西雅图推「衔接法庭」：轻罪非暴力犯可以服务代刑，市长称打破恶性循环
西雅图市检察官埃丽卡·埃文斯（Erika Evans）10月8日宣布启动一项名为「衔接法庭」（Connection Court）的量刑新机制：被判有罪的轻微非暴力犯罪者，可以用戒毒治疗、就业帮扶、医保接入、同伴支持等服务代替服刑或缴纳罚金。该法庭已于10月7日首次开庭。
「解决本市严峻的公共安全挑战，需要持久地改变人的行为。我办理刑事案件的经验告诉我，一刀切的政策无法带来我们需要的长期改变，」埃文斯在10月8日的新闻发布会上表示。「明智的司法意味着：对屡次违法者追究责任，同时帮助那些愿意被帮助的人——在这个过程中保持监督与问责。」
市长凯蒂·威尔逊（Katie Wilson）对该项目表示支持。「『衔接法庭』认识到，有复杂需求的人需要量身定制的办法。如果有人在我们的刑事司法系统里反复循环，那就说明某些环节出了问题，」威尔逊在市检察官办公室的声明中说，「这是一种深思熟虑、有意为之的做法，在保持问责的同时打破循环。」
不过，该模式也引发质疑。一些公设辩护人称其为「缩水版」，认为与2020年在「弗洛伊德抗议」高峰期设立、2023年被取消的「社区法庭」（Community Court）大同小异。
据《西雅图时报》10月9日报道，「衔接法庭」是威尔逊政府公共安全组合拳的一部分：上周，市议会还以7比2通过了全美首个禁止「监控定价」的《公平定价与透明法案》，市长已于10月6日签署。与此同时，市长支持率正面临考验——近期民调显示其支持率下滑，选民对治安与商业环境的担忧仍在发酵。「衔接法庭」能否在问责与帮扶之间找到平衡，将成为检验其「进步派重置」承诺的试金石。
Seattle Launches "Connection Court," Offering Services Instead of Jail for Low-Level Offenders
Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans announced on October 8 a new sentencing program called "Connection Court": people convicted of low-level, nonviolent offenses can engage in substance-use treatment, job support, health benefits and peer support instead of serving jail time or paying fines. The court convened for the first time on October 7.
"Solving our city's serious public safety challenges requires changing people's behavior, in ways that last. My experience prosecuting criminal cases taught me that one-size-fits-all policies do not deliver those long-term changes we need," Evans said at the October 8 press conference. "Smart justice means holding people accountable who repeatedly break the law, and also helping those who are ready to be helped, while maintaining supervision and accountability as that process plays out."
Mayor Katie Wilson praised the program. "Connection Court recognizes that people with complex needs need tailored approaches. If individuals are cycling through our criminal legal system over and over that means something isn't working," Wilson said in a statement from the City Attorney's Office, calling it "a thoughtful, intentional approach to break that cycle while maintaining accountability."
The model has drawn skepticism. Some public defenders called it "watered-down," likening it to the "Community Court" established in 2020 at the height of the George Floyd protests and scrapped in 2023.
According to the Seattle Times' October 9 report, Connection Court is part of the Wilson administration's broader public-safety package: last week the City Council also passed the nation's first ban on "surveillance pricing" in the Fair Pricing and Transparency Ordinance, signed by the mayor on October 6. Meanwhile the mayor faces headwinds — recent polls show her approval sliding as voters remain worried about safety and the business climate. Whether Connection Court can strike the balance between accountability and support will be a test of her "progressive reset" promise.
图片来源：图：西雅图金县法院大楼。摄影：Joe Mabel，CC BY-SA 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
