Many youth avoid secure detention. Community Passageways (CP) is a Seattle based nonprofit founded in 2017 with a vision for zero youth incarceration. Jasmin Tucker. 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. And thats where I think the community comes in and they do a much much better job than we could ever do.. 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. But if you were to have access to the social file, these kids have multiple prior cases in the system. Many have unstable housing and are dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues the kinds of dysfunction that may prompt the judge to decide that there are no better options, and that detention is the safest place for this young person right now, Hung said. Most of theseservices are offered without the filing of criminal charges or formal court processing. When you make that distinction, the kid feels it. In 2021, we had, by far in the history of this county, the lowest number of juvenile referrals into my office, Hung said. There are many, many steps still to take.. Restorative Community Pathways. The very first example cited of a rehabilitation even for serious offenses is a boy bringing a gun to school and threatening to shoot someone during a confrontation. However, that doesnt take away their moral agency, and the worst thing to teach them is that their behavior and subsequent arrest wasnt their fault, but was due to systemic oppression. And Im like really? 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. Program providers report 86 percent of youth participants are meeting their program goals and 94 percent are increasing connection with adults, family, and the community.. If caught, they get a slap on the wrist via the RCP and get a cut of the action that is likely more than what theyd earn working an honest job. We have a four-pronged approach to community justice: Prevention: Keep youth on a good path. She believes diverting these kinds of juvenile offenders from courts could allow them to escape accountability. To be fair, the point isnt entirely false. , FIRS serves families at the Patricia Clark Child and Family Justice Center and in the community after an arrest orreferral from law enforcement following an incident of family violence. 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 Restorative Community Coalition Phone: 360-354-3653 Email: [email protected] 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 If you or someone you care about is being negatively impacted by public health and safety issues, we are here for you. Jeremy Crowe, RestorativePrograms Supervisor, 206-477-6528, Find certified small business contractors and suppliers, For Families Experiencing Violence in the Home. Dow Constantine. The FIRS Center is staffed 24/7 by Pioneer Human Services. Extensive information about Step-Up, including program curriculum, is available, Step-Up accepts referrals from court staff, community providers and families and facilitates both individual and group. This is a community-led initiative, supported by the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) that builds on King Countys current plans and investments to realize the vision of a community where every person can thrive. The first program started in 2017 with a few youth and young adults, to date, Community Passageways serves over 500 young people a year with multiple programs, including school based, court advocacy, diversion, community support (emergency response), gang intervention, healing circles, youth advocacy, and family support. Collective Justice, Creative Justice, Community Passageways, and CHOOSE 180 have worked together with the Department of Public Defense to co-create an alternative to the juvenile court system that has been written into the King County Executive's biannual budget and is set to begin . RCP is an important step on King Countys journey to zero youth detention, as the County divests from the juvenile legal system responses to youth in crisis and invests in a community-based diversion response, and the early results are promising. The only thing Hung as a prosecutor can promise the victim is that he will listen to them, and even in cases in which restitution to the victim is ordered, it is rarely ever paid out. Four of the most prominent existing programs Choose 180, Community Passageways, Creative Justice, and Collective Justice are working with the King County Department of Public Defense to form Restorative Community Pathways, a consortium of service providers for children facing potential misdemeanor or first-time felony charges. The program diverts kids who have committed a crime away from the prison system and instead focuses on rehabilitation through . One can presume that this same foundational premise will be used for the adult version of this program the county intends to start soon. In 2020, the Metropolitan King County Council established Restorative Community Pathways, a coalition of youth serving organizations and peer navigators, including Collective Justice who focuses on Restorative Community Conferencing for youth. This is a community-led initiative, supported by the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) that builds on King Countys current plans and investments to realize the vision of a community where every person can thrive, said Sheila Ater Capestany, Children Youth and Young Adults Division Director in DCHS. These models are designed to provide timely, therapeutic, andrestorative support to youth and families. Now, we look at how it's actually run - and our recommendations on how to change it. Thediversion process is usually quicker and less stressful than the court process. Four of the most prominent existing programs Choose 180, Community Passageways, Creative Justice, and Collective Justice are working with the King County Department of Public Defense to form Restorative Community Pathways, a consortium of service providers for children facing potential misdemeanor or first-time felony charges. PO Box 31026, Bellingham, WA 98228 Dominique was a gifted football player, who had to make the decision between his dream to play professionally or survive, he chose the latter. Instead of facing traditional prosecution, these individuals who are facing their first charge and are disproportionately young men of color will be offered a community-based alternative that emphasizes restorative justice and restoration for harmed parties, Constantines office wrote. In a normal, sane criminal justice system, the law-abiding authorities run the show and the criminals are held accountable. Restorative Community Pathways is a community response to harm that focuses on healing and . While most cases referred to Restorative Community Pathways involve alleged misdemeanors, the program expands the number of eligible allegations to include more felonies than the previous. . Jana Detrick. 