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We have civic leadership opportunities, mentoring, and change-making resources available so you can feel confident and be an effective ally for those who have been silenced by the criminal legal sector. Gun violence related to gang activity has actually remained relatively stable over the course of the pandemic, Hung said. Restorative Programs focus on prevention and early intervention using three models: Family Intervention and Restorative Services (FIRS), Step Up, and Diversion. This includes participating in the hiring of community navigators by RCP consortium members. , Youth are referred to diversion by the Prosecuting Attorneys Office. respectful family relationships so that all family members feel safe at home. ChangeWA is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) organization focused on advancing common sense policies around smart growth, public safety, government accountability and good governance throughout Washington state. I wont mince words about that., As King County continues to scale down its use of detention for children, the future of the new facility on Alder Street remains uncertain. Early data suggests program can reduce recidivism in King County KC Councilmember Reagan Dunn wanted to pause the program after local mayors expressed concern. Thediversion process is usually quicker and less stressful than the court process. Support: Support people already in the prison system. He said the referrals from police departments recommending prosecution of a juvenile has drastically decreased from the tens of thousands of referrals he would receive annually in the mid-1990s, to now just over 1,000 in 2021. Jasmine Vail - Communications Coordinator - Restorative Community Are you a young person in the Seattle-area who wants to participate in our programs? These can include receiving services, doingcommunity service, or paying a victim to compensate for their financial loss. 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. But there are other treatments that are available. 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. Restorative Community Pathways (@restorative_community - Instagram Show them new paths. Prosecutors responded that a youth who specifically threatens someone with a gun would not be eligible for the program, and that only two or three people have been referred on this charge so far. Earlier this year, Constantine said the county would repurpose its new youth jail by 2025 and close the adult jail in Seattle at an undetermined point in the future. Over time, the RCP Youth Steering Committee will develop to be directed by youth and young adults who have completed the RCP program. The new center was built next to the decaying, 69-year-old Youth Services Center. Hung believes that the Countys decision to hold those young people in jail instead of referring them to service providers means that all other aspects of our society have failed, and that the failure is presenting itself when the best option is locking the kid up in detention. Bringing an end to that practice, Hung said, will require the County to keep scaling up the services it can provide to young people in crisis. 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. Play Hung said this is a decent metric and indicator of how juvenile crime has been decreasing over the years despite a huge population explosion in the region during the same time period. Resolving a case using the diversion process can helpyouth and their family access helpful services in our community. (Photo: DJ Martinez). These models are designed to provide timely, therapeutic, andrestorative support to youth and families. Jayanna Thompson. I frankly have no idea what people who live in neighborhoods where bullets are flying past their head are going through, Hung said. Our community-centered, evidence-based model provides an alternative to the current criminal legal system. Who is held accountable? , When a youth completes all requirements in the Diversion Agreement, they do not have a criminal record and no charges are filed. KUOW - King County gave millions to 'No New Youth Jail' activists to We have a system that is wildly racially disproportionate, and its disproportionate despite what Fox News will tell you, because Black and brown people are treated differently throughout our society, including by every element of the criminal and legal system, Constantine said. Full Bio. King County Executive Dow Constantine provided details and updates on the early successes of Restorative Community Pathways, a community-based juvenile diversion program. It has metastasized into a civic systems problem and a taxpayers nightmare. Initially, he supported the supposed tough on crime approach toward dealing with the crime by locking people up. Play Play Play Play In my opinion, thats a fundamental misunderstanding of what restorative justice is. 2 dead, 1 critically wounded in shooting at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle, Think Seattle-area property taxes are rising fast? It is headed to Gov. The number of jailed adults in the county dropped from about 1,900 before the coronavirus pandemic to about 1,300 now, according to the county. The courtrooms in the old center were cramped and gave little privacy to young defendants, while the new facilitys courtrooms offer more breathing room. According to the countys presentation, those include: Unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree is another charge that Ferrell said shouldnt be eligible for diversion. A proposal to pause the recently implemented Restorative Community Pathways program, a program intended to divert juvenile criminal cases from the juvenile justice system into a. Change a young persons life by donating to Community Passageways. Our diagrams and tools provides roadmaps and a wealth of information for people interested in big-system shifts for the local to national incarceration and criminal justice systems. Become a changemaker with us! To use rising crime as a justification for pausing the program is just not correct, Hung said. 