Restorative Justice
A collaborative initiative of the Knox County District Attorney, Knox County Juvenile Court and Compassion Coalition.
Juvenile offenders who have been found delinquent for non-violent offenses are court ordered to complete an assigned number of community service hours as a condition of their probation. Restorative Justice recognizes that communities, as well as individuals, are victims of crime. Juvenile offenders should pay back the community where they committed their offenses by doing work in the neighborhood that will make it a better place to live. Juvenile offenders are ordered to carry out almost 10,000 hours of community service every year. If that service is directed toward improving our communities there will be a benefit to both the community and the offender.
The major benefits of a Restorative Justice program are:
* Neighborhoods become safer
* Quality of life improves
* Juveniles get a chance to give back to their community
* Community members become more involved as partners with local government
* The justice system becomes more oriented toward solving problems, not just punishing someone and forgetting about the person
* These factors lead to a decrease in delinquency, and ultimately crime rates in general.
* With lower crime rates, citizens of Knox County feel safer
* Crime reduction reduces the amount taxpayers must pay in welfare benefits and in building and staffing new jails and prisons.
The Knox County District Attorney’s Office and Juvenile Court are honored to work with Compassion Coalition volunteers in identifying appropriate work locations for the juveniles where their efforts will be most beneficial, and in providing trained adults to supervise the juveniles on the work sites. This collaborative effort leads the way for future programs in which the justice system can work with community members in making a tangible difference in the future of our children and our neighborhoods.
By partnering church volunteers, the juvenile court, the District Attorney’s office, and local Christian nonprofits, this Compassion Coalition initiative gives juvenile offenders the opportunity to complete their court ordered community service alongside believers. The Restorative Justice Program is an intervention initiative for at-risk youth who have been convicted of nonviolent crimes and can be sentenced to community service in lieu of jail. This “all volunteer” ministry serves an average of 60 juveniles per month while helping 20 nonprofit sites. The youth average 10,500 community service hours per year. The recidivism rate for these youth is 10% compared to the national rate of over 60%. Truly, this ministry brings hope and light to troubled youth.
An abbreviated profile of the Restorative Justice Program, Guidelines for on-site volunteers, and Restorative Justice Sites may be found on this website.
For more information about The Restorative Justice Program contact Stuart Hall at 599-9078 or stuart-hall@hotmail.com
