Community Works

Restorative justice holds that crime harms people, relationships, and communities, (rather than the state) and operates by the maxim, “If crime is a wound, justice should be healing.” Community Justice Works connects and mobilizes the DA, Police, and Juvenile Probation Department to eliminate criminal charges brought against young people. These conferences are two to three hour meetings in which the person harmed, caregivers, prosecutors, law enforcement, and concerned community members meet with the youth, determine what harm has been done and how to correct it.

Through consensus, participants develop a plan for the youth to “do right” by the victim, their family, the community, and themselves. A conference coordinator case manages youth until all activities in the plan are complete. At that point, charges against the youth are dropped and the case is closed. Restorative community conferences allow youth to build self-esteem and experience a sense of empathy towards their victims, thus helping to restore wholeness and well-being to the youth, their family, the person harmed, and the affected community.