< PreviousINTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 40 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 45, NUMBER 4 that participant feedback has been strongly supportive. At each JCAP completion meeting, participants are asked to complete a survey and have an opportunity to comment on their experience. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive, with parents often expressing an interest in becoming JCAP facilitators. The work at JCAP is further supported by research from the Search Institute of Minneapolis. The Search Institute has identified the importance of a Developmental Relationship Framework (Search Institute, 2019) which explains the importance of relationships that allow adolescents to develop prosocial skills. Basically, developmental relationships are close connections through which young people discover who they are, cultivate abilities to shape their own lives, and learn how to engage with and contribute to the world around them. The research showed that young people are more likely to develop successfully when they experience positive developmental relationships with important people in their lives. Conclusion With the support of the JCAP facilitators, young people who complete this program are able to develop connections within their community. Being held accountable in a community space provides resolution for all involved and empowers the young person to make prosocial decisions moving forward. None of this would be possible without the dedication, care, and commitment of the facilitators, all of whom live in the communities that they serve. In addition, the thoughtful interest and support provided by Solano County Probation staff is a blessing to the work JCAP is endeavoring to accomplish and has helped further the work tremendously. There is a mutual commitment to repairing harm, restoring relationships, and building communities. JCAP and the Solano County Probation department meet people where they are and create pathways for where they need to be. Programs like JCAP provide a much-needed alternative to the juvenile court system, which was not created to respond quickly to, or address, the root causes that precipitate adolescent offending. The benefit of the restorative approach is that it includes everyone who has been directly affected and helps them find common ground in real time. It provides an opportunity for all present to contribute positively to society, creates new opportunities to build strong community ties, and disrupts the cycle of entry into the juvenile justice system. All in all, the JCAP program has met expectations and has had a significant impact. References Edmonton Police Service. (2016, June 29). Fake gun, real danger [Video]. Edmonton Police. Search Institute. (2019). The developmental rela- tionships STOP One Punch Can Kill. (2013). The David Cas- Zehr, H. (2002). The little book of restorative jus- tice. Intercourse, PA: Good Books. Author Bio Julie Hilt is the founder of Alternative Restorative Communities (ARC), LLC. She collaborates with community partners to create programs that interrupt entry points and address the racial and ethnic disparity in the juvenile justice system. Julie came to California from London, England. Her work is greatly influenced by research and methods that have been pioneered in the UK, bringing a more global perspective to juvenile justice.41 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICEINTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 42 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 45, NUMBER 4 RESTORING HOPE AND HEALING COMMUNITIES A RURAL MINNESOTA RESPONSE TO JUVENILE JUSTICE BY BRIAN ANDREWS43 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE Introduction The Lakes Area Restorative Justice Project (LARJP) is a community-directed, operated, and supported non-profit organization in rural Minnesota that uses restorative justice practices as an alternative to the traditional juvenile court system. LARJP seeks to alter the attitudes and behavior of justice-involved individuals while repairing the harm to victims and the community. Background LARJP was founded in 2004 when the combined experience and passion to create change of probation officer Stephanie Haider and minister Roger Lynn, both retired, merged and began a grassroots effort to bring restorative justice to the youth of Crow Wing County, a rural part of Minnesota that is known for its caring community. Over the past 16 years LARJP has strengthened relationships and gained support from the community, local organizations, schools, law enforcement, social services, community corrections, county attorney, county commissioners, churches, and other restorative justice programs throughout Minnesota. It is through this collaboration that LARJP has been able to have the greatest impact and cultivate the change this community wants to see. Program Description LARJP serves juveniles between the ages of 8 and 18, although most of the youth that come through this program are between 14 and 17 years old. Participants come from diverse family backgrounds and include—but are not limited to—those with learning disabilities and those struggling with mental health and/or substance use. Clients are given the opportunity to participate in the program, but if they cause harm in the future, they may not be given a second chance. Referral Process The project receives pre-charge and post- charge referrals from the County Attorney’s office of individuals with offenses ranging from petty misdemeanors to felony level charges. Direct referrals are also received from each of the county’s 10 police departments, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, school resource officers, and social services. The county attorney created the direct referral policy that empowers the police departments to make direct referrals to LARJP. When a referral is received, the program coordinator will create a case file and then reach out to the family of the referred client to explain the program. It is a voluntary process that the client’s family can choose to end at any time. The program coordinator will then mail out a participation agreement that needs to be signed by both the client and a parent or guardian. The form explains that there is a $50.00 fee for participating in the program, but scholarships are available if a