Kristel Ann Foster

Criminal Justice / Public Safety

Are we treating some defendants, attorneys or victims differently than others? Is there a trend in what kind of person gets one thing versus another kind of person who gets something else? We must catch our biases and adjust when we notice them. Learn more

It is often our community members only experience in court, when our work is something we do daily or hourly. When a standard plea is offered, charges are reduced or pleas wrapped together, for example, it facilitates our work, but we can’t work so quickly that we compromise anyone’s understanding. People must understand the agreements they are being offered, and what is expected of them next. Or if their case goes to trial, what legal judgment was just entered, and if anything is expected of them afterwards. Learn more

Court can be intimidating and confusing. We should meet people at their level, if that’s in a different language, or simplified English, everyday vocabulary, or a visual handout to follow along. Everyone should leave with more information, more understanding, than when they arrived. It should be worth their time while they showed up today. Everyone should leave knowing what the next step or decision is that they are being asked to make, or will have to make, the next time we meet with them. Learn more

We often note that a court date will last ‘one minute” and many wait and wait for that one-minute meeting with us for their case. We should reflect on how much time we’re asking each visitor to wait for us and why. We should talk as a team about what we can do, each in our own role, to expedite the time, without sacrificing justice, or anyone’s understanding. Learn more