of sentencing relative to initial charges. The courtrooms in the old center were cramped and gave little privacy to young defendants, while the new facilitys courtrooms offer more breathing room. 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. Get directions. If implemented as designed, those running the RCP show could potentially include kids whove committed brutal attacks, harassed others, broke into homes, or even brought guns to school and threatened to kill other students. Some money would also be shifted toward youth marijuana-prevention programs. 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. 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. These can include receiving services, doingcommunity service, or paying a victim to compensate for their financial loss. And thats where I think the community comes in and they do a much much better job than we could ever do.. 2) Reach out to us related to the iChange Justice Podcast offer suggestions, ask questions, nominate guests. Initially, he supported the supposed tough on crime approach toward dealing with the crime by locking people up. 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. Jeremy Crowe, RestorativePrograms Supervisor, 206-477-6528, Find certified small business contractors and suppliers, For Families Experiencing Violence in the Home. the King Countys Restorative Community Pathways (RCP) program, Contact King County Executive Dow Constantine, actual shootings preceded by telltale warning signs, Seattle Mayor plans to focus on root causes of homelessess, Dont be fooled by homeless spending proposals, We need a better approach to end homelessness, Criminal youth dictating how the program is run, Zoom meetings as punishment for organized theft and burglaries, Refusal by prosecutors to file charges even for serious offenses. And so someone who is drafting a motion like that just doesnt understand it.. A big point of contention surrounding the program was gun violence and other violent crime. 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. 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. 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. The FIRS Center is staffed 24/7 by Pioneer Human Services. Jun 2022 - Present11 months. We employ men and women from the community who share similar racial, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds with our young people who have lived experience navigating the full spectrum of the school-to-prison pipeline to act as credible messengers and Ambassadors. 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. Change a young persons life by donating to Community Passageways. 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. FIRS and Step Up focus on families experiencing family violence. We have a four-pronged approach to community justice: Prevention: Keep youth on a good path. Follow us and connect below: 1429 AVENUE D #262, SNOHOMISH, WA, 98290-1742. Now, we look at how its actually run and our recommendations on how to change it. What does dysfunction in these systems cost our livelihoods, health, family wellbeing, and taxes? One can presume that this same foundational premise will be used for the adult version of this program the county intends to start soon. 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. FAMILY INTERVENTION AND RESTORATIVE SERVICES (FIRS). To be fair, the point isnt entirely false. 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. As a felony diversion and prevention program, CP is leading the way in reimagining and actively creating an alternative to todays criminal legal system. 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. 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. 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. Khandelwal called it a a long overdue departure from a racist, ineffective and failed legal system.. Reintegrate: Ensure a smooth, successful integration into the community. Some King County mayors want to pause restorative justice program The truth is, criminal rehabilitation and homelessness outreach must adopt the same strategy if theyre to succeed. 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.. The Restorative Community Coalition Posting comments is now limited to subscribers only. The county currently has a $4.7 million contract with a private security firm to conduct fare enforcement, but the new goal is to have a new program in place by 2022. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. 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. The Youth Steering Committee will be responsible for development of the RCP process after program launch. 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. There must be a case number to track these offenses and the serious felony crimes should be removed from eligibility. None of these resources are provided to the victims of crimes in the traditional justice system. Also, some downtown buildings are not open to the public due to a project to close the Administration Building and relocate the agencies affected. Restorative Community Pathways for youth offenders contrasts with traditional prosecution. KUOW - King County gave millions to 'No New Youth Jail' activists to 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. In his 20 years of experience as a prosecutor, Hung said his perspective on the prison system has changed. 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. Our highly-trained and experienced staff and volunteers at Empowered Pathways offer a variety of mediation services to address issues related to youth, as well as restorative services using the highly successful Circles environment approach to opening and continuing effective communication paths. Like with the homeless, outreach to juvenile offenders need to be able to identify one from the other so that efforts arent wasted on the wrong people. Over time, the RCP Youth Steering Committee will develop to be directed by youth and young adults who have completed the RCP program. A World That Relies on Community and Not Courtrooms. 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?. Karen Pillar, director of policy for youth legal services office, cited stats from the last time the state studied recidivism rates for incarcerated youth. 