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TRANSCRIPT
Winter 2015
RJCO Quarterly Restorative Justice News for Practitioners
Open Letter to Portland Public Schools RJ coordinator Emanuel Price shares his experience and concerns around the need for RJ in schools and communities
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In this Issue
Page 1 RJCO Progress Report
Page 2
Open Letter to Portland Public Schools
Page 3
Deschutes County Restorative Justice Community Projects
University of Oregon RJ Survey Results
Page 4 Shifting Perspective from a RJ Practitioner
Page 5 Upcoming Events
RJCO Progress Report Over the course of the last three years a committed group of RJ practitioners have devoted their energy, passion, experience and time to developing the infrastructure necessary for RJCO to thrive. Our hope is that the foundation built will result in a meaningful and accessible coalition to all those in Oregon passionate about promoting and supporting the implementation and practice of restorative justice principles and models in Oregon’s justice, law enforcement, educational and other community institutions.
The Coordinating Committee is very excited to announce that we have reached a milestone in our work as our website is officially live! Through the generous support of the Oregon Juvenile Department Director’s Association and the NW Justice Forum, we have been given the resources to build and maintain www.rjoregon.org. Though there is more to be done on the website, we have also accomplished a great
deal, and are very excited to share it now.
This accomplishment brings along with it a desire to begin doing the facilitative and coordinating work that we envision for RJCO.
First, with your help, we are aspiring to develop a strategic plan that reflects the needs of RJ Practitioners across Oregon. As mentioned in the Fall 2014 Issue, we have partnered with Portland State University to administer a listening project in order to make sure your voice is included in this work. You can access and submit your contributions to this process by clicking here. Thank you for your continued support and interest!
Sincerely, Matthew Hartman President, RJCO
“The ultimate measure of a person is not where one stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where one stands in
times of challenge and controversy.“ -‐ -‐Martin Luther King
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2 Winter 2015
RJ at the University of Oregon
Deschutes County Community Justice Restorative Work Service Program strives to create meaningful community service opportunities for juvenile offenders. In the past year, offenders involved with the program completed over 9,000 hours of service work in community placements and on crew. Strong relationships with community agencies help to ensure supportive opportunities for offenders to be accountable for crimes and make amends to the community. These unique work experiences are important because they build social and vocational skills, and promote an individual’s sense of contribution and belonging. On several occasions, youth offenders have returned to their placements as volunteers upon completion of their probation. Highlights from 2014 service projects include the removal and recycling of over 46 tons of trash and two tons of barbed wire for habitat restoration and wildlife protection. Work crews also cleaned up 107 graffiti sites with an average response time of two days.
A particularly restorative partnership has been building wheelchair ramps for Hospice and Volunteers in Action clients. One project involved building a wheelchair ramp for an elderly, double-‐amputee man whose chair had been taken by a group of teens. Even though it was recovered, it was soon evident that a ramp leading from his house to the sidewalk would be highly beneficial. A work crew that included several of the youth involved with the crime returned to the home to build the ramp. Upon its completion the man was ecstatic. He told the crew supervisor that he was “more than satisfied” and had “the best ramp in town.” Great joy was expressed in finally being able to leave the house on his own.
For more information contact Jim Smith at (541) 322-‐7653
Building Ramps, Building Relationships
Restorative justice community service projects give offenders the opportunity to repair harm, restore relationships, and rebuild community.
The University of Oregon Restorative Justice Program (UORJ) is excited to expand its partnership with the Eugene Municipal Court after a successful first year of the partnership. In the fall of 2013 the court began the diversion program for individuals receiving citations under the city’s new Unruly Gathering Ordinance, with UO students participating in UORJ and non-‐UO students participating in the RJ Program at the local Center for Dialogue and Resolution. One hundred percent of students participating in the UORJ diversion completed it successfully and agreed that:
• They had learned more about how their actions/behavior in the incident affected others (60% strongly agree, 40% agree). • They will be more aware of how their actions/behaviors may affect others in the future (80% strongly agree, 20% agree). • The possible impacts of their actions/behavior will influence their decision-‐making process in the future (80% strongly
agree, 20% agree). • Considering how their actions/behavior may affect others may have a positive effect on their personal and/or professional
relationships (60% strongly agree, 40% agree).
