Criminal Court Judge Robert E. Cupp of the 1st Judicial District, including Carter, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties, was recipient of a State Justice Institute (SJI) scholarship to attend a five-day course dealing with punishment.
“Psychology and Practice of Punishment,” sponsored by the American Academy of Judicial Education, focused on the justification and purposes of punishment. The course also appraised new attempts to understand punishment. Topics included restorative justice, the character of mercy, shaming punishments and the death penalty. Cupp and other participants at the West Yellowstone, MT, conference took part in theoretical discussions and addressed practical problems in judging.
The State Justice Institute was created by federal law in 1984 to award grants to improve the quality of justice in state courts, facilitate better coordination between state and federal courts and assist with solutions to common judicial system problems. SJI has awarded approximately $120 million to support more than 1,000 projects.