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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 rehabilitative program, has ignited a countywide debate on justice reform in our region. Instead of jails, we will have homes, schools, jobs, and a community that stands with our youth. Kristin Elia, Executive Office, 206-477-8209, Main phone: 206-263-9600 Critically, RCP also provides equal resources and support to victims. 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. 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?. She said 50 percent of incarcerated youth end up returning to the criminal justice system. 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. Be the first to get new stories sent straight into your inbox. The greater challenge, he said, is reducing the need for those services and deciding whether an end to youth detention is actually the end of detention in its current form. So last November, King County launched a new diversion process for youth called Restorative Community Pathways. Its a community problem. Contact King County Executive Dow Constantine and tell him not to move forward with the RCP for adults! , 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. 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? Bringing a gun to school and unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree is on that list, he said. There must be a case number to track these offenses and the serious felony crimes should be removed from eligibility. Juveniles who threaten physical and deadly harm to innocent people, especially in schools, needs more than a time out devoid of legal oversight. 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. Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. 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. Diversion: Keep people out of the prison system and in community. 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. When it opened, the County offered tours to show off the pastel-colored walls, art collection, and brightly lit common areas that set it apart from the old facility. 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. 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. 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. Dominique was a gifted football player, who had to make the decision between his dream to play professionally or survive, he chose the latter. 1) It helps real people in real time to deal with real issues up close and personal. Restorative Community Pathways (RCP) is the best way to reduce the juvenile crime rate in King County, said Jimmy Hung, Chief Deputy Prosecutor at King Countys Juvenile Division. 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. King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn recently proposed a motion to recommend pausing the program just months into its implementation. 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. Carr then pivoted to the newly-implemented Restorative Community Pathways (RCP). We support our youth and young adults at every stage of the criminal legal processfrom prevention to detention. 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?. Among the organizations thats received taxpayer money as part of the RCP is Community Passageways, which states on its website that the juvenile criminals they work with are the real victims. 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. Instead, that money would be used to help people vacate old marijuana-related convictions and settle old fines and court fees. And racial disparities persist: nearly half of the children currently in detention are Black, and a quarter are Latinx; only a fifth are white. Mediation allows people an opportunity to speak . Follow us and connect below: 1429 AVENUE D #262, SNOHOMISH, WA, 98290-1742. The current program includes: Criminal youth dictating how the program is run Contact the Council: Main phone: 206-477-1000: TTY/TDD: Relay: 711: Contact all 9 . And thats where I think the community comes in and they do a much much better job than we could ever do.. 2023 Change Washington. What measures are being put in place to ensure they wont harm someone? Karen Pillar, director of policy for youth legal services office, cited stats from the last time the state studied recidivism rates for incarcerated youth. It is at the early education, intervention, 911 call, the hospital and at the jail doors. And so someone who is drafting a motion like that just doesnt understand it.. 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. 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 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. 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. Hung said the way Dunn and other community leaders have framed restorative justice as being separate or counter to community safety is misguided. 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. To be fair, the point isnt entirely false. 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. of youth and young adults were able to remain in the community. Support: Support people already in the prison system. 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. This is a moment that cant be missed, Constantine said. 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. On the other hand, RCP provides an equal amount of resources to both the offender and the victim, Hung said. 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. 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. 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. , 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. Sentencing in suitcase murders | Podcast, King County Councilmember proposes regional ban on public drug use, King County Crisis Care Levy passing in first election results, Washingtons COVID-19 exposure notification app to end May 11, Firearms scheme leads to federal charges | King County Crime Dive. King County hasnt resolved how it will tackle the next four years of juvenile justice reform. 