United States Bankruptcy Court
Access & Fairness survey conducted September 10-15,2007
Survey Results
Rating was done on a five-point scale; 1= strongly disagree and 5= strongly agree with questions Questions Section I. Access Ratings
4.17 4.02 4.56 4.12 4.12 4.31 4.28 4.28 4.25 4.21 1. Finding the courthouse was easy. 2. The forms I needed were clear and easy to understand. 3. I felt safe in the courthouse. 4. The court makes reasonable efforts to remove physical and language barriers to service. 5. I was able to get my court business done in a reasonable amount of time. 6. Court staff paid attention to my needs. 7. I was treated with courtesy and respect. 8. I easily found the courtroom or office I needed. 9. The courts Web site was useful. 10. The court’s hours of operation made it easy for me to do my business.
Section II. Fairness
11. The way my case was handled was fair. 12. The judge listened to my side of the story before he or she made a decision. 13. The judge had the information necessary to make good decisions about my case. 14. I was treated the same as everyone else. 15. As I leave the court, I know what to do next about my case. 4.27 4.39 4.41 4.35 4.47
Overall Average Access Score 4.21
Overall Average Fairness Score 4.37
Thank You, Your Opinion Counts! Please visit our website for more details.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FINDINGS GOAL: Our goal was to achieve at least an average of a 4.0 or better to each question. Overall Average Access and Fairness Scores The United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Illinois had an overall access average of 4.21% and fairness average of 4.37%. In all areas under access and fairness we received a rating of 4.0 or better. We received our highest ratings on question three, “ I felt safe in the courthouse”, and question seven, “ I was treated with courtesy and respect.” Our lowest ratings appeared on question one, “Finding the courthouse was easy” and question two, “The forms I needed were clear and easy to understand.” The reason for the visit to the courthouse 69.3% of our customers came to the courthouse as attorneys representing a client. 9% were filing papers, 7% to get information, 6.1% to attend a hearing or a trail, 4.5% to search for court records or obtain a document, 3.4% to make a payment and 1.1% a party in a legal matter. The number of times visits the courthouse 54% of the respondents visit the courthouse on a regular basis. 17.9% several times a year, 14.6% first time and 13.4% once a year or less. Gender There were more males than females that responded to the survey: 64% males and 36% females. Demographics We also asked our customer to identify themselves. 62.9% identified themselves as White, 26.9% were Black or African American, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 2.8% Asian, 1.4% American Indian or Alaska Native and 1.2% mixed race. Comments We received favorable comments especially in the area of the service in the courthouse. We also received a number of comments in other areas such as: web site, forms, signage, BAPCA and CM/ECF
Based on your feedback, we will focus on the following:
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Improve signage in the Chicago Courthouse. Review forms for clarity and ease of use. Update the website with directions to the courthouses. (Rockford, Chicago, Dupage, Kane, Lake and Will). Assign Clerk’s Office staff to assist in the hallways on heavy court calendar days.
Thanks For Your Input