Youth Justice Council, a part of our Restorative Justice program, offers the juvenile offender, the family, the community, as well as the victim, the opportunity to develop a disposition that fits the crime. The ultimate goal is to include community members in the process, to identify and repair the harm caused by the offender, and to integrate offenders into their community.
How does it work?
- A juvenile case is referred to the Community Mediation Center by Youth Probation
- The Youth Justice Council meets with the juvenile and their parent(s) or legal guardian
- A disposition that addresses the crime and supports the youth and their family is proposed by the Youth Justice Council, discussed with the youth and their family and implemented
- The youth and their parent(s) or legal guardian meet with the Council for ongoing progress reports until the disposition is completed
Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice is based on the premise that communities will be strengthened if local citizens participate in responding to crime. The program:
- Recognizes that offenders harm victims, communities and even themselves rather than defining crime only as lawbreaking
- Includes both victims and communities ratmher than giving key roles only to the legal system and the offender
- Measures how much harm has been repaired or prevented rather than measuring how much punishment has been inflicted
- Recognizes the importance of community involvement and initiative in responding to and reducing crime rather than leaving the problem of crime to the legal system alone
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