10% of Buncombe court dates are no-shows; New bilingual court navigator aims to help
ASHEVILLE - Nearly 10% of people with mandated court appearances have not been showing up in Buncombe County court over an eight year span, a misstep that can lead to arrest or criminal charges, said county spokesperson Kassi Day.
And on a day in early March, 11.5% of the Buncombe Detention Center population was comprised of "failure to appear" bookings, she said.
Now, someone is here to help.
On March 8, Buncombe County Justice Services launched a court navigator pilot program, a service never before implemented at the courthouse, according to Diversion Services Manager Joshua Pierce.
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It's part of a "widespread effort to reduce instances of missed court dates and offer more support to justice-impacted individuals," said a March 16 county news release. The new position serves as a first point of contact for courthouse visitors.
The two-year pilot program is funded by the Safety and Justice Challenge and is contracted through Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina. The current contract amount is $58,333, and the position has been filled by Betsy Chavez, who is employed by Goodwill Industries.
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Chavez can be found at an information kiosk inside the courthouse lobby, and her services include:
Directions/wayfinding to assist people in getting where they need to go in the building.
Help people sign up for an automated court reminder system.
Linkage/referrals to justice system and/or community resources for supportive services such as the Justice Resource Center.
Until now, navigation tips were primarily offered by the uniformed officers that run the security check-in by the front door.
“The innovative Court Navigation Program can challenge the barriers of access to our Court System,” notes District Court Judge Julie M. Kepple in the release.
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“Many folks that walk through our courthouse doors experience anxiety, fear, concern and even trauma. Just trying to find the right courtroom or juggling multiple court dates can be stressful and overwhelming. A trained Courthouse Navigator can intervene by providing a more user-friendly approach to navigating our courts, she said.”
Chavez was raised in Western North Carolina, primarily in Henderson County, and is fluent in both Spanish and English. She told the Citizen Times that even in her first week, despite still adjusting to the position, it's been "going great."
“I’ve definitely been able to provide a lot of help, especially being bilingual ... giving (people) that sense of comfort that there are resources out there for them," she said.
“Language barriers tend to escalate that anxiety, but letting them know that the help is there is really important."
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By the numbers
Pierce said that failure to appeal rates were a "huge red flag," noting that a an FTA can lead to arrest. He cited the booking rate earlier in March, and noted it's often on misdemeanors charges.
According to UNC School of Government's Criminal Justice Innovation Lab dashboard, the state non-appearance rate is 14.42%. In data collected between 2014 and 2021, Buncombe County has a 9.84% non-appearance rate. This represents 174,057 incidents.
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Even under 10% is still too high, Pierce said. With Chavez on board, "we hope to bring that number down."
“We want to reduce that percentage of folks not appearing … and get them education, support and resources,” he said.
In 2020 and 2021 court non-appearance numbers decreased statewide, and Buncombe County was no exception. Data for 2022 and 2023 is not yet available on the dashboard.
Pierce hopes a "warm reception" will help alleviate discomfort and anxiety, and that Chavez's position will help them pick out other trends that might need addressing: such as lack of transportation or specific treatment needs.
For help in the courthouse, visit the kiosk in the lobby, or call the Justice Resource Center at 828-250-6401. Sign up for automated court date reminders at https://buncombenc.courtdates.org/.
Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Struggling to navigate Buncombe courts? New position is here to help
