Washington State Center for Court Research
The Washington State Center for Court Research (WSCCR) is the research arm of the Administrative Office of the Courts, established by order of the Washington State Supreme Court. Our work helps guide judicial policy, connects courts with communities and stakeholders, and improves the functioning and fairness of our judicial system. We serve judges, court professionals, all other participants in the judicial process, and all who reside in Washington State.
Access to Justice and Community Engagement
WSCCR strives to incorporate access to justice and community engagement considerations into all of our work. Several current research programs use administrative data and court user feedback to examine issues related to fair and equitable access to justice throughout Washington's courts.
Court Operations
WSCCR supports the professional administration of Washington courts. The most fundamental need of court administration is having enough judges and commissioners to handle the workload. WSCCR helps courts assess the number and nature of cases they handle and develop valid estimates of courts' needs for judicial officers and other staffing.
Criminal Justice System
WSCCR provides accurate and timely information about the criminal justice system and people involved in it. We also deliver to courts information and research findings regarding best practices in court administration. WSCCR staff analyze data and publish statistics, graphics, and reports to help people understand who is involved with courts, how courts respond, and the effects of court actions. This information is provided to courts, justice system stakeholders, policy makers, and the people of Washington State.
Data Governance
Data accessibility improves justice system transparency and function. WSCCR makes data available in dashboards, reports, and presentations. Valid, relevant, and timely information makes court operations more accountable, connected, and responsive, and supports courts in their objective to deliver effective and accessible justice.
Dependency
WSCCR's dependency research and performance feedback program improves Washington courts' service to children and families in the dependency system. We do this to create safe, nurturing, and stable outcomes for children and families. WSCCR's assessment of process and outcomes promotes collaboration across juvenile and dependency systems, and helps courts build internal capacity to make evidence-informed decisions through data, training, and hands-on support.
Juvenile Justice System
Washington juvenile courts aim to balance rehabilitation with accountability, incorporating research-based risk assessments, practice models, and therapeutic interventions into their work. WSCCR supports juvenile courts at various stages of the justice process with data development, analysis, and reporting, so that courts can understand their impact on the lives of youth and communities.
Therapeutic Courts
Therapeutic courts are an alternative to the adversarial legal process. They use an interdisciplinary team of professionals who create supports for sustained behavior change and connect participants to treatment and services. WSCCR supports therapeutic courts by providing tailored trainings, building collaborative learning communities, supporting continuous quality improvement, providing process and outcome evaluations, and supporting data development at the local and state level.
