With these changes, RCP has the potential to be a successful alternative to jail time for first-time juvenile offenders and will have my support.. 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. FIRS is a collaborative intervention and approach to address adolescent family violence in a timely, therapeutic, andtrauma-informed alternative to formal court involvement. "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. Henok Gebreyohannes. On the other hand, RCP provides an equal amount of resources to both the offender and the victim, Hung said. It could be a medical clinic. Though some amount of recidivism is unavoidable, the outcomes of the countys diversionary programs have shown some promising improvements. Bakerview Square Business Suites Our programs focus on personal healing, identity development, and leadership building. It could become a facility that serves an older population of young adults, said Nance. , The FIRS team works with families to assess risk, identify needs, complete safety planning and refer for appropriateservices. Restorative Community Pathways for youth offenders contrasts with traditional prosecution. FIRS and Step Up focus on families experiencing family violence. 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. He said the cuts equate to about 30 patrol deputies or an approximate 22% reduction in 911 service to unincorporated areas of King County.. When you make that distinction, the kid feels it. Instead of suspensions and expulsions, we strive for restorative and culturally-relevant programming. 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. 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. 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.. 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. To be fair, the point isnt entirely false. Jay Inslee for his expected signing. Julie Schulman testified as someone who had been involved in the justice system as a young person and someone who works with youth in support of RCP as well. Bringing a gun to school and unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree is on that list, he said. 80% of people imprisoned are nonviolent and could be contributing to their families and local economies. 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. We create alternatives to incarceration for youth and young adults by rebuilding our communities through committed relationships centered on love, compassion, and consistency. Of the 28 young people incarcerated in King County on March 4, nearly half were charged as adults for first-degree assault, attempted murder, or murder charges; they will move to adult detention centers after their 18th birthdays. They will be responsible for the direction of RCP, hold a central role in supporting community evaluations of RCP, and support in the distribution of funds. Bottomline, the accumulated effect is that we are ending habitual trauma cycles that plague individuals, families and the whole community network. 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. 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. Become a changemaker with us! One had arrived in the facility earlier that day; another had spent nearly 640 days in detention for a first-degree rape charge. Jeremy Crowe, Restorative Programs Supervisor, (206) 477-6528,Jeremy.crowe@kingcounty.govor FIRS Team, (206)263-9001. 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. 4) Bring your own professional skills to the group whether you are a service provider, lawyer, mental health professional, emergency responder, parent, partner, teacher the list is endless. Volunteering with Community Passageways is a way to invest your skills, heart, and mind into our young people. The goals of FIRSinclude:decreasing violence in the home,preventing further police contact, and increasing family safety and well-being. Director . 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. We separate the two to a fault, he said. , Youth are referred to diversion by the Prosecuting Attorneys Office. By Henry Stewart-Wood September 15, 2022 4:55 pm A look inside the King County Juvenile Detention Center. 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. 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. Restorative justice is about public safety. Our Ambassadors work with heart, humility, and compassion, to lead community and school-based healing circles, individual and family case management, court advocacy, and youth leadership opportunities. 2) You are investing in the future while healing the past. A restorative inquiry process is used to help youth take responsibility for their behavior, cultivate empathy and make amends for hurtful behavior. Suggesting anything else is inaccurate.. They feel like they have to act differently. 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.. Juveniles who threaten physical and deadly harm to innocent people, especially in schools, needs more than a time out devoid of legal oversight. These can include receiving services, doingcommunity service, or paying a victim to compensate for their financial loss. 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. Extensive information about Step-Up,including program curriculum, is availableHERE. Khandelwal called it a a long overdue departure from a racist, ineffective and failed legal system.. Support: Support people already in the prison system. This is a moment that cant be missed, Constantine said. Join us weekly on Spotify as we talk about the business of justice, the industries involved in mass incarceration, and the experiences of people who have worked in and lived through the criminal justice systems. Though the distinction between serious felonies and other charges usually rests on the existence of a victim, Jordan and other advocates pointed to a hole in that reasoning. King County has historically proven that diversion works to reduce juvenile crime, and thats exactly what RCP aims to do. Held alongside them were others held for more minor crimes, including one young person charged with misdemeanor assault and another charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. "This restorative community pathway builds up the young person, sees them as a possibility to be developed and not a problem to be solved, while simultaneously making sure that the harmed party . 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. Instead of jails, we will have homes, schools, jobs, and a community that stands with our youth. Thats why RCP exists. Available data for the program provided by the Prosecuting Attorneys Office, while early, is promising. At the same time, Change Washington believes other reforms should include the following: Theres been enough wasted spending and no accountability when it comes to addressing the homelessness crisis in King County. Dow Constantine. That is just part of growing up.. 