March 2019 Bar Bulletin
By Judge Ketu Shah
With the growth of therapeutic courts in our state and in other parts of the U.S. over the past couple decades, you might wonder if these alternative approaches to justice live up to their promise.
In the case of King County District Court’s Regional Mental Health Court (RMHC), a December 2018 study by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) demonstrates the court “is achieving the goal of reducing recidivism and improving community safety.” The researchers go on to say, “The court appears to be breaking the cycle of criminal involvement for a...