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. Instead of jails, we will have homes, schools, jobs, and a community that stands with our youth. In a normal, sane criminal justice system, the law-abiding authorities run the show and the criminals are held accountable. Restorative justice seeks to address the root cause of an offenders problematic behavior and offer real justice and restitution for the victim, according to the prosecuting attorneys office. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), to guide the County toward an end to youth detention, Patricia H Clark Children and Family Justice Center, Filipino Restaurant CheBogz Rallies Support for Beacon Hill Grand Opening, Weekend Reads | COVID Responses Across the U.S.: What Worked, What Didnt, and What Made a Difference, OPINION | Guns Have Become the Tools of Cowards, OPINION | Get in the Game for Girls Sports. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. It could become a facility that serves an older population of young adults, said Nance. They will also develop accountable relationships with community organizations to ensure that the work of RCP continues to be rooted in youth liberation and healing, not punishment. 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. The current program includes: Criminal youth dictating how the program is run County audits have found that fare enforcement disproportionately targets the homeless and people of color. . Young people kept in the community through their dedication and our support have gone on to enroll in college, start businesses, graduate from high school, and help rebuild our communities. Youthhave the opportunity tosign out-of-court agreements in lieu of criminal charging and formal court. Now, we look at how it's actually run - and our recommendations on how to change it. Investing in people who are striving to rebuild their lives has a multiplier effect. Volunteering with Community Passageways is a way to invest your skills, heart, and mind into our young people. 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. Below is a snapshot of our effectiveness between 2017 and 2018. off prison time compared to initial charges. Seattle, WA 98104. Its quite possible that the treatment that we used wasnt the appropriate treatment. Community Passageways is driven by the belief that guidance and support are more effective in inspiring people to make positive choices, seeing their unlimited potential and envisioning a future where they can live their lives fully. Under the existing system, 99.9% of the resources are directed toward the offender and next to no resources are given to the victim, Hung said. 3) Become a mentor, case interceptor or manager, court natigator. If passed, the property tax levy will help fund behavioral health infrastructure in the region. On the other hand, RCP provides an equal amount of resources to both the offender and the victim, Hung said. University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business. 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. There are many, many steps still to take.. 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. 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. Restorative Community Pathways. Mailing address: Mediation allows people an opportunity to speak . Interested in learning more about our team & programs? 410 W. Bakerview Rd Suite 110, Rm #145 Diversion: Keep people out of the prison system and in community. Jun 2022 - Present11 months. Our programs focus on personal healing, identity development, and leadership building. Advocacy Program Coordinator. 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. Thats why RCP exists. Era-defining King County prosecutor race spurs debate on crime, reform Jeremy Crowe, RestorativePrograms Supervisor, 206-477-6528, Find certified small business contractors and suppliers, For Families Experiencing Violence in the Home. Ryan Abbott, a Sheriffs Office spokesperson, said Constantine did not speak to Johanknecht about the cuts and said they were trying to determine if they would lead to cuts in service. 2) Reach out to us related to the iChange Justice Podcast offer suggestions, ask questions, nominate guests. And so someone who is drafting a motion like that just doesnt understand it.. Director of Programs. 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. King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn recently proposed a motion to recommend pausing the program just months into its implementation. RCP at its core is a program that provides healing and restoration for youth. Please reach out for more information on our volunteer needs. Rep. Harris-Talley has spent over 20 years building powerful movements for change in our region and statewide . Whether youre are in crisis now, or its after the fact, we have tools and people with experience to help you diagram the situation and build a roadmap. Kids engage in risk-taking, Hung said. King County Council approves program to let community groups - KOMO By Henry Stewart-Wood September 15, 2022 4:55 pm A look inside the King County Juvenile Detention Center. In January 2022, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn proposed a pause to the countys Restorative Community Pathways program. We specifically work with people who are impacted by a 911 incident, an arrest, investigation or other encounter with law enforcement, courts, the criminal legal system, or longer term incarceration. Even though he was involved in making quick money, he had a desire to give back through coaching and personal training. The Restorative Community Coalition Police, prosecutors, and prisons cant do that and as a result, when we rely on those systems, we continue to see harmful behaviors in our community. 