potential participant is unable to pay the fee. In cases where the referred client’s parent or guardian does not answer the letter or respond to phone calls within a period of two weeks, the caseworker sends the case back to the referring agency with a letter documenting the attempted contact. The program coordinator will also reach out to the person(s) that was harmed, providing information about the program and extending an invitation to participate. If interested, two trained facilitators will then be assigned to the case, and they will reach out to both parties to schedule a time for a preconference (LARJP Personnel Handbook 2021). Conference Process The restorative justice process involves a series of conferences that are designed to create a safe and productive setting (Minnesota Department of Corrections, 2003). At the preconference, the facilitators will explain the program in more detail, and the client will have the opportunity to share what happened to lead to the charges. The facilitators will ask questions to help them fully understand the client’s explanation of what happened. They will also INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 44 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 45, NUMBER 4 ask about goals, hobbies/interests, and things the client is good at. In addition, the facilitators try to learn about the youth’s family. The facilitators will meet separately with the person who was harmed and explain that the program is designed to provide an opportunity to share what happened and how this event has affected them. Both parties will be asked if there is anything that they would like to have at the conference to help them or if there is anyone they would like to be at the conference for support. The final part of the preconference will be to schedule a date for the main conference. Once the date is set, the facilitators will contact a volunteer community member and reach out to the police department and invite an officer to participate in the conference. The final conference brings everyone together. The volunteer facilitators begin by sharing expectations for everyone involved, explaining each person’s role, and then inviting those who caused the harm or those that were harmed to begin sharing what happened and how they have been affected. The sequence of speaking is determined at the preconference. The community member, police officer, and any support people will also be given the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts. Once everyone is done sharing, a contract to repair the harm will be created by the person who caused the harm, the person who was harmed, and the community member. The different items of the contract can include restitution, community service, letters of apology, an art project that brings awareness of the harm, or any other task that the group decides will repair the harm and build the community. When the contract items have been identified, dates will be set for when each of the items is to be completed. The timeframe from the date of referral to contract fulfillment on average is about two months, depending on the type of harm caused and the items on the contract setting (Minnesota Department of Corrections, 2003). Observing the transformation that begins during these conferences as the individuals who caused the harm increasingly understand the impact of their actions is very powerful. They begin to fully see the harm that was caused and develop a willingness to do whatever it takes to repair that harm. They also see the impact of their restorative actions on the person who was harmed. Creating a safe space where everyone can be heard and respected and then unifying the group in creating a contract to repair the harm allows healing and growing to begin. Adapting to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Example With the onset of the pandemic, LARJP has moved to using Zoom virtual meeting technology to conduct meetings that would normally be done in person. This has been a learning process for everyone. The executive director and the program coordinator have participated in several different training sessions to help develop the program and the use of Zoom. For example, a case was referred from the county attorney involving a 13-year-old boy who was being charged with two counts of assault against a teacher and a school resource officer. The executive director and the program coordinator reviewed the case. The boy’s grandmother had been newly assigned guardianship over him, and his parents were not involved with him at any level. The program coordinator called the grandmother and explained the LARJP. After she agreed that the boy would participate, she was informed that a facilitator would be calling. The program coordinator then emailed the referring agency accepting the case. The case was assigned to two facilitators who called the referred client’s grandmother to schedule a preconference. During the first virtual preconference, the youth indicated he was not able to remember anything regarding the event at the school and was having a hard time staying engaged. His grandmother was very guarded. The facilitators explained that they would be scheduling another virtual meeting and would keep it around 15-20 minutes. During the next two preconferences the 45 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE facilitators were able to gain the trust of both the client and his grandmother. After finding out that the client wanted to join the U.S. Navy when he was older, the facilitators shared how enlisting could support his future—that after serving, his benefits would pay for him to go to college and enable him to pursue a desired degree in engineering. The client also shared many of his hobbies and interests and identified various talents and skills. The facilitators met with both the teacher and the school resource officer who were harmed, and they shared what had happened. They also noted that they had seen an increase in problematic behaviors by the client over the previous year, such as yelling, throwing things, fighting verbally/physically, and withdrawing or not participating at school. The facilitators then scheduled a date for the final conference. The final conference included the client and his grandmother, the teacher, the school resource officer, and a community member. Taking the extra