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. 932 views, 5 likes, 9 loves, 2 comments, 15 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Covid19 Mutual Aid - Seattle: Learn about this amazing work! Mailing address: Over the last 20 years in Seattle, we have seen a sharp decline in the number of young people in detention. Christina Umali. Lily Anderson, Senior Social Worker, or the, 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 Board. The county will also begin to look for new alternatives to traditional fare enforcement on Metro buses. 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. Our Team CHOOSE 180 King County prosecutor candidates discuss criminal - Seattle Weekly Its a community problem. The Youth Steering Committee will serve as the community-based decision-making body for RCP design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. However, just as there are many homeless who have no desire to reenter normal society, there are criminals who plan to continue that lifestyle. 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. Homelessness, criminalization of poverty, the Covid crisis, technology and social justice issues are only part of the problems we face. , When a youth completes all requirements in the Diversion Agreement, they do not have a criminal record and no charges are filed. It could become a facility that serves an older population of young adults, said Nance. Kristin Elia, Executive Office, 206-477-8209, Main phone: 206-263-9600 Play Play Play Play University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business. We should be allowed the same grace that the criminal legal system has been shown.. Restorative Community Pathways Teach-in - Facebook King County Executive Dow Constantine proposes new - The Seattle Times An important thing to note is that the crime rate in the last two years has increased among adults, not children. Some might argue that citing potential school shooters is fear-mongering because such instances are rare. It has metastasized into a civic systems problem and a taxpayers nightmare. 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. A bill partially unwinding a 2021 policing reform clears the Legislature. 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. Be the first to get new stories sent straight into your inbox. Since 2021, Collective Justice has been receiving cases pre-charge . Seattle, WA 98104. Sean Goode, the director of Choose 180, said ending youth detention as it currently exists will require the county to invest more faith in programs like his. 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. Instead of court, some people who've committed a crime could. Director . Schulman said she wondered why Dunn would take such a large step backward from progressive and holistic solutions to justice reform that works to break down the school-to-prison pipeline. They were consulted on both fronts prior to todays announcement. 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. The current program includes: Criminal youth dictating how the program is run The goals of FIRSinclude:decreasing violence in the home,preventing further police contact, and increasing family safety and well-being. The repurposing is the easier part of the conversation.. TTY: Relay: 711 If passed, the property tax levy will help fund behavioral health infrastructure in the region. You can choose your level of involvement.It will take many hands working together at different levels to bridge the gaps while rebuilding healthy communities. Kids engage in risk-taking, Hung said. Contact the Council: Main phone: 206-477-1000: TTY/TDD: Relay: 711: Contact all 9 . 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. Jimmy Hung heads the juvenile division at the King County Prosecutor's Office.. Show them new paths. PO Box 31026, Bellingham, WA 98228 Bottomline, the accumulated effect is that we are ending habitual trauma cycles that plague individuals, families and the whole community network. 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 county still jails young people charged with more the most serious felonies including first-degree assault, robbery, and murder as a default. Executive Constantine unveils 2021-2022 budget, calls for major The requirements of the agreement are defined by law and guided by principlesof Restorative Justice using a Positive Youth Development Model. The program diverts kids who have committed a crime away from the prison system and instead focuses on rehabilitation through . These models are designed to provide timely, therapeutic, and restorative support to youth and families. 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. This includes increased gun violence in domestic violence situations, around homelessness, and interestingly enough, road rage. An additional $2.7 million investment would divert about 1,000 first-time, nonviolent adult offenders out of the judicial system. He has published work withKUOW,North Carolina Public Radio, andThe Progressivemagazine, and he is currently working on a podcast forKUAFin Fayetteville, Arkansas. There should be real ramifications, including prosecution, for these dangerous crimes.. All Rights Reserved. And they come even as the coronavirus pandemic has forced cutbacks across nearly all branches of county government. 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. 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. 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. 2) You are investing in the future while healing the past. 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! 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. Most of theseservices are offered without the filing of criminal charges or formal court processing. It would work with already established local organizations, like Choose 180, Creative Justice and Community Pathways. Extensive information about Step-Up,including program curriculum, is availableHERE. "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. Diversion: Keep people out of the prison system and in community. From his perspective, a restorative justice model that automatically divides violent offenders from their peers is counterproductive. 