YouthZone is an Industry Leader in Restorative Justice.

YouthZone has been facilitating Restorative Justice Conferences for youth ages 10-20 years old since 1999. Restorative Justice is most commonly utilized when working with youth who have committed a crime and are involved with the juvenile justice system, but the process can be beneficial anytime harm is done by one party to another. This innovative style of healing can be used for families, schools, and communities that need a victim-centered approach to resolution.

What is Restorative Justice?

Restorative Justice is a process that focuses on rehabilitating offenders through reconciliation with victims and their community. Restorative Justice seeks to repair harm by giving victims the chance to share how they have been harmed, and by allowing offenders to take accountability for their actions and repair the harm caused by crime.

Why is Restorative Justice Important?

Youth offenders who are detained are five times more likely to be detained for future criminal behaviors. However, 86% of the youth who complete the Restorative Justice process do not re-offend. Restorative Justice allows the offender to re-integrate into a community and can help reduce the dangers of perceived stigmas. This process also allows the victim to have a say in how they feel the offender could best repair the damage done to the community.

Restorative Justice Services:

Restorative Conferences

YouthZone uses a Restorative Conference, where the offender and their supporters, the victim and their supporters, a volunteer community member, law enforcement officers, and two trained facilitators meet face-to-face. The offender explains their story, and the other members of the conference explain the effects that the offender’s actions had on them. This process paves the way for a contract which is designed to meet the needs of each party involved.

Circles

YouthZone also provides Community Building Circles. Circles bring together individuals who would like to engage in community building, conflict resolution, and relationship building. Circles foster cooperation and strengthen connections within the group.

School Trainings

YouthZone provides support in the implementation of Restorative Practices in schools. This entails training for staff and assistance in building an RJ process based on the needs of the individual community.