Longmont Community Justice Partnership

Last weekend I attended the advanced facilitator training offered through the Longmont Community Justice Partnership. The training was incredibly valuable and skillfully taught by Amy Stenson and Deb Witzel. Some of the highlights from the training were gaining more insight into complex situations where mutual responsibility is shared.

This could arise in many different forms, for example there could be youth who is being bullied at school and when the youth who is doing the bullying is confronted about this issue it becomes clear that there is a long-standing history of conflict between the two youths.

This conflict could benefit from a restorative justice circle. In order for the circle to move forward, all parties would need to take responsibility for their part in the situation. Learning how to navigate these complex, often historical conflicts, is something that Longmont Community Justice Partnership can teach. If you are interested in learning how to practice restorative justice please check out the upcoming trainings: www.lcjp.org/training   

Longmont Community Justice Partnership is honored to have guest blogger Molly Rowan Leach share her thoughts with us! 

Restorative Justice is indeed on the rise

There is an exponential recognition in the United States that Restorative justice is very much on the rise.  Of course there are many pioneers in the modern field spanning decades and ranging from Indigenous to those in peripheral communities worldwide, to academics and committed citizens. In the United States we are seeing a huge rise in media surrounding the movement and case examples showing how Restorative justice works, even in violent cases such as the one that NCCD’s (National Council on Crime and Delinquency) Sujatha Baliga helped facilitate in Florida involving the case of murder victim Ann Grosmaire.  We also see a lot of great webinar opportunities such as the ones offered by the Zehr Institute for Restorative Justice at EMU; IIRP’s regular offerings; and many other very accessible virtual seminars and trainings worldwide and accessible online. 

One of the virtual International Dialogue Councils that focuses on Restorative Justice is called Restorative Justice on The Rise, co-sponsored by The Peace Alliance.  Restorative Justice on The Rise is a weekly free ongoing series, every Thursday at 5pmPST/8EST, and has been in place for two years. It has featured compelling conversations with pioneers and constituents worldwide including Colorado and LCJP’s own Deb Witzel, Officer Greg Ruprecht from the Longmont Police Department, Howard Zehr, Arun Gandhi, Dominic Barter, Kay Pranis, Sujatha Baliga, Dr. Johan Galtung, Michelle Alexander and many others. The point of this ongoing series is to include the voices of all council members who skype, webcast, or dial in to the live council, and to engage with a wide spectrum of international guest speakers. It also hopes to support the great local, national, and global work of the many people who are in the field, and to provide a platform for education, resources, and important dialogue. Please join us every Thursday at 5pmPST/8EST. The month of May features dialogues with Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz and Mark Umbreit, among others. We will also be broadcasting through the summer as part of the International Web Series “Summer of Peace”, hosted by The Shift Network and many global programs and organizations in various fields of peacebuilding and justice work.

Given that so much is happening via the web and media in the rise of restorative justice, some key and defining points that appear to be universal are coming up.

Some of those leading-edge explorations are:

·         The importance of being clear about what Restorative Justice really is.

·         The importance of looking at the long span of human history for examples of how it has worked, including but not limited to our Indigenous, and those in the peripherals of our “civilized” societies such as the Favelas of Rio

·         The current need for statistical evidence that shows what many of us already know—that restorative justice saves money both in present and projected expenditures and significantly lowers recidivism while showing high satisfaction rates for many involved.

·         The importance of retaining the essence of restorative justice in systemic transformation

·         Some tendency to make a synonym out of restorative justice and forgiveness.

·         The importance of ensuring Victim safety and continuing to emphasize that this is a key element of restorative justice. And how to continue to clearly communicate both the latter and the benefits that can potentially be a factor for victims and all involved.

·         Dispelling the myth that restorative justice “has no teeth”.

There are surely more universal questions in this moment. Please share your thoughts and ideas.

Also, If you have guest speaker ideas or would like to submit a proposal to be a guest speaker yourself on Restorative Justice on The Rise, we’d be delighted to hear from you. The series is focused on your work and devotion to this very important time we are amidst as it concerns the huge transformation happening in justice and beyond.

Your colleague in Restorative Justice,

Molly Rowan Leach

Multimedia Host and Producer, Restorative Justice on The Rise

Restorative Justice Fellow to The Peace Alliance

Daughter of Long-term prisoner

HuffPost Blogger

molly@thepeacealliance.org

An interesting article in Overland describes how the rhetoric of tougher sentencing, primarily from the  politicians and media completely ignores the victims and their needs. A  quote from the article states, "...it’s clear that focusing on the criminal justice system to address gendered violence involves too narrow a perspective. The assumption, of course, is that if we treat these offenders with an iron fist, it will send a message to others that their conduct is unacceptable. Rigid approaches to deterrence or criminalisation have not worked in relation to drugs, prostitution or countless other behaviors. But when all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail."  

