice standards actually show.

Published in Law, Problem Solving Courts

Tagged under: Drug Treatment Courts, evidence-based treatment courts, Problem-Solving Courts, Specialty Courts, treatment court outcomes, treatment court research, Treatment Courts

Words Matter: How Language Shapes Justice in Treatment Courts

Tuesday, 28 July 2026 by David Wallace

Words influence more than conversation—they shape perception, reduce or reinforce stigma, and affect how justice is experienced. Discover why language is an essential component of treatment courts, procedural justice, and evidence-based practices that support long-term recovery.

Published in Law, Problem Solving Courts, Substance Use Disorder

Tagged under: Language, Procedural justice, Stigma, Substance Use Disorder, Treatment Courts