Courthouse Violence

Protecting the Judicial Workplace

Violence in courthouses is very prevalent. The courthouses themselves are filled with individuals have committed crimes against individuals and society, and these individuals can often become explosive. This volume of The Annals discusses the violence seen in courthouses. It delves in to how this violence transcends the courthouse walls and expands to the homes of the individuals who work in the courthouses. This volume, Courthouse Violence: Protecting the Judicial Workplace, cites specific examples of violence and how the victims may even be trying to help the accused individual.

This volume of The Annals focuses on citing examples and research to help better the reader's understanding of what kind of violence is out there and how it can be avoided. The purpose of this volume is to identify the basic issues involved in courthouse violence so that appropriate security measures can be discussed, decided upon, and implemented in the courthouse setting. Some of the issues that are discussed for clarification are:

· The type of violence seen in courthouses

· Who's at risk for becoming victims?

· What types of courts are most susceptible?

· Who's likely to become violent in the courthouse setting?

· What are their motives for becoming violent?

Finally, the volume discusses planning that is being done or can be done to help limit or even eliminate the threats of violence on courthouse officials. It discusses the financial implications as well as physical and architectural changes that must be made to make the courthouses safe for all that work there or need to visit.