ACEs Informed Courts

North Carolina is the first state to offer free educational content to all Judicial Branch employees about trauma-informed practices and policies in the court system. Chief Justice Paul Newby, District Attorney Ben David (New Hanover / Pender Counties), former North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) Director Judge Andrew T. Heath, and Elizabeth Star of HopeStar Foundation were instrumental in making this happen.

The mission of the Chief Justice’s Task Force on ACEs-Informed Courts is to enable Judicial Branch stakeholders to understand the impact on children from exposure to ACEs (both Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adverse Community Environments); and to develop strategies for addressing the consequences of ACEs within our court system. This task force is working to:

• • Provide practical education on the effects of ACEs to judges and court administrators;
  • Help juvenile court officials recognize young offenders and victims impacted by ACEs;
  • Identify existing programs, and design new programs, that help young ACEs offenders and victims affected by ACEs becomes successful adults;
  • Provide a platform for court officials to offer feedback to educators regarding their experiences, with the hope of creating further avenues for research on this important topic.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources to help juvenile justice professionals (including judges, attorneys, law enforcement, probation officers, frontline residential staff, and mental health personnel) understand and provide trauma-focused services to these youth, create trauma-informed juvenile justice systems that are effective ,and ensure the safety of youth, family members, staff, and community. Here you can find resources, reports, webinars, trainings, as well as the Essential Elements of a Trauma-Informed Juvenile Justice System. (https://www.nctsn.org/trauma-informed-care/creating-trauma-informed-systems/justice)

Back to the top