What are the Goals and Objectives of the Master Plan?
Court Capital Projects

The goal of the statewide Master Plan for Court Facilities is to set a framework for court facility capital improvements. Since the first Courthouse Improvement Act of 1988, there have been numerous capital appropriations targeted to improving the condition of the Commonwealth's courthouses. These appropriations respond to both short and long term planning categories ranging from emergency repairs at community located District courthouses, planning and building regional justice centers to house multiple Trial Court Departments serving several communities and, more broadly, access to justice at all courthouse facilities statewide.

To accomplish these objectives, the master plan:

• Establishes and applies objective criteria for ranking facilities according to relative need based on building conditions, caseload, overcrowding and other factors;
  
  
• Creates a methodology for setting priorities for planning court capital improvements, including new construction, renovations and repairs;
  
  
• Provides for periodic review of project priorities and allows for adjustments based on new information, changed circumstances and funding availability;
  
  
• Identifies the design principles that will guide the courthouse capital improvements;
  
  
• Identifies operational and organizational changes that could ease overcrowding instead of or in addition to capital projects.