Historically, judges have sanctioned defendants for breaking laws or for causing harm to other parties.  Depending on the severity of the offense, judges could impose a number of sanctions, like monetary fines, jail or prison sentences, or community service. When processing cases in this traditional manner, at times the Courts may overlook the underlying issues that cause some defendants to consistently reoffend – and tax the courts’ scarce resources. In recent years, Courts have come up with alternate ways of addressing these types of cases by setting up special courts.