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.. King County Executive Dow Constantine provided details and updates on the early successes of Restorative Community Pathways, a community-based juvenile diversion program. 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. Diversion: Keep people out of the prison system and in community. The FIRS team works with families to assess risk, identify needs, complete safety planning and refer for appropriateservices. We provide youth mentors and access to programs focused on personal healing, identity development, and leadership building. Jayanna Thompson. Youth who successfully complete a diversion have the addedbenefit of handling a criminal incident without having a criminal conviction. The goal of Step-Up is for youth to stop violence and abuse toward their family and developrespectful family relationships so that all family members feel safe at home. Calls to reform the juvenile legal system have increased over the past decade, and RCP is a direct response to the need for systemic change, ensuring youth with lived experience and community members and organizations impacted by these issues are closely engaged with human service providers and government agencies to meet collective goals, including increased public safety and restorative programs. He said RCP provides better accountability for the offender and more support for the victims of crimes compared to the traditional court system. , Youth are referred to diversion by the Prosecuting Attorneys Office. Restorative Programs focus on prevention and early intervention using three models: Family Intervention and Restorative Services (FIRS), Step Up, and Diversion. A restorative inquiry process is used to help youth take responsibility for their behavior, cultivate empathy and make amends for hurtful behavior. Play Restorative Community Pathways has funds to offer the victims of crimes immediate restitution without going through a lengthy court process, Hung said. Bellingham, WA 98226, RCC is a 501c3 non-profit organization | Copyright 2023 The Restorative Community Coalition, Whatcom County Jail Trauma Chart the RADD-RAT Symptoms, Stop Punishing Taxpayers Start Rebuilding Community, Whatcom County Jail Trauma Chart the RADD-RAT Symptoms. 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. You can choose your level of involvement.It will take many hands working together at different levels to bridge the gaps while rebuilding healthy communities. The new center was built next to the decaying, 69-year-old Youth Services Center. 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. By Henry Stewart-Wood September 15, 2022 4:55 pm A look inside the King County Juvenile Detention Center. The Youth Steering Committee will be responsible for development of the RCP process after program launch. The rise in gun crime has been associated with adults who havent been involved with gun crime before, not kids, Hung said. They feel like they have to act differently. And so someone who is drafting a motion like that just doesnt understand it.. Maintaining those numbers, Constantine said, will allow the county to close one floor (out of 12) of the jail in downtown Seattle, resulting in a $1.9 million annual savings. Teaching & Advancement Project Manager. Theres nothing about that new building that feels like a therapeutic space, he said. Kids engage in risk-taking, Hung said. In study after study, children prosecuted in juvenile court achieve less success and do more harm than comparable youth who have been diverted out of the formal court system.. hen King County launched Restorative Community Pathways two years ago, youth incarceration in King County had already reached record lows 43 juveniles per day, on average, in 2019. Constantine is proposing cutting $4.6 million in funding that the Sheriffs Office gets from tax on retail marijuana sales. Be the first to get new stories sent straight into your inbox. 2) You are investing in the future while healing the past. 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. Diversion is a way of addressing an offense at the lowest level possible, allowing a youth to enter into a Diversion Agreement, whichis a legal contract, that requires youth to take steps to be accountable for their actions. The reality of the situation is that the criminal justice system often does more harm than good, he said, especially when it comes to kids. 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. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. We cover Seattle and King County on a budget that is funded entirely by reader contributionsno ads, no paywalls, ever. Jay Inslee for his expected signing. Thats why RCP exists. "RCP at its core is a program that provides healing and restoration for youth. Show them new paths. But, after seeing the actual effects that incarceration has on people, his view shifted, Hung said. What must be made clear to them is that criminal behavior is not acceptable regardless of who does it, that they have a moral obligation to respect other peoples rights and property as others do toward them, and that there are long-term repercussions if the behavior continues. 