Restorative Community Pathways has funds to offer the victims of crimes immediate restitution without going through a lengthy court process, Hung said. 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. At the end of public comment, the motion came up for a vote among the committee, during which it was rejected as every committee member other than Dunn voted against it. New youth program divides candidates for King County Prosecutor PO Box 31026, Bellingham, WA 98228 The proposals, part of the biennial budget that Constantine will present next week, have been spurred by the months of protests against police brutality and systemic racism that have dominated the nation and the region this summer. 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. 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. , Youth are referred to diversion by the Prosecuting Attorneys Office. 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. 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. Diversion meetings happen in the community closest to where ayouth lives, with either a staff member or volunteers. Juvenile division prosecutor defends Restorative Community Pathways He received his PhD in the streets, from the University of Rainier and Henderson. 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. Youthhave the opportunity tosign out-of-court agreements in lieu of criminal charging and formal court. 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. Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus said she supports restorative justice and rehabilitation in her community, but expressed concerns that the RCP program would allow certain crimes such as specific assault charges and illegal possession of a firearm. The new buildings amenities and art collection are more respectful, he said, but ultimately, its a kid jail. 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. I think we as a society, and especially in America, need to have a come to Jesus moment on what our criminal justice system is actually capable of, Hung said. 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. In time, he decided he needed to do no more harm to the community and he was going to be a positive contributor. 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. These models are designed to provide timely, therapeutic, and restorative support to youth and families. The program diverts kids who have committed a crime away from the prison system and instead focuses on rehabilitation through . Henok Gebreyohannes. Its emotionally rewarding, humanizing and good business to reclaim lives and invest in human potential. 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. Mediation allows people an opportunity to speak . Get to know a few of our team members & why they partner with Community Passageways. Hung said the way Dunn and other community leaders have framed restorative justice as being separate or counter to community safety is misguided. Some restorative justice advocates including people who spent time in youth detention centers challenge the additional scrutiny shown to young people charged with serious crimes, particularly violent ones. 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. interventions at the Patricia Clark Child and Family Justice Center and in the community. Extensive information about Step-Up,including program curriculum, is availableHERE. Rantz: Prosecutor says 'get used to' no jail time for teen gun crimes 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. 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. That is precisely the opposite of what they put in their unprofessional PowerPoint presentation. 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. "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. What measures are being put in place to ensure they wont harm someone? Photo courtesy of King County. An additional $2.7 million investment would divert about 1,000 first-time, nonviolent adult offenders out of the judicial system. 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. 1,706 Followers, 64 Following, 49 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Restorative Community Pathways (@restorative_community_pathways) 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. King County Executive King County Council approves program to let community groups - KOMO It could be a medical clinic. A World That Relies on Community and Not Courtrooms. Interested in learning more about our team & programs? Restorative Community Pathways. 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. Jimmy Hung heads the juvenile division at the King County Prosecutor's Office.. 2020 Reform from Multanomah County Awesome. Jayanna Thompson. King County Executive Dow Constantine on Wednesday proposed several new initiatives to cut funding from the county Sheriffs Office, shift resources away from the traditional criminal justice system toward community-based alternatives and move away from traditional fare enforcement on county buses. The only thing Hung as a prosecutor can promise the victim is that he will listen to them, and even in cases in which restitution to the victim is ordered, it is rarely ever paid out. 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. In my opinion, thats a fundamental misunderstanding of what restorative justice is. Over 25 people signed up to testify in support of the Restorative Community Pathways program. Some might argue that citing potential school shooters is fear-mongering because such instances are rare. Below is a snapshot of our effectiveness between 2017 and 2018. off prison time compared to initial charges. KUOW - King County gave millions to 'No New Youth Jail' activists to Kristin Elia, Executive Office, 206-477-8209, Main phone: 206-263-9600 We create alternatives to incarceration for youth and young adults by rebuilding our communities through committed relationships centered on love, compassion, and consistency. She is a strong champion for mental health and addiction recovery, strengthening our schools, reforming the criminal justice system, and affordable housing. But lets not pretend theyre only targeting petty, seemingly harmless crimes. Although Dunns motion was shot down five to one during a council meeting on March 1, 2022, Hung wants people to know the facts about the program and how his office is viewing it. 5) Ally with us as a non-profit, share your point of views, your challenges and wisdom, so we can team up to bridge gaps and resolve conflicts. Dominique often says it will take the community to heal the community--we are the ones we have been waiting for. Available data for the program provided by the Prosecuting Attorneys Office, while early, is promising. Goode also emphasized the importance of the physical space used to house children in need of long-term care and supervision. The ripple effect is a tsunami of deep economic, generational, civic and historical traumas. Dominique was a gifted football player, who had to make the decision between his dream to play professionally or survive, he chose the latter. That presumes that restorative justice is oppositional to public safety, Hung said. FIRS is a collaborative intervention and approach to address adolescent family violence in a timely, therapeutic, andtrauma-informed alternative to formal court involvement. Please reach out for more information on our volunteer needs. Its a community problem. 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. Now, we look at how it's actually run - and our recommendations on how to change it. It's a diversion program for some first-time criminal offenders. Dunn proposes pause to highly controversial criminal diversion program 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. Finding alternatives for most of the young people in detention facing serious charges, and for those who have passed through the prosecutors office multiple times, will be a delicate process. 