All participants in the UORJ process – which included the students cited, neighbors/community members, a representative from the Eugene Police Department, student experts on substance abuse prevention and community engagement from the UO’s CommUniversity Program, and the Director of Substance Abuse Prevention and Student Success at the UO – stated that they were satisfied with the outcome of the process and that the agreement seemed fair to all parties involved. The Eugene Municipal Court has now expanded the type of citations that are eligible for the RJ diversion to include noise violations.
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Open Letter to Portland Public Schools Restorative Justice Coordinator Emanuel Price, reflects on his experience, and illustrates the need for restorative justice.
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To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to inform you that for four months I was placed on hold from working with Portland Public Schools as a Restorative Justice Coordinator due to my felony conviction at age nineteen -‐ eighteen years ago. I was incarcerated from age 19-‐24 in Oregon Correctional Facilities, and upon my release in 2004, I immediately inserted myself into social justice work, assisting families of incarcerated loved ones, community organizing, policy research/testimony, community education around recidivism and the school-‐to-‐prison pipeline.
Black, Latino, Immigrant, & Native American kids have exceedingly high rates of suspension and expulsion. They have continually been excluded, misrepresented, and often targeted as students who are “problematic” or who have behavioral issues.
In my K-‐8 school years, I experienced suspension and expulsion. I saw and
felt institutional racism as a student and now as a staff member. I experienced and witnessed the unconscious biases that create learning barriers for kids of color who are taught or instructed by adults who have little or no cultural sensitivity, competency or understanding of communities of color.
I understand and advocate for those who have been pushed out, or are underrepresented, so that they don’t follow my path on the school-‐to-‐prison pipeline. I was hired to help/assist staff, teachers, students, and families understand this dynamic, to explore cultural
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differences, build relationships, and ultimately to help all kids achieve educational success, while reducing the expulsion and suspension rates. However, due to my aforementioned felony conviction, I was temporarily terminated from providing the work that is most needed as a Restorative Justice Coordinator.
During my absence, I received several calls and emails from staff, community members, teachers, & students sharing their support. This is this support that inspires me to point to the larger problem my situation represents; this is not about Emanuel Price, it is about our children having the same opportunities to succeed as everyone else, and making sure we as adults are operating out of a place of equality and educational achievement for everyone. The very reason I accepted the job was because I know there is more we can do to enhance the education and success of our children. Through restorative processes, we take the time to repair harm, and instead of punitively punishing kids, we instruct them in a different way to accept accountability. As adults modeling this approach, we strive to continually self-‐reflect, hold the mirror up to our faces to make sure we are practicing what we preach, and exemplify what means to look at things restoratively. The experience of being hired, fired, and re-‐hired because of my background, illustrates the need for restorative justice – in our schools and in our justice system. Now that I am restored to my position, it is important to me to remember that second chances are for everyone, and I am in a unique position to connect and support students through our common experiences.
Thank you to those who reached out with their support; I look forward to reintegrating our great work with the staff, students, teachers, and families.
Sincerely, Emanuel Price [email protected] (503) 866-‐6520
For related information check out: House Bill (HB) 2192 -‐ School Discipline Policies
Second Chances Are For Everyone Oregon’s 'Forever Crimes' Law Hurts Black Families
…it’s about our children having the same opportunities to succeed as everyone else…
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I experienced and witnessed the unconscious biases that create learning barriers for kids of color who are taught or instructed by adults who have little or no cultural sensitivity, competency or understanding of communities of color.