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. When you get involved helping people, or doing community advocacy, we provide coaching. 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. Rep. Kirsten Harris-Talley 37th Legislative District, Co-Sponsor. Ferrell has described the program as easily fixable, stating that accountable and judicial oversight needs to incorporated. Dominique believes those closest to the problem can solve the problem! The county will launch new restorative justice programs, for both adult and youth offenders, aimed at keeping people out of the traditional criminal justice system. 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. 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. More savings will come from continuing to limit the countys jail population, Constantine said. CLICK HERE to Download Full .PDF Acknowledgements Thank you to the thousands of citizens who, Jails, Sheriffs and Carceral Policymaking is a useful law review article about the hidden to, Irene then turned to helping others break free of our dysfunctional justice system, founding the, 11 x 17 LARGE POSTER FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION TWO SIDED Side One- BLINDSPOTS:UNEXPECTED FINDINGS, Wow! Check out this County in Oregon! While Whatcom County could easily have been the, The Restorative Community Coalition 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 . The truth is, criminal rehabilitation and homelessness outreach must adopt the same strategy if theyre to succeed. We believe that criminalization and ostracization are ineffective deterrents to unproductive behaviors and that the carceral systempolicing, jail, and state supervisionfurther harms people who have already been negatively impacted by trauma. Washingtons COVID-19 exposure notification app is scheduled to conclude May 11 in tandem with the end of the Public Health. King County hasnt resolved how it will tackle the next four years of juvenile justice reform. Working hands-on with those directly impacted, You will learn to innovate and bring forward new solutions that help people adjust. 3) Become a mentor, case interceptor or manager, court natigator. Izzy Eads. Join to view profile. He detailed how a juveniles involvement in the court system and the criminal justice environment can damage a young persons self-esteem and self-worth, making them more likely to develop a life of criminality. The result? She believes diverting these kinds of juvenile offenders from courts could allow them to escape accountability. The current program includes: Criminal youth dictating how the program is run This begs the question as to why the county prosecutors chose this scenario out of all the ones available to put into their presentation to cities, rather than a less serious case of schoolyard fighting. Restorative Community Pathways has funds to offer the victims of crimes immediate restitution without going through a lengthy court process, Hung said. 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. 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. We want to break institutional racist systems. Many of us know that something is wrong with the criminal justice system, but we dont know what to do about it or where to start. But his push to cut funding to the Sheriffs Office brought immediate pushback from Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht, whose office said she was not consulted. It has metastasized into a civic systems problem and a taxpayers nightmare. There must be a case number to track these offenses and the serious felony crimes should be removed from eligibility. 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? Restorative Community Pathways Community Navigator. University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business. The new center was built next to the decaying, 69-year-old Youth Services Center. From a legal perspective, this would be a felony robbery. 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. By 2020, Choose 180s annual report noted that 96% of the young people it served did not reoffend within a year. 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. 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. The rise in gun crime has been associated with adults who havent been involved with gun crime before, not kids, Hung said. 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.. Joined by King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, departmental program staff, and community-based organizations, Executive Constantine spoke about the countys commitment to connecting youth with services that meet their basic needs and improve community connection and safety. He received his PhD in the streets, from the University of Rainier and Henderson. In January 2022, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn proposed a pause to the countys Restorative Community Pathways program. 2020 Reform from Multanomah County Awesome. 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.. All crimes that hurt the safety of our communities such as shoplifting rings, home burglaries, and car thefts need to be taken seriously so that folks are not re-victimized and the security of our neighborhoods is preserved, Dunn said. In comparison, data from the State Department of Children, Youth, and Families showed that from 2011 through 2018 juveniles sent to state prison have a recidivism rate of between 49% and 58% annually. (Photo: DJ Martinez). The next county prosecutor can either heed those lessons when it comes to public safety, or force residents to suffer the consequences yet more failed public policies. 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. Its a community problem. Karen Pillar, director of policy for youth legal services office, cited stats from the last time the state studied recidivism rates for incarcerated youth. Gun violence related to gang activity has actually remained relatively stable over the course of the pandemic, Hung said. 6) As an elected official, political activist, or civic involved person, come and learn or share your concerns for systemic change. 1) It helps real people in real time to deal with real issues up close and personal. But lets not pretend theyre only targeting petty, seemingly harmless crimes. Constantine is proposing cutting $4.6 million in funding that the Sheriffs Office gets from tax on retail marijuana sales. He has published work withKUOW,North Carolina Public Radio, andThe Progressivemagazine, and he is currently working on a podcast forKUAFin Fayetteville, Arkansas. From his perspective, a restorative justice model that automatically divides violent offenders from their peers is counterproductive. Reintegrate: Ensure a smooth, successful integration into the community. 