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.. Youth who successfully complete a diversion have the addedbenefit of handling a criminal incident without having a criminal conviction. But even as the overall number decreased, our current juvenile legal system has a disproportionately harmful impact on youth of color, particularly black youth. This is a new "restorative justice" program that provides alternatives to jail time. Step-Up is an internationally recognized adolescent family violence intervention program designed to address youthviolence (including threats, intimidation, property destruction, degrading language and physical violence) towardfamily members. Diversion meetings happen in the community closest to where ayouth lives, with either a staff member or volunteers. Thats why our Coalition did a deep dive into the school-to-prison pipeline. The requirements of the agreement are defined by law and guided by principlesof Restorative Justice using a Positive Youth Development Model. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times. King County has historically proven that diversion works to reduce juvenile crime, and thats exactly what RCP aims to do, said Dan Satterberg, King County Prosecuting Attorney. With restrictions about COVID-19 rapidly changing, please check with individual departments to be sure a building is open before you seek in-person service. 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. About Community Passageways CP COVID-19 Response: We are continuously committed to helping young people, their families, and the community by meeting basic needs, meeting virtually, and advocating for the release of incarcerated people. KUOW Public Radio on Instagram: "On a Sunday morning last November, an The COVID recession, along with the need to fundamentally transform our criminal legal system, created necessary budget reductions for the King County Sheriffs Office, Gallagher said. King County Executive Restorative Community Pathways also includes appropriate services and support for harmed parties, and restitution so that youths who cannot pay fines and other financial obligations do not end up in a cycle of probation violations and incarceration. That is just part of growing up.. Moreover, what is left out is whether keeping a juvenile in jail or giving them social services is in the best interest of public safety. On a more fundamental level, Hung said he believes that when it comes to community safety, the people who actually live in communities affected by crime know whats best for their community. Restorative Community Pathways is a community response to harm that focuses on healing and . Critically, RCP also provides equal resources and support to victims. 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. We provide youth mentors and access to programs focused on personal healing, identity development, and leadership building. Director . When you make that distinction, the kid feels it. 1) It helps real people in real time to deal with real issues up close and personal. Whats listed their charge provides the legal basis for a judge to deprive them of their freedom. The goal of work like ours is to bring safety to our community by helping people heal; both those who have been accused of causing harm and those who have been harmed. Restorative Community Pathways has funds to offer the victims of crimes immediate restitution without going through a lengthy court process, Hung said. Jay Inslee for his expected signing. Dunns proposal was in response to concerns about the program brought up by South King County Mayors Jim Ferrell (Federal Way), Nancy Backus (Auburn), Dana Ralph (Kent) and Armondo Pavone (Renton). Jeremy Crowe, RestorativePrograms Supervisor, 206-477-6528,jeremy.crowe@kingcounty.gov. Community Passageways Photo courtesy of King County. Their program has the juvenile participate in one-on-one workshops that, according to the organizations website, has shifted toward a virtual model.. Washingtons COVID-19 exposure notification app is scheduled to conclude May 11 in tandem with the end of the Public Health. 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. Also, some downtown buildings are not open to the public due to a project to close the Administration Building and relocate the agencies affected. 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. A bill partially unwinding a 2021 policing reform clears the Legislature. Pathways To Recovery . She argued that restorative justice programs such as RCP make a root-cause analysis into crime and help to make progress to prevent crime and strengthen community through the process. 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. Youll send in juveniles without any prior offenses on their record. Restorative Programs - King County According to Nance, his department plans to convene a work group including judges, counselors, prosecutors, and young people themselves to outline the countys next steps, but the timeline for closing or transforming the jail on Alder Street is still unknown. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. We have a four-pronged approach to community justice: Prevention: Keep youth on a good path. Decades of research have shown that putting kids through the criminal justice system pushes them toward criminal behavior rather than away from it. If someone had an infectious disease, Goode said, You would isolate that person, keep them away from others for a period of time to keep them from being a harm to themselves or others, and simultaneously treat the disease. Although that model sounds similar to youth detention, Goode said, choosing new caregivers and administrators would be a game changer.. That is precisely the opposite of what they put in their unprofessional PowerPoint presentation. Controversial King County program diverts young offenders from incarceration for certain crimes. . It has great artwork and lounge areas, but that doesnt make it therapeutic., Hung knows that the aesthetic changes to the detention center dont amount to a kind of restorative justice. 