Zero tolerance laws and exclusively using a criminal justice approach to justice has overcrowded our prisons and filled the pockets of the prison industrial complex. However these approaches continue to ignore the voice of victims focusing only on laws that are broken and often times sending offenders off on a life long career of criminal behavior with no thought of the long term consequences to society.

Restorative justice programs are being utilized more and more across the country because it is more effective than courts and prisons in dealing with many adult and juvenile offenders. The evidence shows that most people going through a restorative process re-offend at a much smaller rate than is experienced in the criminal justice system ( on average, 10% vs 70% respectively.)  While this statistic is good news for restorative justice, the ability for victims to have a voice and for all parties in a conflict to own their actions and understand how it affected others is a powerful healing process.

Restorative practices can be used in schools to reduce bullying in school, fighting and other harmful actions. The end result that school safety increases and kids stay in school while adopting more positive behaviors for the future.  Restorative justice lets them take responsibility, fix what's been broken, and re-establish important family or community  relationships. 

Talking sense when it comes to justice gets better results than talking tough. I invite you to learn more and get involved.

I just completed an advanced facilitator training course with the Longmont Community Justice Partnership. I've been a facilitator for a while but wanted to improve my understanding and capabilities of the restorative process in order to be more effective in working with families, individuals and the like.

The focus of the training was on restorative circles where you might have an unclear distinction between who is the victim and who is the offender. Life can be complicated like that, can't it? With the blurring of these roles you end up focusing on relationships and responsibilities rather than a single incident that occurred, which can result in a wide ranging discussion of mutual responsibilities.  This can be difficult for many people involved, but it is critical for healing.

At the heart of this restorative work are the 5 Rs of Restorative Justice:  Relationship, Respect, Responsibility, Repair, Reintegration. In my mind, relationship is the most important R because if a relationship is not important, then there is probably little respect between the parties; few people are interested in exploring their responsibilities in the relationship, and no one is interested in understanding who was harmed,  and what to do to make things right.  This all results in broken relationships which can tear families, marriages and communities apart.

Gee, what a sad commentary. However, lots of people in families, school and work environments, and in the general community are very interested in maintaining and improving relationships. So, if you are not happy with the dynamics in your family, workplace, etc. but have a desire to improve the situation, you should be exploring the 5 Rs and asking for help.

Think about those 5 Rs and all the conflict that exists in the world between people.  If there was a desire for understanding that included respect and taking responsibility, do you really think we would have as much violence as we do?

 I have heard that old adage “He/she was scared straight” many times in my life. I remember my grandfather coming up behind me while I was waving a BB gun around like some lunatic cowgirl, pointing it around looking for birds and anything that moved just to impress my male cousins. The fact that they scattered as soon as I grabbed the gun should have been a clue that what I was doing was not particularly safe – for man nor little beasties. Also, they saw my grandfather catapulting off the porch and thought better of hanging around since the gun had been “borrowed” by one of the boys for target practice. All I know is that between his looming presence, at least a hundred feet tall, and his booming voice I had the bejeebers scared out of me. Now he could have talked to me more calmly AFTER he yanked the loaded gun out of my hands, but gramps was in survival mode and safety seemed the priority. I got it and it made sense. Sometimes a little fear is a good thing, sharpening our senses and awareness.

On the other side of the fear coin we see youth in front of courtrooms, first offenders, and judges with too many cases and not enough time, laying down the law in a way that offers no room for responsibility or healing – for the victims or the offenders. Incarceration can sure be scary, but does it necessarily offer the kind of lessons that will allow the offender to make better choices, take away his anger and offer a second chance to make reparations and reintegrate into the community? Incarceration, besides being a very expensive way to punitive justice, can turn fear into anger and then survival of the fittest. There is no respect, except by proving you are king of the heap, and no opportunity to be heard. I have found that respectful listening makes one of the biggest differences in the future of our youthful offenders.  In that place, after they get over the initial shock that someone really wants to hear their story and why, there is a strong desire to accept responsibility and to make amends. 

Raised pretty much in a punitive environment, I acknowledge that it took some time to realign myself restorative approaches and away from purely punitive ones. I had to see it work again and again in circle conferences to become a believer and a practitioner. Hey, it works anywhere, in the workplace and families. I am a much better grandmother now than I was a mother. As I cast my vision outward to see a bigger picture I can see the makings of a new global community. And it is no longer an airy fairy pipedream. New legislatures say that our voices and and results are being noticed in places where the laws are made. Go ahead pat yourself on the back if you have been a part of this in any form. For those of you who have not – yet- seen this amazing “light of change” come on in and check out our program at Longmont Community Justice Partnership.  We need your wisdom, experience and new ideas for positive change. 