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. We cover Seattle and King County on a budget that is funded entirely by reader contributionsno ads, no paywalls, ever. Rantz: Prosecutor says 'get used to' no jail time for teen gun crimes 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. 2023 Change Washington. The result? 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. King County Executive Youll send in juveniles without any prior offenses on their record. (This article was originally published on PubliCola and has been reprinted under an agreement.). 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. She believes diverting these kinds of juvenile offenders from courts could allow them to escape accountability. The goals of FIRSinclude:decreasing violence in the home,preventing further police contact, and increasing family safety and well-being. . Time, money and resources become more than a click of a button. Dominique often says it will take the community to heal the community--we are the ones we have been waiting for. Crime-conscious mayors criticize King County's juvenile justice program 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 Controversial King County program diverts young offenders from incarceration for certain crimes. Juveniles who threaten physical and deadly harm to innocent people, especially in schools, needs more than a time out devoid of legal oversight. 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.. If you or someone you care about is being negatively impacted by public health and safety issues, we are here for you. Or do you know someone who would benefit from our programs? 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. My proposals for anti-racism and criminal legal system transformation 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. 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. , 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. 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 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. Dunn proposes pause to highly controversial criminal diversion program Hung said the way Dunn and other community leaders have framed restorative justice as being separate or counter to community safety is misguided. Many criminals, particularly criminal youths, have been victimized in the same way they victimize others. Chase Gallagher, a Constantine spokesperson, said the Sheriffs Office was consulted. Restorative Community Pathways (RCP) was implemented in November. Program providers report 86 percent of youth participants are meeting their program goals and 94 percent are increasing connection with adults, family, and the community. 3) Become a mentor, case interceptor or manager, court natigator. Critically, RCP also provides equal resources and support to victims. 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. What must be made clear to them is that criminal behavior is not acceptable regardless of who does it, that they have a moral obligation to respect other peoples rights and property as others do toward them, and that there are long-term repercussions if the behavior continues. 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. Jasmine Vail - Communications Coordinator - Restorative Community Learn more about Restorative Community Pathways. In a normal, sane criminal justice system, the law-abiding authorities run the show and the criminals are held accountable. In time, he decided he needed to do no more harm to the community and he was going to be a positive contributor. 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. "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 . From reducing prison sentences to developing thriving young adults, Community Passageways impact on our young people and the community is wide-reaching. 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. Henok Gebreyohannes. Our community-centered, evidence-based model provides an alternative to the current criminal legal system. In 2021, we had, by far in the history of this county, the lowest number of juvenile referrals into my office, Hung said. FIRS and Step Up focus on families experiencing family violence. 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. Youth who successfully complete a diversion have the addedbenefit of handling a criminal incident without having a criminal conviction. Renton City Councilmembers Kim-Khanh Van and Carmen Rivera echoed this sentiment, expressing belief that the region needs holistic approaches to diverting youth from the court system in favor of a more rehabilitative approach. 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. Please reach out for more information on our volunteer needs. 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. Hung said that over the last several decades, crime has decreased dramatically. 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. The FIRS team works with families to assess risk, identify needs, complete safety planning and refer for appropriateservices. Working hands-on with those directly impacted, You will learn to innovate and bring forward new solutions that help people adjust. Are you a young person in the Seattle-area who wants to participate in our programs? Director of Programs. Whether its becoming a mentor or our helping with vital behind-the-scenes administration, your volunteer time restores and saves lives! 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. 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. The ripple effect is a tsunami of deep economic, generational, civic and historical traumas. 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. "RCP at its core is a program that provides healing and restoration for youth. 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. And racial disparities persist: nearly half of the children currently in detention are Black, and a quarter are Latinx; only a fifth are white. County audits have found that fare enforcement disproportionately targets the homeless and people of color. 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.