time in the preconference stage helped to prepare everyone for the final conference. The client was able to share everything that happened, acknowledged the harm he did, and stated that he could really see how much impact his actions had and how many other people were affected by those actions. The contract that was created included apology letters to the teacher, school resource officer, grandmother, and the client himself. This last apology was written after he came to understand that his choices and behaviors had hurt him as well and that he didn’t want to do that to himself or others moving forward. The contract also included 25 hours of community service and a written paper explaining how making these choices will get in the way of his goals of joining the Navy, going to college, and ultimately becoming an engineer. At the conclusion, the facilitator distributed surveys to everyone. The results showed that everyone was very satisfied with the process and the results. The facilitators called to check in with the client a month later to see how he was doing on his contract, and his grandmother said that he was doing great and that he had even gone over to their elderly neighbor’s house to help shovel snow. This case was concluded successfully, after which the program coordinator submitted the completion paperwork to the county attorney’s office and mailed out a successful completion certificate to the client. Organization and Staffing LARJP is guided by a very active board of directors and has an executive committee within the board. Board member are from diverse professional backgrounds that include corporate, law enforcement, probation, social work, finance, and more. Strategic plans are developed every three years at a board retreat, and each board member oversees different objectives and works together with the executive director to ensure successful completion. The board meets each month with the executive director, who reports progress or setbacks related to the strategic plan. The executive director oversees the organization’s operations and programs, working closely with the program coordinator to ensure continued success. The program coordinator is responsible for receiving referrals and making initial contact with the referred client, those that were harmed, police officers, and anyone else involved in the case, assigning facilitators to cases. The coordinator also carries out any reporting that is needed. The executive director and program coordinator conduct case reviews each week and stay in contact with facilitators to offer support. Upon successful completion of a case, or if the case is sent back, the program coordinator will send out the proper documents to both the client and the referring agency. The main source of funding for the program is from grants, but there are some private donations as well (LARJP Finance Chair, personal communication, 2020). LARJP makes use of diverse volunteers who can connect with everyone participating in INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 46 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 45, NUMBER 4 this program. The first type of volunteers is the trained facilitators. Each of these facilitators receives Restorative Group Conference training offered by LARJP co-founder Stephanie Haider, with 16 hours of training provided over two days. After completion of that training, those who are actively facilitating cases will need to participate in monthly meetings with the program coordinator where they will continue to learn about facilitating cases and other helpful topics related to restorative justice. When assigning facilitators to a case, the program coordinator will pair a new facilitator with an experienced facilitator to offer ongoing support. The facilitators document all contacts made to each of the people involved and stay in contact with the client until successful completion. The facilitators also submit all paperwork and supporting documents related to the case to the program coordinator for filing. The next group of volunteers consists of community members. These volunteers participate in the final conference, where they can speak to the impact the harm has on the community. Clients often report that the participation of this volunteer has helped them see the full impact that their harmful action has had. Volunteer community members are also the starting place for those interested in becoming a trained facilitator. Such volunteers gain a greater understanding of the work being done and the importance of each of the people involved in the case, and they can see firsthand the role of the facilitator in the conference. The community member will also be able to meet with the facilitators to ask questions and learn from the experience that is shared. Looking to Improve LARJP continues to look for ways to improve programming through different types of training, participating in different events in our community, and use of the advisory council. The executive director chairs a quarterly advisory council meeting that brings together members of the county attorney’s office, police chiefs from all the police departments, school resource officers, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, social services, collaborative workers, one of our facilitators, and a member of our board. This group is used to advise on program ideas and possible struggles and to offer input on a wide variety of subjects and issues. This meeting increases support, provides great insight and perspective on the different cases that are referred, and elicits thoughts on project activities and operations. This group supports the project’s continued efforts to improve and grow. As an example, an item that was recently brought up at one of these meetings was the need to set a timeframe for the initial contact with the referred client. One reason that restorative justice is so impactful is that it is able to address the harm right away. Review of project data revealed that in some cases the timeframe was getting stretched, and staff were spending quite a bit of time trying to contact the family of the referred client. As a result of this discussion with the advisory council, the decision was made that there would be a two- week window for the client and client’s family to respond to the initial agreement letter or phone calls. A final call will be made at the end of this period informing the client’s family that this case would be going back to the referring agency. This discussion and many like it have been very helpful in the continued growth of LARJP. Program Results LARJP has everyone complete a satisfactory survey after every conference. The results of this survey have shown that 98% of the participants in the conference are strongly satisfied. Project outcomes are reported monthly to the County Attorney’s office, which prepares an annual internal report after checking on whether any of participants have had any more trouble. This report shows that the recidivism rate for participants who successfully completed our program is consistently less than 15%, and in 2020 it was 13.5% (D. Ryan, personal communication, 2020). 