Restorative justice is here to stay, we just need to ramp up the momentum to permeate all states. The sky’s the limit, really it is. 

If you missed this post & this post  on the 2013 Pikes Peak Restorative Justice Council, today is the day to register for this incredible conference! Registration is still open for both days.  Come join Longmont Community Justice Partnership's own Deb Witzel, Ken Keusenkothen, and Michelle Stapleton  join other restorative justice practicioners in discussion and collaboration of restorative justice programs, interpersonal conflict, restorative justice in schools, and victim offender mediation.  

Click here for more information >>

This is installment 3 of 7 in an ongoing series on about a restorative organization. Click here to read part one and part two. 

Respect
Respect is what keeps all restorative practices safe.  In a restorative process, all participants are treated equally with respect by virtue of our common humanity. In the Circle, no one is more important than anyone else. Respect requires that we listen fully and attempt to understand each person's perspective, rather than listening with judgment. The restorative process requires respect for others and also for oneself, which compels all participants to speak their truth honestly.  By honoring the first two R's, Relationship and Respect, we prevent many conflicts from occurring.
~Beverly B. Title, Ph.D.

Respect and the Restorative Workplace
Respect in the work place often has to be earned over time, while it can be lost in a moment. You might miss an appointment or forget to do an important task.  Often times respect goes hand and hand with trust. As co-workers, it is important to be able to respect and trust one another.  If respect is lost between two individual co-workers, it is very difficult to sit down and have a restorative conversation about a work related or interpersonal conflict.  

Without mutual respect, the conflict can take on a personal tone.  When two individuals enter a space with the intent to resolve a work related conflict without having established a mutual personal respect, there is a tendency not to hear one another. The language of Non-Violent Communication provides one useful tool for expressing needs and harms while at the same time maintaining respect for oneself and one’s co-worker.  (click here to learn more about Non-Violent Communication (NVC))

For more information on the 5 R's or to learn more about Longmont Community Justice Partnership, click here. 

How do you want crime or offenses within the community handled?  Do we let existing institutions within the criminal justice system handle all of these offenses or do we look at alternatives that can be more effective?   One such alternative is Restorative Justice and it might be worth contrasting the differences between the two.

On 4/19/2013, two students from the Student Restorative Justice Team participated as panelists in the Colorado School Safety Resource Center's conference on Proactive Discipline Approaches. An audience of more than 100 school personnel from around the state sat captivated as the 7-student panel spoke about the value of relationships, Connection Circles, facilitating cases, reducing suspensions, school safety and youth leadership. In a day focused on school safety, student engagement and issues facing school staff, restorative justice in schools was a common refrain. 

Questions included:

- What is unique about your school's student-led restorative justice program?

- How are restorative practices used in your school?

- How has being a facilitator helped you personally as a leader?

The moderator introduced all of them saying that these students were representatives from, to the best of her knowledge, the only three student-led restorative justice programs in the state of Colorado. Each of these schools has a unique flavor: small, innovative school to early college preparation school to medium-sized public high school, and each of these schools utilizes restorative practices differently.

One of the student panelists thought it was "interesting to see how different RJ is in the different schools." For the Student Restorative Justice Team, restorative practices are used in processes like Solution Circles or Restorative Mediation after crime or interpersonal conflict has occurred as well as a preventative measure by opening all meetings and trainings with Connections Circles, a relationship building tool.  Restorative Conversations and collaborative agreement-making is an integral part of how the students engage with each other and adults.

 After the panel, another student said, "Usually adults don't get to listen to youth speak to them about ways to prevent [incidents] or to help with school safety involving students. I feel like sharing a little bit of my story helped them realize more of how restorative justice is very beneficial in my life." Longmont Community Justice Partnership is very lucky to have such wise and dedicated students as part of the Student Restorative Justice Team.

This is installment 2 of 7 in an ongoing series on about a restorative organization. You can read part one here. 

Relationships bring meaning to our lives.  When we have strong, healthy relationships with family and friends, we can manage the challenges that life inevitably brings to us.  And when we don't have good relationships, no matter what success we achieve, it is lessened by not having friends and family to celebrate it with us.  It is essential that we resolve conflicts that occur in a way that acknowledges how relationships have been affected. Building and sustaining meaningful relationships is an essential focus for restorative practices.

