Kristin Elia, Executive Office, 206-477-8209, Main phone: 206-263-9600 Some restorative justice advocates including people who spent time in youth detention centers challenge the additional scrutiny shown to young people charged with serious crimes, particularly violent ones. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Since 2021, Collective Justice has been receiving cases pre-charge . Within the first year, RCP aims to divert 400 low-level, first-time juvenile cases to an existing network of restorative justice organizations that provide immediate responses and support for youth and harmed parties. This is a new "restorative justice" program that provides alternatives to jail time. Restorative Community Pathways has funds to offer the victims of crimes immediate restitution without going through a lengthy court process, Hung said. One had arrived in the facility earlier that day; another had spent nearly 640 days in detention for a first-degree rape charge. Full Bio. Suggesting anything else is inaccurate.. KC Councilmember Reagan Dunn wanted to pause the program after local mayors expressed concern. Many youth avoid secure detention. A big point of contention surrounding the program was gun violence and other violent crime. Restorative Community Pathways is an evidence and community-based program to help change a youths behavior, reducing crime and creating a better future for themselves, their families, and our community, said Executive Constantine. TTY: Relay: 711 The same person who goes through the justice system as a victim one day goes through as a defendant the next. If the county wants to find alternatives to detention for the young people facing serious felony charges, she said, the solution may involve offering victim support services more widely. The Restorative Community Coalition Phone: 360-354-3653 Email: mail@therestorativecommunity.org Mailing address: PO Box 31026, Bellingham, WA 98228 Office Address: Bakerview Square Business Suites 410 W. Bakerview Rd Suite 110, Rm #145 Bellingham, WA 98226 Dunn said his concerns with the program are with some felonies that the program included such as certain assault charges, which he said he believes youth should have to see a judge in order to be held accountable. If youre a gang leader, who are you going to recruit to carry out your thefts and burglaries? Their program has the juvenile participate in one-on-one workshops that, according to the organizations website, has shifted toward a virtual model.. It will also depend on how the entities guiding the process both in county government and in the nonprofit sector define the end of youth detention.. But Goode and other advocates for diversionary programs also see the need for some means to separate young people from their community during a serious behavioral crisis. See more of Covid19 Mutual Aid - Seattle on Facebook Dunn also proposed the motion on behalf of the mayors of Auburn, Federal Way, Kent and Renton cities that have experienced a major uptick in crime and with mayors who have previously opposed the Restorative Community Pathways program. Hung said the way Dunn and other community leaders have framed restorative justice as being separate or counter to community safety is misguided. . Rep. Kirsten Harris-Talley 37th Legislative District, Co-Sponsor. . As part of RCP, youth are able to connect to services and interventions aimed at repairing the harm that they caused and reducing their likelihood of reoffending. Restorative Programs focus on prevention and early intervention using three models: Family Intervention andRestorative Services (FIRS), Step Up, and Diversion. Follow us and connect below: 1429 AVENUE D #262, SNOHOMISH, WA, 98290-1742. This includes increased gun violence in domestic violence situations, around homelessness, and interestingly enough, road rage. Washingtons COVID-19 exposure notification app is scheduled to conclude May 11 in tandem with the end of the Public Health. And thats where I think the community comes in and they do a much much better job than we could ever do.. Office Address: One can presume that this same foundational premise will be used for the adult version of this program the county intends to start soon. At the end of a Thursday in early March, 28 teenagers sat in the King County Juvenile Detention Center on Alder Street in Seattles Central District. Whether its becoming a mentor or our helping with vital behind-the-scenes administration, your volunteer time restores and saves lives! King County Executive She argued that RCP was designed to better address and rehabilitate these behaviors and do so better than the court system, criminal records and incarceration have ever done. "RCP at its core is a program that provides healing and restoration for youth. Critically, RCP also provides equal resources and support to victims. Jun 2022 - Present11 months. At the same time, Change Washington believes other reforms should include the following: Theres been enough wasted spending and no accountability when it comes to addressing the homelessness crisis in King County. If a youth does not complete a Diversion Agreement or does not respond to requests to meet to establish a Diversion Agreement,Juvenile Court sends the case back to the prosecutor, at which time the prosecutor might decide to file criminal charges. Phone: 360-354-3653 We are looking at every option to scrape together the money we need to deal with the economic climate were in, as well as the urgent need to press ahead right now, while we have the chance on racial justice.. In comparison, data from the State Department of Children, Youth, and Families showed that from 2011 through 2018 juveniles sent to state prison have a recidivism rate of between 49% and 58% annually. Beyond this, the community-based. Actor and comedian Tim Allen is an example of that after being given a reduced sentence for drug charges when he was a young adult. Henok Gebreyohannes. The great thing about Restorative Community Pathways is that the folks in the community who run this program treat the person who has been harmed and the person who has caused harm as equals and they provide support for both of them, Hung said. FAX: 206-296-0194, Dan