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. Phone: 360-354-3653 , 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. Hannah Long - Finance Coordinator - Restorative Community Pathways Jeremy Crowe, Restorative Programs Supervisor, (206) 477-6528,Jeremy.crowe@kingcounty.govor FIRS Team, (206)263-9001. He argued that these juveniles are still children, just trying to discover their own identity in a system that is treating them like an adult criminal and not a child in need of guidance. So last November, King County launched a new diversion process for youth called Restorative Community Pathways. My proposals for anti-racism and criminal legal system transformation The goals of FIRSinclude:decreasing violence in the home,preventing further police contact, and increasing family safety and well-being. OPINION: The World We Need Must be Built by Community Not Courtrooms of sentencing relative to initial charges. 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.. This includes participating in the hiring of community navigators by RCP consortium members. 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. In particular, it is shockingly irresponsible to remove legal consequences for any firearm-related crime at a time when gun violence is surging to an all-time high. These models are designed to provide timely, therapeutic, andrestorative support to youth and families. 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. Over time, the RCP Youth Steering Committee will develop to be directed by youth and young adults who have completed the RCP program. Community Passageways Time, money and resources become more than a click of a button. What does dysfunction in these systems cost our livelihoods, health, family wellbeing, and taxes? Critically, RCP also provides equal resources and support to victims. Our Team CHOOSE 180 Within the first year, RCP aims to divert 400 low-level, first-time juvenile cases to an existing network of restorative justice organizations that provide immediate responses and support for youth and harmed parties. Diversion: Keep people out of the prison system and in community. 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. If a youth does not complete a Diversion Agreement or does not respond to requests to meet to establish a Diversion Agreement,Juvenile Court sends the case back to the prosecutor, at which time the prosecutor might decide to file criminal charges. 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. Some money would also be shifted toward youth marijuana-prevention programs. 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. 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.. He has published work withKUOW,North Carolina Public Radio, andThe Progressivemagazine, and he is currently working on a podcast forKUAFin Fayetteville, Arkansas. (This article was originally published on PubliCola and has been reprinted under an agreement.). And Im like really? 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. I frankly have no idea what people who live in neighborhoods where bullets are flying past their head are going through, Hung said. We support our youth and young adults at every stage of the criminal legal processfrom prevention to detention. Restorative Community Pathways Community Navigator. Decades of research have shown that putting kids through the criminal justice system pushes them toward criminal behavior rather than away from it. Jeremy Crowe, RestorativePrograms Supervisor, 206-477-6528,jeremy.crowe@kingcounty.gov. It is headed to Gov. Full Bio. The program, according to Dunn, has a major perception problem as the South King County mayors scramble to mitigate the growing crime in their communities. 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. The current program includes: Criminal youth dictating how the program is run So who am I to say I have some monopoly on knowing what keeps communities safe, right?. None of these resources are provided to the victims of crimes in the traditional justice system. In 2016,Dominiqueestablished Community Passageways, after multiple gun related deaths and incidents on Rainier Avenue. Working hands-on with those directly impacted, You will learn to innovate and bring forward new solutions that help people adjust. A bill partially unwinding a 2021 policing reform clears the Legislature. Our programs focus on personal healing, identity development, and leadership building. 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! If youre a gang leader, who are you going to recruit to carry out your thefts and burglaries? Get directions. King County's shadow juvenile crime system needs reform 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. 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. of youth and young adults were able to remain in the community. KUOW Public Radio on Instagram: "On a Sunday morning last November, an Bellingham, WA 98226, RCC is a 501c3 non-profit organization | Copyright 2023 The Restorative Community Coalition, Whatcom County Jail Trauma Chart the RADD-RAT Symptoms, Stop Punishing Taxpayers Start Rebuilding Community, Whatcom County Jail Trauma Chart the RADD-RAT Symptoms. Play Play Play Play 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.. 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. Data collected between November 1 of last year and August 18, 2022, shows that of the 145 youth participating in RCP in lieu of prosecution, only 12, or just over eight percent, have had new case referrals. Juvenile division prosecutor defends Restorative Community Pathways 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. Learn more about Restorative Community Pathways. To use rising crime as a justification for pausing the program is just not correct, Hung said. But even as the overall number decreased, our current juvenile legal system has a disproportionately harmful impact on youth of color, particularly black youth. Many youth avoid secure detention. Community Passageways (CP) is a Seattle based nonprofit founded in 2017 with a vision for zero youth incarceration. Washingtons COVID-19 exposure notification app is scheduled to conclude May 11 in tandem with the end of the Public Health. The KCPAO will forward. Show them new paths. 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. 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 . Christina Umali. Gun violence related to gang activity has actually remained relatively stable over the course of the pandemic, Hung said. Since 2021, Collective Justice has been receiving cases pre-charge . However, that doesnt take away their moral agency, and the worst thing to teach them is that their behavior and subsequent arrest wasnt their fault, but was due to systemic oppression. 2 dead, 1 critically wounded in shooting at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle, Think Seattle-area property taxes are rising fast? Volunteering with Community Passageways is a way to invest your skills, heart, and mind into our young people. This 2020 short documentary presented by the Seattle Seahawks, tells the story of Restorative Community Pathways, a program that seeks to alter the current juvenile legal system and instead. A $6.2 million program called Restorative Community Pathways would refer up to 800 young people, by 2023, to community-based services, rather than filing criminal charges against them. 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. Jun 2022 - Present11 months. King County Prosecutor's race Q&A: Diversion programs, sexual offenses Contact the Council: Main phone: 206-477-1000: TTY/TDD: Relay: 711: Contact all 9 . Join to view profile. 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 . Director of Programs. 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..