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. One can presume that this same foundational premise will be used for the adult version of this program the county intends to start soon. Its just sending the wrong message basically saying that one kid is better than the other, when theyre both redeemable.. Who is responsible? Kristin Elia, Executive Office, 206-477-8209, Main phone: 206-263-9600 Young Men of Color ages 16 to 25 are the primary drivers of long-term sentences in Washington State, said Martina Kartman, the founder of Collective Justice, a victim-focused restorative justice program. We have a four-pronged approach to community justice: Prevention: Keep youth on a good path. 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. The RCP literally does the opposite, as county documents explicitly state: Since youth are most impacted by decisions related to RCP, the consortium members, program managers, and the County will be accountable to the youth. The same could be said for vehicle theft and other types of non-violent crime that undermine public safety and quality of life. County audits have found that fare enforcement disproportionately targets the homeless and people of color. 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. The FIRS Center is staffed 24/7 by Pioneer Human Services. 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. This includes participating in the hiring of community navigators by RCP consortium members. Restorative Community Pathways is a diversion program that sends lower-level juvenile cases mostly misdemeanors, up to offenses like burglary, car theft, and gun charges to community. 3) Crisis and trauma have individual ripple effects; yet together by giving our ideas and resources we can do turnarounds and make waves of positive change. respectful family relationships so that all family members feel safe at home. What were not very good at is wrapping ourselves around a young person to help them make better decisions and to turn their lives around, Hung said. 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. Seattle, Washington, United States. 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. CONTACT It may be something that looks very much like detention, but are we going to call it something different and claim that were at zero youth detention?. The ripple effect is a tsunami of deep economic, generational, civic and historical traumas. TTY: Relay: 711 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. 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. Carr then pivoted to the newly-implemented Restorative Community Pathways (RCP). Restorative Community Pathways. 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. The Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center, which opened quietly in February 2020, replaced the countys aging Youth Services Center. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. Seattle, WA. What does dysfunction in these systems cost our livelihoods, health, family wellbeing, and taxes? Interested in learning more about our team & programs? In a normal, sane criminal justice system, the law-abiding authorities run the show and the criminals are held accountable. Every dollar you donated helps to prevent youth from going to the prison system while realizing their full potential. But despite the new alternatives, the number of young people spending the night in cells in the mural-bedecked facility on Alder Street has effectively plateaued. There are many, many steps still to take.. We look at the complexity, notice the tough spots, the complications and identify your optimal frugal need, so you and your family can get a leg up in the process. Hung said RCP is important because it not only diverts kids from a system that is harmful, but it also provides kids with a level of support the courts simply cant come close to. All Rights Reserved. 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. Time, money and resources become more than a click of a button. 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. Beyond this, the community-based. The FIRS Center is staffed 24/7 by Pioneer Human Services. We support our youth and young adults at every stage of the criminal legal processfrom prevention to detention. 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. Over time, the RCP Youth Steering Committee will develop to be directed by youth and young adults who have completed the RCP program. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Controversial King County program diverts young offenders from incarceration for certain crimes. 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. A bill partially unwinding a 2021 policing reform clears the Legislature. Metro buses have been free to ride since the pandemic began, but fare collection could restart as soon as Oct. 1 and fare enforcement could resume as soon as Jan. 1. They were consulted on both fronts prior to todays announcement. And so someone who is drafting a motion like that just doesnt understand it.. He said RCP provides better accountability for the offender and more support for the victims of crimes compared to the traditional court system. In a recent news story by KUOW (NPR-Seattle), King County prosecutor candidate and Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell called attention to the types of crimes that would fall under the RCP. With everything going on in this country youre going to allow people to go to a program with no checkback thats brought a gun to school?. It would launch by 2022 and would be the countys first diversion program, in this form, for felony offenders, said Anita Khandelwal, director of the King County Public Defenders office. 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. The program diverts kids who have committed a crime away from the prison system and instead focuses on rehabilitation through community-based organizations that specialize in 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. Also, some downtown buildings are not open to the public due to a project to close the Administration Building and relocate the agencies affected. The Restorative Community Coalition Phone: 360-354-3653 Email: mail@therestorativecommunity.org 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
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