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. Henok Gebreyohannes. He knew felony diversion would be a foundational and life changing juncture for young people and he developed a four-prong approach prevention, diversion, incarceration (support) and re-entry. It is headed to Gov. Ferrell has described the program as easily fixable, stating that accountable and judicial oversight needs to incorporated. Last July, Constantine made a commitment to guide the County toward an end to youth detention by 2025, promising to transition the new detention center to other uses and [shift] public dollars away from systems that are rooted in oppression and into those that maintain public health and safety, and help people on a path to success.. CONTACT The final steps toward the goal of ending youth detention by 2025 will require the County to agree to non-detention-based alternatives that can support young people in the most dire circumstances including people for whom the County doesnt see a space in the existing restorative justice programs. From his perspective, a restorative justice model that automatically divides violent offenders from their peers is counterproductive. Our Team CHOOSE 180 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. So what happens when the juvenile, having completed the program from his bedroom computer, promptly goes back to school and this time actually shoots one or more people? She believes diverting these kinds of juvenile offenders from courts could allow them to escape accountability. They were consulted on both fronts prior to todays announcement. There should be real ramifications, including prosecution, for these dangerous crimes.. Hung said data over many decades suggest how effective restorative justice can be in changing behaviors of juvenile offenders, especially when compared to the effects that incarceration has been shown to have on youth. Restorative Community Pathways includes appropriate services and support for harmed parties, and restitution so that youths who cannot pay fines and other financial obligations do not end up in a cycle of probation violations and incarceration. Early data from Restorative Community Pathways, a pre-filing diversion program for nonviolent youth, shows an 8% recidivism rate compared to a 57% recidivism rate for youth who served time in. King County Prosecutor's race Q&A: Diversion programs, sexual offenses Earlier this week we introduced you to the King County's Restorative Community Pathways (RCP) program and how it evades the judiciary section of the criminal justice system. Khandelwal called it a a long overdue departure from a racist, ineffective and failed legal system.. To demonstrate this philosophy, he used an example of a situation in which two school students see each other outside of school and one decides he is going to bully the other and take his backpack. One had arrived in the facility earlier that day; another had spent nearly 640 days in detention for a first-degree rape charge. Dolphy Jordan, a Seattle-based member of the Incarcerated Childrens Advocacy Network, spent 21 years in Washington prisons for a murder he committed when he was 16. , 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 BoardHERE)oran individual staff member todetermine what goes into the Diversion Agreement. 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 . Diverting a potential school shooter to a social program, when there have been repeated instances of actual shootings preceded by telltale warning signs, is beyond irresponsible. 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. It could be a medical clinic. Bottomline, the accumulated effect is that we are ending habitual trauma cycles that plague individuals, families and the whole community network. Email: mail@therestorativecommunity.org The FIRS Center is a safe, positive, andsupportive space. 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. From reducing prison sentences to developing thriving young adults, Community Passageways impact on our young people and the community is wide-reaching. She is a strong champion for mental health and addiction recovery, strengthening our schools, reforming the criminal justice system, and affordable housing. We cover Seattle and King County on a budget that is funded entirely by reader contributionsno ads, no paywalls, ever. It. Cynthia Ricks-Maccotan, who works for a youth violence prevention program under Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, said the reason the RCP program allows referrals of youth who have committed offenses among those objected to by city leaders such as Backus and Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell is because those are the offenses that historically have been disproportionately more punitive for youth of color. A program review from 2014 showed just under 20% of youth diverted to Choose 180s program committed additional crimes within a year only 5% lower than a control group with similar characteristics. This includes increased gun violence in domestic violence situations, around homelessness, and interestingly enough, road rage. Goode also emphasized the importance of the physical space used to house children in need of long-term care and supervision. Critically, RCP also provides equal resources and support to victims. 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.