Satterberg, King County Prosecuting Attorney, Sheila Ater Capestany, Children Youth and Young Adults Division Director, Department of Community and Human Services, Sean Goode, Executive Director, Choose 180 Program, Find certified small business contractors and suppliers, data from the State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The FIRS Center is a safe, positive, andsupportive space. the King Countys Restorative Community Pathways (RCP) program, Contact King County Executive Dow Constantine, actual shootings preceded by telltale warning signs, Seattle Mayor plans to focus on root causes of homelessess, Dont be fooled by homeless spending proposals, We need a better approach to end homelessness, Criminal youth dictating how the program is run, Zoom meetings as punishment for organized theft and burglaries, Refusal by prosecutors to file charges even for serious offenses. Though the distinction between serious felonies and other charges usually rests on the existence of a victim, Jordan and other advocates pointed to a hole in that reasoning. Jay Inslee for his expected signing. Then also have a reality check on the very real damage that it causes to human capital.. Instead of court, some people who've committed a crime could. Similarly, Jordan suggested that young people who are unable to have a positive response to out-patient restorative justice programs might need a long term in-patient care facility staffed by counselors who have experienced mental health crises, substance abuse, systemic racism, and housing insecurity. Obviously there are some that are unlikely to reoffend or are better suited getting therapy than facing jailtime, but that is impossible to determine when the entire basis of the program is that the criminal is the real victim and the system itself is the criminal. Thats why our Coalition did a deep dive into the school-to-prison pipeline. Also, some downtown buildings are not open to the public due to a project to close the Administration Building and relocate the agencies affected. Our community-centered, evidence-based model provides an alternative to the current criminal legal system. We will gather a wealth of wisdom from our diversity: 1) Join us at our monthly community Membership meeting to learn from others directly about their experiences, their problems and resolutions. If a young person goes through programming and they end up slipping back into behavior thats challenging or problematic, then people look at the work and say, Oh, well, this program didnt work, he said. Its quite possible that the treatment that we used wasnt the appropriate treatment. team are to define what restorative practices are and are not, identify pathways for gathering relevant qualitative data, assess the readiness and engagement levels of schools and staff, and evolve and strengthen relationships between the team, the department, schools, and other central office staff and community stakeholders. The county currently has a $4.7 million contract with a private security firm to conduct fare enforcement, but the new goal is to have a new program in place by 2022. But theyre also overlooked as victims. Lily Anderson, Senior Social Worker, or the, Youth who are eligible for diversion, along with their parent or guardian, meet with a team of trained volunteers (learn more about the Partnership for Youth Justice program and theDiversion Community Accountability Board. Creative Justice and Collective Justiceare working with the King County Department of Public Defense to form Restorative Community Pathways, a consortium of service providers for children facing potential misdemeanor . Rivera said that the South King County mayors who objected to RCP do not understand the methodology of restorative justice or its effectiveness. While at the FIRS Center, youth engagein activities and discussions to empower, teach, and challenge them to take responsibility, make amends, restorefamily relationships, and promote positive youth development. As a felony diversion and prevention program, CP is leading the way in reimagining and actively creating an alternative to todays criminal legal system. None of these resources are provided to the victims of crimes in the traditional justice system. The program diverts kids who have committed a crime away from the prison system and instead focuses on rehabilitation through . Chase Gallagher, a Constantine spokesperson, said the Sheriffs Office was consulted. Restorative Community Pathways is an evidence and community-based program to help change a youths behavior, reducing crime and creating a better future for themselves, their families, and our community. Gun violence related to gang activity has actually remained relatively stable over the course of the pandemic, Hung said. Jeremy Crowe, Restorative Programs Supervisor, (206) 477-6528, Step-Up is an internationally recognized adolescent family violence intervention program designed to address youth, violence (including threats, intimidation, property destruction, degrading language and physical violence) toward, family members. In time, he decided he needed to do no more harm to the community and he was going to be a positive contributor. These models are designed to provide timely, therapeutic, and restorative support to youth and families. This includes participating in the hiring of community navigators by RCP consortium members. Photo courtesy of King County. SEATTLE The King County Council on Tuesday voted Tuesday to approve funding for a groundbreaking criminal justice diversion program that will let community groups decide what punishment -- if. The program, according to Dunn, has a major perception problem as the South King County mayors scramble to mitigate the growing crime in their communities. The courtrooms in the old center were cramped and gave little privacy to young defendants, while the new facilitys courtrooms offer more breathing room. During a Law, Justice, Health and Human Services Committee meeting on March 1, when the proposed motion was brought up, many community members testified against pausing the Restorative Community Pathways program and argued that the program was a necessity in the regions communities.