RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACH

The modern restorative justice movement owes an incredible debt to traditional indigenous justice tenets, many of which are still practiced in contemporary tribal courts. A direct line can be drawn between circle processes and indigenous peacemaking practices, as well as between contemporary family conferencing and traditional family clan councils. Perhaps most importantly, the modern restorative justice movement draws on indigenous justice’s rejection of punitive responses to harm that seek to punish and isolate offenders, and its emphasis on the connection and reintegration of responsible parties, victims, and community members.

Contemporary restorative justice philosophy has also evolved from the rich traditions of faith communities, particularly Quaker teachings regarding reconciliation, restitution, and reparation; the prison abolition movement’s theorizing of “right relation” and transformative justice; and the alternative dispute resolution movement.

Restorative Justice asks:

  • What harm has been caused?

  • Who has been impacted?

  • What needs to be done to repair that harm?

  • Who is responsible for this repair?

accountability

Restorative justice is a set of principles and practices that offer an alternative approach to responding to crime or defiance of community standards. Instead of viewing a criminal act as simply a violation of a law or community rule, restorative justice allows us to view these acts as violations of people and relationships. Restorative justice philosophies acknowledge the limitations of the traditional justice system in offering resolution for victims and addressing the root causes of criminal activity. Restorative justice provides an avenue for accountability outside the traditional justice system. 

impact

While there is no one way to practice restorative justice, all restorative justice models center the experiences and needs of those most impacted by a crime or violation of a community norm, be that family members, community members, or victims. Restorative justice offers participants the opportunity to find accountability and connection after an incident that might otherwise result in punishment and isolation. 

Relationships

Restorative justice offers a paradigm shift in the way we think of crime or breaking rules. Its principles teach us to think not only about the offender but also the victim; not only about the court but also about the community; not only about the law or the rules that were broken - but also about the impact of that breaking on the people around us. The shift is from rules to relationships.

REFERRAL PARTNERSHIPS

Youth Court Diversion

CRYJ’s long term partnership with Flathead County’s Youth Court Services and new partnership with Missoula County Youth Court Services provides an opportunity for teens to take accountability and find support after an incident occurs without further contact or involvement with criminal justice systems. A teen’s interaction with law enforcement typically leads to a meeting with a youth court probation officer, at which point that probation officer will determine if CRYJ participation is an appropriate next step. CRYJ teens referred by Youth Court Services engage in a “Program Agreement” with CRYJ that is tailored to the individual youth, including components such as restorative conferencing, individual meetings, and group workshops.

School Justice Partnership

CRYJ’s partnership with Flathead and Missoula County school administrators and School Resource Officers allows teens to be referred to CRYJ in response to both escalating behavior and acute school-based incidents. This represents an earlier-stage diversion than our Youth Court Services partnership provides, creating an alternative avenue for addressing harm while reducing the use of exclusionary discipline policies. With their participation at CRYJ, teens face fewer days of in and out of school suspension and no criminal charge, allowing them to remain a part of their school community while addressing the impacts and root causes of their actions. CRYJ’s School Justice Partnership includes all middle and high schools within Kalispell Public Schools and Bigfork School District, as well as Evergreen Junior High, Somers Middle School, Helena Flats School, and all high schools within Missoula County Public Schools.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Restorative Conferences

Family Conferences are the first step in our program, designed to guide youth toward accepting accountability for the impact of their actions. These conferences are an opportunity for families to learn more about CRYJ, and allow CRYJ program staff to get to know teens and the circumstances that brought them here. All youth and parents or other adult support persons are required to attend this hour-long intake appointment. During this first meeting, we will determine specific workshop requirements, build a schedule, and decide on a deadline. At a minimum, this restorative agreement will include an accountability meeting and a restorative conference (in the form of either a Victim-Offender Conference or Community Impact Circle).

Impact Meetings are one-on-one meetings between teens and CRYJ staff. They are designed to encourage youth to reflect on the incident that brought them to CRYJ and consider the impact of their actions on the community.

Victim-Offender Conferences are held, when relevant, between youth referred to CRYJ and those most deeply impacted by the incident. CRYJ frequently facilitates VOCs between students and administrators/teachers, youth referred for shoplifting and the store owners they stole from, and teens who’ve gotten into a fight. CRYJ maintains a confidential, safe environment for discussion, posing questions that invite input on all sides. VOCs are an opportunity for all parties to collaboratively determine outcomes that allow for accountability and reconciliation.

Community Impact Circles are structured conversations between 3-6 families, at least one CRYJ staff member, and at least one trained community volunteer. CICs provide a supportive environment for discussing harm, personal and family impact, resiliency, and our relationship to community.

Peer workshops

CRYJ workshops are first and foremost confidential, supportive spaces for teens to collaborate, develop skills, and be in dialogue with each other. Workshops are facilitated by CRYJ program staff but center teen-led interests and discussions. Workshops are a time for CRYJ teens to explore issues of self-regulation, identity, consent, relationships, substance use, risk taking, consent, and harm reduction.

  • Emotional Regulation workshops center teens’ brain and body health, stress management, and self-regulation. Whether talking about anger, decision making, or conflict, these workshops are an opportunity to engage with proactive and responsive practices to help mitigate difficult emotions and situations.

  • Consent and Healthy Relationships workshops are an opportunity for teens to explore the components of healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics in both romantic relationships and friendships. These workshops are also a chance for teens and CRYJ staff to explore consent and communication as core elements of healthy relationships.

  • Drug and Alcohol workshops are an opportunity for teens to engage in an honest dialogue about the role of substances and risk taking in our lives as well as the impact of peer, family, and community substance use. These workshops are non-judgmental and harm-reduction based, focusing on reducing teens’ risk of negative health impacts and involvement in the justice system.

  • Mental Health workshops allow teens to process mental health challenges and consider the impact that mental health struggles have on ourselves, our peers, and our families. These workshops provide a venue for discussing healthy coping strategies and alternatives for teens utilizing substances as a form of self medication.

  • Community Engagement workshops are CRYJ’s front-facing workshops, offering a venue for teens to meaningfully engage with their community. These workshops might look like making meals for families struggling with food insecurity, participating in a mural project, or cleaning up graffiti alongside business owners and other community members.

FURTHER READING

The impacts of TRAUMA

VIDEO: Trauma and the Brain (NHS Lanarkshire's Ending Violence and Abuse)

VIDEO: How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime (TED Talk)

Intro to Trauma and the Importance of Trauma Informed Care (Psychology Today)

Trauma Tips for Understanding and Healing: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4 (Psychology Today)

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (For understanding different trauma types, treatments that work, trauma-informed systems, and other resources)

Take the ACE's (Adverse Childhood Experiences) quiz and the Resiliency Quiz

Adolescent Brain Development

VIDEO: The Mysterious Workings of the Adolescent Brain (TED Talk)

Why Teens Are Impulsive, Addiction-Prone And Should Protect Their Brains (NPR)

Restorative Justice

Transformative Justice

Indigenous Justice

Restorative Justice in schools