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. A restorative practice approach is used with teens and parents together to address violent incidents that have occurred. Then also have a reality check on the very real damage that it causes to human capital.. Step-Up accepts referrals from court staff, community providers and families and facilitates both individual and groupinterventions at the Patricia Clark Child and Family Justice Center and in the community. However in the last two years during the pandemic, violent crime has risen, but it has also risen in every other major metropolitan area in the United States, so the issue isnt unique to King County, Hung said. King County Executive Dow Constantine on Wednesday proposed several new initiatives to cut funding from the county Sheriffs Office, shift resources away from the traditional criminal justice system toward community-based alternatives and move away from traditional fare enforcement on county buses. Rivera said that the South King County mayors who objected to RCP do not understand the methodology of restorative justice or its effectiveness. Its no Bellingham, WA lawmakers deadlocked as drugs ravage Snohomish County, rest of state, Woman shot in West Seattle, hours after 2 killed on Capitol Hill, Oregon tells a cautionary tale about drugs, but were not listening, fare enforcement disproportionately targets. Youthhave the opportunity tosign out-of-court agreements in lieu of criminal charging and formal court. The Youth Steering Committee will serve as the community-based decision-making body for RCP design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Instead of court, some people who've committed a crime could. He has published work withKUOW,North Carolina Public Radio, andThe Progressivemagazine, and he is currently working on a podcast forKUAFin Fayetteville, Arkansas. RCP is an important step on King Countys journey to zero youth detention, as the County divests from the juvenile legal system responses to youth in crisis and invests in a community-based diversion response, and the early results are promising. 3) Become a mentor, case interceptor or manager, court natigator. If we want to end this cycle of violence, if we want to see all of our community members thrive, then we must first see all of us as we see ourselves; flawed, human, and in our woundedness capable of causing harm and as we heal, capable of infinite good. That is precisely the opposite of what they put in their unprofessional PowerPoint presentation. "Restorative Community Pathways (RCP) is an evidence-based strategy for holding young people who commit a first-time offense accountable, reducing youth incarceration, and racial disproportionality in the juvenile justice system," the statement continued. Its just sending the wrong message basically saying that one kid is better than the other, when theyre both redeemable.. Diversiontypically is available for youth with limited or no prior offense history who have committed an offense. King County Executive Dow Constantine shared updates on the early success of Restorative Community Pathways (RCP), an evidence-based program aimed at reducing youth incarceration and racial disproportionality in the juvenile legal system. Learn more about Restorative Community Pathways. It would work with already established local organizations, like Choose 180, Creative Justice and Community Pathways. Time, money and resources become more than a click of a button. , The FIRS Center is a unique respite facility within the Patricia Clark Children and Family Justice Center offering analternative to secure detention for youth referred for family violence. Restorative Community Pathways offers diversion for youth involved in a range of felony crimes, including organized retail theft, assault, residential burglary, burglary, and unlawful display and possession of a firearm. (Photo: DJ Martinez). Controversial King County program diverts young offenders from incarceration for certain crimes. It costs taxpayers anywhere from $30,000 to $250,000a year to keep someone in jail. A big point of contention surrounding the program was gun violence and other violent crime. Dunn and the South King County mayors who called for the programs pause said that certain violent crimes, especially ones involving guns, shouldnt be eligible for diversion through RCP and said that violent crime is rising. The requirements of the agreement are defined by law and guided by principlesof Restorative Justice using a Positive Youth Development Model. The consortium will also include programming for young people charged in adult court; under current Washington law, kids aged 16 to 17 charged with serious violent felonies are automatically placed in adult court. Cortez Charles. 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. From his perspective, a restorative justice model that automatically divides violent offenders from their peers is counterproductive. . There are a handful of cases where someone might scratch their head and ask, why that kid is being held for a misdemeanor, said Jimmy Hung, who heads the Juvenile Division at the King County Prosecutors Office. Instead of suspensions and expulsions, we strive for restorative and culturally-relevant programming. 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. The new justice center has 156 beds, and King County Executive Dow Constantine has said the County doesnt intend to fill them all. The current program includes: Criminal youth dictating how the program is run We support our youth and young adults at every stage of the criminal legal processfrom prevention to detention. Dominique believes those closest to the problem can solve the problem! RCP will continue to be evaluated to determine its effectiveness in outcomes for both the youth referred to the Prosecuting Attorneys Office and the harmed party with the goal of improving public safety in King County. A bill partially unwinding a 2021 policing reform clears the Legislature. Thats not just his opinion either. 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. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Invest $750,000 to co-create and implement alternatives to policing in urban incorporated King County. The same could be said for vehicle theft and other types of non-violent crime that undermine public safety and quality of life. It is headed to Gov. King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn recently proposed a motion to recommend pausing the program just months into its implementation. Phone: 360-354-3653 DominiqueDavisis the founder and CEO of Community Passageways. 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.
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