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. Sentencing in suitcase murders | Podcast, King County Councilmember proposes regional ban on public drug use, King County Crisis Care Levy passing in first election results, Washingtons COVID-19 exposure notification app to end May 11, Firearms scheme leads to federal charges | King County Crime Dive. In January 2022, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn proposed a pause to the countys Restorative Community Pathways program. It provides public safety so theyre not oppositional. Controversial King County program diverts young offenders from incarceration for certain crimes. He received his PhD in the streets, from the University of Rainier and Henderson. The county prosecutors office expects to refer between 700 and 800 young people to the program by 2022 or 2023: as much as 80% of the prosecutors current juvenile caseload. King County resident Abby Brockman testified in favor of the program, saying that Dunns argument against the RCP seems to pit restorative justice and public safety against each other. 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. But even as the overall number decreased, our current juvenile legal system has a disproportionately harmful impact on youth of color, particularly black youth. The repurposing is the easier part of the conversation.. Seattle, Washington, United States. 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. By Henry Stewart-Wood September 15, 2022 4:55 pm A look inside the King County Juvenile Detention Center. And Im like really? Advocacy Program Coordinator. 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. 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. 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. Dominique believes those closest to the problem can solve the problem! If youre a gang leader, who are you going to recruit to carry out your thefts and burglaries? We have a four-pronged approach to community justice: Prevention: Keep youth on a good path. It could be a service center for homeless youth and their families, or a place where young people could have access to detox services. The courtrooms in the old center were cramped and gave little privacy to young defendants, while the new facilitys courtrooms offer more breathing room. Reintegrate: Ensure a smooth, successful integration into the community. 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. Then also have a reality check on the very real damage that it causes to human capital.. Marlon Brown, a board member of Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County, called the changes a first step. 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. Almost all the proposals will require the approval of the Metropolitan King County Council, which will review Constantines budget in the coming weeks. As a felony diversion and prevention program, CP is leading the way in reimagining and actively creating an alternative to todays criminal legal system. A restorative practice approach is used with teens and parents together to address violent incidents that have occurred. The new buildings amenities and art collection are more respectful, he said, but ultimately, its a kid jail. Jeremy Crowe, RestorativePrograms Supervisor, 206-477-6528,jeremy.crowe@kingcounty.gov. Many youth avoid secure detention. The traditional court system spends money on prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, incarceration and supervision, which are all concerned with the offender, Hung said. 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. 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. Contact the entire King County Council and tell them to pass a resolution postponing the adult version of the Restorative Community Pathways program until it includes accountability measures and the judiciary! The county still jails young people charged with more the most serious felonies including first-degree assault, robbery, and murder as a default. The new building includes a gym, a clinic, a library, and a spiritual center, as well as a room stocked with donated clothes for young people to wear to court appearances or job interviews. But, Hung said, reasonably this kind of situation would make more sense to be dealt with between the families in a community-based approach, rather than to drag that student into the juvenile justice system. Brockman said she believes restorative justice and public safety can coexist and that restorative justice that works to rehabilitate rather than punish is a public safety strategy. Jasmin Tucker. Thats why RCP exists. Rivera said that the South King County mayors who objected to RCP do not understand the methodology of restorative justice or its effectiveness. But there are other treatments that are available. 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.. In 2021, we had, by far in the history of this county, the lowest number of juvenile referrals into my office, Hung said. PO Box 31026, Bellingham, WA 98228 Kids engage in risk-taking, Hung said. 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. A bill partially unwinding a 2021 policing reform clears the Legislature. 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. FIRS is a collaborative intervention and approach to address adolescent family violence in a timely, therapeutic, andtrauma-informed alternative to formal court involvement. Dow Constantine. 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. Any long-term facilities that might replace the current detention center, Goode said, would need to be staffed by people with experience and training resembling that of the case managers and counselors who currently work with restorative justice programs in King County. From reducing prison sentences to developing thriving young adults, Community Passageways impact on our young people and the community is wide-reaching. , Youth are referred to diversion by the Prosecuting Attorneys Office. Creative Justice and Collective Justiceare working with the King County Department of Public Defense to form Restorative Community Pathways, a consortium of service providers for children facing potential misdemeanor . Thediversion process is usually quicker and less stressful than the court process. Available data for the program provided by the Prosecuting Attorneys Office, while early, is promising. 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.

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