Using Restorative Justice Principles in Youthwork

1. Using Restorative Justice Principles in Youthwork Elizabeth Raile, M.S.Beltrami Area Service Collaborative and MN Department of Corrections

2. Delinquency Intervention Program • Supervision for youths adjudicated for petty offenses • Pre-adjudication diversion programs June 2012-Community Crime Prevention Grant • Restorative Programming

3. When a young person causes harm, what do they need most from adults?

4. Why Do People NOT Break the Law/Rules? • Incentives (Rewards) • Sanctions (Consequences) • Certainty of punishment • Speed of punishment • Severity of punishment • “…motivation to cooperate with others, [which is] rooted in social relationships and ethical judgments.” (T.R. Tyler, 2006).

5. “HUMANS ARE SOCIAL CREATURES”

6. What do we know about young people? • Under-developed brains • Immature • Irresponsible • Lack sufficient ability to understand broad concepts • Impulsive • Extremely vulnerable to peer pressure

7. When a young person causes harm, what do they need most from adults?

8. Punishment • 1980s- Drastic rise in juvenile crime • PUNISH PUNISHPUNISH! • Perceived threat to the community • Belief that “offenders” are incapable of change • Belief that victims want more PUNISHMENT!

9. RETRIBUTION • Definitions: • Punishment • Vengeance • Something justly deserved • Something given or demanded for repayment • Recompense

10. The Retributive Lens THE QUESTIONS ASKED: • What laws/rules were broken? • Who did it? • What punishment do they deserve?(Where are the relationships?)

11. Labeling and Dis-Integrative Shaming Labeling Dis-Integrative Shaming PERSON focused LABELS the person STIGMATIZES the person • “The person becomes the thing he is described as being.”

12. RESTORATION • Definition(s): • Bringing back to a former position or condition • Returning to a normal or healthy condition • Reinstatement

13. The Restorative Lens THE QUESTIONS ASKED: • Who has been harmed? • What are their needs? • What are the obligations and whose are they? (HERE are the relationships!)

14. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE • Crime causes harm to real people, directly and indirectly. • The person responsible for causing the harm creates an obligation to make things right to those negatively affected. • Once the person has taken action to repair the harm, the community must re-accept the person as a pro-social part of the community.

15. ACCOUNTABILITY • Definitions: • Answerability • Liability • The expectation of “account-giving”

16. RE-INTEGRATIVE SHAMING • BEHAVIOR focused • RESPECT for the offender • Avoids LABELING • RE-ACCEPTS the offender

17. RESTORATIVE JUSTICEIN PRACTICE • Reliant on the participation of and conversation amongst all stakeholders in the incident of harm • Victims • Offenders • Community • Intended to • Increase community safety • Increase accountability • Increase competency

18. RESTORATIVE PRACTICES • Victim Empathy Seminars • Victim Impact Panels • Family Group Conferencing • Peacemaking Circles • Sentencing Circles • Victim-Offender Mediation • Restorative Group Conferencing

19. RESTORATIVE GROUP CONFERENCING • Youth responsible for harm • Parents/guardians • Person(s) harmed by youth’s actions • Support individuals for youth and victim(s) • Strategic and supportive resources for youth and victim(s) • Community volunteers • OUTCOME: Signed Agreement reached by consensus

20. Through Restorative JusticeTHE VICTIM • Is actively involved • Can tell their story • May ask questions • May find/experience community support • Can participate in deciding the appropriate outcome!

21. Through Restorative JusticeTHE OFFENDER • Is actively involved • May tell his/her story • MAY APOLOGIZE

22. APOLOGIES IN TRADITIONAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

23. Through Restorative JusticeTHE OFFENDER • Is actively involved • May tell his/her story • MAY APOLOGIZE • May find/experience community support • May learn real accountability and EMPATHY for others

24. EMPATHY AND YOUNG PEOPLE

25. Through Restorative JusticeTHE OFFENDER • Is actively involved • May tell his/her story • MAY APOLOGIZE • May find/experience community support • May learn real accountability and empathy for others • CONSTRUCTIVE role in the community

26. Looking at youth through aRESOURCE LENS • Capable and Competent • Possessing skills, attributes, abilities • Capable of developing pro-social skills • Capable of making and meeting positive goals • Energy can be harnessed in a positive direction • Able to bond, and be accessible to positive influences • RESOURCES in and to their community! WHEN A YOUNG PERSON CAUSES HARM, WHAT DO THEY NEED MOST FROM ADULTS?

27. RESTORATIVE PRACTICES TRANSCEND “SYSTEMS”

28. Restorative Practice in the Justice System • Prevention and Early Intervention • Diversion • Pre-Sentencing • Probation • Institutions • Parole and Re-entry

29. Restorative Practices in Education • Classroom role plays to teach restorative skills • ISS • OSS • Expulsions • Returns to programming

30. Restorative Practices in Social Services • Prevention and early intervention • Pre-placement of youth • Institutions • Reunification with family

31. COLLABORATION!

32. QUESTIONS? Thank you! Elizabeth RaileDelinquency Interventionist619 Beltrami Avenue NW Suite 200 Bemidji, MN 56601 (218) 333-4218 elizabeth.raile@co.beltrami.mn.us