47 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE Conclusion LARJP offers youth in the Brainerd Lakes area a second chance, keeping them out of the juvenile justice system for what may have been a single bad decision. Given this opportunity, the juveniles can fully understand the seriousness of their decision and how many people have been impacted. LARJP provides a safe and respectful space for juveniles and their families as well as those victimized by harm and their supporters—a space where decisions can be made together on how to repair the harm that was done. References Minnesota Department of Corrections (2003). Facilitating Restorative Group Confer- ences (Participants Guide). Minnesota Department of Corrections with technical assistance from the National Institute of Corrections. Lakes Area Restorative Justice Project Personnel Handbook (2021). Lake Area Restorative Justice Project. Brainerd, MN. Lake Area Restorative Justice Project. (2021). About us. Retrieved from: Author Bio Brian Andrews has been serving as the Executive Director for Lakes Area Restorative Justice Project for over a year and absolutely loves it. Brian is the father of six children ages 7-22, and married to his best friend in the world. Brian’s passion for this work comes from years of personal involvement with the criminal justice system, addiction, and the understanding of the impact that a positive person can have in one’s life. Several years ago, Brian saw that his community was hurting, youth were struggling, and the criminal justice system was not helping to reverse any of this. Brian realized if he wanted to see the change that communities desire, it will have to start with the youth. This birthed the drive to begin serving youth and their families in our community. INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 48 PERSPECTIVESVOLUME 45, NUMBER 4 KIMBERLY BERNARD, PHD; KIMBERLY MEYER, PHD, ADRIANA ARCE, MA & LEAH BOWER, PHD PROBATION AND PAROLE PROFESSIONALS IDENTIFY WHERE THEY MOST NEED SUPPORT49 AMERICAN PROBATION AND PAROLE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL RESTORATIVE JUSTICE Probation and Parole Professionals Identify Where They Most Need Support BACKGROUND Launched in January 2021 but conceived before what we now know as "COVID-19," our latest APPA member survey was certain to capture a unique mix of responses. Carried out in the midst of the seismic societal changes witnessed in 2020, the committee was eager to read and analyze the results. )rom the beginning, APPA's Research and Review Committee was focused on uncovering issues practitioners in the field were experiencing or could see emerging in probation, parole, and pretrial services. This effort was intended to inform the strategic efforts of the Board of Directors, guide APPA Committee goals, and develop relevant themes for upcoming training institutes. SPECIAL POPULATIONS/ RESPONSIVITY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY 17% Respondents identified needs in case planning, service delivery, and client interaction. Specific topics included cohesive team building, leadership styles, and coaching models. The most repeated issues in this area were remote reporting, client communication, and sofware. Respondents named mental health, use of alcohol/drugs, race equity, and gender issues. SUPERVISION PRACTICES 24% 12% 12% "Mentoring future leaders...to be more effective and inclusive... with staff". September 2021 Kimberly Bernard, PhD; Kimberly Meyer, PhD, Adriana Arce, MA & Leah Bower, PhD 1 AREAS OF INTEREST WHERE SUPPORT IS NEEDED APPA's goal with this survey was to identify specific areas for support and training. The survey began by asking respondents to identify their most important challenges and important issues emerging in the field of Community Corrections. Respondents could select up to three areas of greatest interest out of eight options: Supervision Practices, Health and Wellness, Judicial, Leadership Management, Operations Management, Officer Safety, Technology, and Special Populations/Responsivity. The four areas of interest most frequently reported and specific issues from each area are noted in the graphic below. )or example, 2 of all survey respondents identified Supervision Practices as one of the three most important topic areas. Within this issue, case planning, service delivery, and client interaction were selected as the most important components of Supervision Practices, or where help was most needed. When responses were analyzed by respondent role, a greater percentage of leaders and managers selected the specific issues of Case Planning and Cohesive Team building, when compared to respondents in other roles. "+elS >with@ how to better manage caseload distributions". The survey was open for almost four months, sent to every active APPA member, and then often forwarded to professionals beyond that initial group. Survey reminders appeared in several targeted emails and CC Headlines. Responses were received from leadership and frontline staff with many sharing similar challenges. Respondents were asked to identify their top three priority issues among eight main topics. )or each topic selected, respondents could further specify specific challenges, identify what type of assistance would be most useful in addressing that issue, and share additional information via an optional, open-ended text field. The next section of this summary report breaks out the details of survey responses by respondent types and areas of concern, then highlights some of the respondentsÍ written feedback.Next >