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When I first heard of restorative justice, I wondered, is it really restorative? I am part Native American (Lenape) on my mother's side and I have three cousins who are currently incarcerated. My experiences watching family members go through the justice system and be incarcerated, shaped my perspective and doubts about rehabilitation and restoration. I watched as one of my cousins went through multiple options to be restored into society including: education, victim/offender mediation, and support from family and friends. Even with all his hard efforts to rehabilitate, he returned to crime. He believed it was his only choice; that a person can truly never be restored outside of the tribal community. My question of restorative justice became: how could we restore anything, if we refused to deal with the structural violence caused by privilege and the genocide hidden in American history? Having watched the struggles of my cousins, it took a lot for me to go to the restorative justice training and then request an internship at the Center for Dialogue and Resolution (CDR) in Eugene. Although I was full of doubts, I allowed my curiosity to lead. During the training, the stories were moving and the forgiveness seemed authentic. Maybe I am a tough sell, but I still questioned if the process could restore relationships and change behavioral patterns. However, the description-‐ this process provided an opportunity for those most affected by crime (victims, communities, and offenders) to be directly involved in the process of accountability and healing -‐ resonated with me. Accountability through healing and self-‐determined advocacy and responsibility in return for a healthier and more empowered community are ideas that I can support. I had conflicting feelings about my cousin’s crimes and the choices that brought them there. It was difficult to
How Restorative is Restorative Justice?
Eugene restorative justice practitioner, Beth Robinson-‐Hartpence shares her thoughts on shifting her own perspective on restorative justice.
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know that people who grew up with the same adult influences and environment that I had were faced with many more challenges because of the color of their skin. I was angry with my cousins for their choices (or lack thereof) and their inability to rise above what others thought they should or could only be. I believed that because they listened to the dominant narrative they deserved the choices they had made. In the role-‐play portion of the training, I was randomly assigned the role of offender. In this role, I felt put on the spot, shamed for being a thief, scared, worried, mad at mom for her lack of support and self-‐pity for my circumstances. The victim was not interested in the reparations I offered to make. What really struck me was when the victim told me her daughter was afraid to be in the house because of my actions. That statement gave an amazing amount of empathy for both victim and offender. The role-‐play showed me what it feels like to hurt someone even if those weren’t the intentions, while also acknowledging the victim’s experience. Like a pebble thrown into a pond, for once I could visually see the ripple. Through this role-‐play it became apparent that I was also a victim, denying any power I do have, and carrying a moral compass over my cousin's wrong doings. I am only one ripple from their impact and I now understand I am not alone in grieving over the harm, but the community as a whole, not just the tribal connection, grieves for those harms as well. For once, I felt the deep anger at my three cousins melt away. My doubt shifted to a gift of awakening. Through this experience and my goals at CDR, I hope to continue to suspend my doubt and model my curiosity for the Restorative Peer Court Circle to provide greater opportunities in accountability, dialogue and understanding while pushing on the wall of structural violence.
Beth Robinson-‐Hartpence
Winter 2015
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“The NW Justice Forum fosters the gathering of individuals committed to, or interested in learning about, the principles and values of Restorative Justice. We gather to increase understanding, share practical application, ensure cultural inclusion, and explore theoretical implications of living and working restoratively in the Northwest.”
Click here for more information Workshop proposals due February 27th, more information here
Upcoming Events
This issue of RJCO Quarterly is dedicated to our friend and colleague Mindy Johnston, her partner Gustave and their sweet Hattie Grace who left us much too soon. “How very softly you tiptoed into our world, almost silently, only a moment you stayed. But what an imprint your footsteps have left upon our hearts.” Dorothy Ferguson
RJCO Quarterly
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Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) CoSA Circle Volunteer Training (parts 1 & 2) February 20 & March 6, 2015 9am -‐ 5 pm at the Interchurch Center, Hughes Conference Room, SW Bancroft and Kelly, Portland. Please contact CoSA Coordinator Audrey at (503) 988-‐8580 or [email protected] to RSVP for this free training series. Lunch and refreshments will be served.
Center for Dialogue and Resolution Restorative Justice Training April 25 & 26 93 Van Buren St., Eugene, Oregon 97402 (541) 344-‐5366 Neighbor to Neighbor Mediation Restorative Justice Training May 1 & 2, 2015 Location TBD (in Marion, Benton or Linn County) [email protected]
Clackamas County Victim-‐Offender Dialogue Facilitation Training May 6,7,11,12 & 13, 2015 8am-‐5pm Clackamas County Juvenile Dept., Skills Center, 2100A Kaen Rd., Oregon City, OR To register, please contact Amy Chase Herman at [email protected] or (503) 655-‐8700
NACRJ Annual Conference The Future of Restorative Community Justice: Building Sustainable Communities June 1-‐3, 2015 Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa 3030 Holiday Dr., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316