Training for Police Departments in Procedural Justice

The National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice launched a three-day procedural justice training in its six pilot sites in February 2016. The six National Initiative cities—Birmingham, AL; Fort Worth, TX; Gary, IN; Minneapolis, MN; Pittsburgh, PA; and Stockton, CA—all began implementing a two-day training in procedural justice that was co-developed by Professors Tracey Meares and Tom Tyler in collaboration with the Chicago Police Department. The training is being implemented using a train-the-trainers model.

The National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice is part of the Department of Justice designed to improve relationships and increase trust between communities and the criminal justice system. It also aims to advance the public and scholarly understandings of the issues contributing to those relationships.

The initial training will last two days. The goal of the first unit of training will be to teach officers the concepts of procedural justice and how to incorporate those ideas into their daily routines, particularly during their interactions with the public. The second unit of training will build upon the first, incorporating scenario-based exercises. The third unit of training, focusing on implicit bias, will take place later this summer.

Read the National Initiative’s announcement.