Beverly B. Title, Ph.D.

Relationship and Restorative Workplace 

Many people choose to work for a nonprofit because they are motivated by the mission of the organization. My hope in working for a nonprofit is to have meaningful work that allows me to develop valuable relationships with my co-workers and those I serve. I don’t think this is unique to a nonprofit environment, but I do feel it plays a large role in the motivation of the employees. When employees or volunteers lose their ability to relate to one another because of unresolved conflict, it is natural for them to question whether or not they are in the right working environment.

Usually nonprofits try to get a lot done with a small budget and staff.  There are few places to hide when conflict occurs, and the impact can be felt immediately on productivity. It is also very hard to work in a creative environment in which stress or conflict is present.   It is important to have a way to decompress the conflict so that the organization can thrive.   The structure of a restorative conversation is a great tool to facilitate this process.  When done correctly, learning can occur, and growth for the individual and the organization is the outcome.

For more information on the 5 R's, click here. 

Longmont Community Justice is pleased to offer the following training: 

Restorative Practices in Schools Summer Training Institute

Date: June 3-5,2013

Time: 8:30am-4:30 pm

Location: Flagstaff Academy, 2040 Miller Drive

Longmont, Colorado 80501
(across from Front Range Community College) 

Gain the knowledge you need to bring restorative practices to your school, classroom, and life! Topics covered: Restorative Justice Basics, Introduction to Restorative Practices in Schools, Restorative Mediation, Restorative Agreements. Plus hands on experience with practitioners & teachers!

This training provides 1.5 CEUs for Professional Development & District Salary Credit within SVVSD

Trainers:
Deb Witzel, Executive Director of LCJP
Laura Snider, LCJP Restorative Practices in Schools Program Manager
Kevin Pugh, Dean of School Culture, Flagstaff Academy

Registration:
Registration Deadline: May 28, 2013
Cost : $195/person
Register at www.lcjp.org/training or mail registration form (below) and payment to:

LCJP
333 Terry Street
Longmont, Colorado 80501
Please make checks payable to  LCJP             

Coffee and tea provided each day
Please provide your own lunch

*10 person minimum requirement for  Summer Training Institute to take place 

Registration Form

It is very difficult to watch the news and be informed about the current state of the U.S. without feeling concerned about our future and the future of our children. This can result in a sense of helplessness leaving you to ask: "What action can I take? What can I really do that will make a difference?"   

One very direct way to confront the challenges that we are experiencing as a country is to get involved with the local restorative justice process.  The citizens of Longmont have a well established program that allows them to participate directly in criminal cases that are referred by  the Longmont Police Officers. Longmont Community Justice Partnership volunteers can participate in two primary roles in this process. The first is to participate in the role of community member. A community member's primary responsibility is to share how the criminal act has affected the Longmont community.   For example, if the offense was graffiti, they might talk about how graffiti can cause property value to drop in the area, or how it makes it feel unsafe to for children to play in the area.  The community members are then asked to suggest potential ways for the offender repair the harm that occurred as a result of their actions.   They might ask the offender to sand and repaint the fence, pay for the paint, and write an apology letter to the fence owner (victim). This recent article in the Times Call by volunteer Bill Ellis outlines his experience of playing the role of community member.

After participating in 3 or more processes, community members may apply to participate in facilitator training.  The foundational portion of this training takes place over a weekend. During this class, the volunteers learn how to manage a guided discussion between the victim, the offender, and the community.   Not everyone who becomes a community member chooses to become a facilitator. This type of work calls to some people, and it requires a special commitment and dedication to creating peace in the community.  

The philosophy of restorative justice is based on an ancient model of tribal justice, which calls upon the wisdom of the community to do what is best for the victim, the offender, and the village/city/town where they live. The focus is on repairing harm done by the negative action using the natural skills and abilities of the offender. It is a process that seems to just make sense to those who get involved as well as saving the tax payers dollars.    

If you have been looking for a way to be the change in your community, please take a moment to fill out this volunteer application and join us for the next volunteer training on Saturday, May 18th, from 9a-1p at the Longmont Community Justice Partnership offices at 333 Terry Street, Longmont CO.

This is installment 1 of 7 in an ongoing series on about a restorative organization.  

Introduction - The 5 R’s of a Restorative Workplace

We are currently in the process of hiring a new case coordinator at Longmont Community Justice Partnership.  I shared this job opportunity with a new community member who just completed the April volunteer training. She was very interested in applying for the position, and asked me a number of questions before she paused, and asked, “Does Longmont Community Justice Partnership practice what it preaches?”  I thought I knew what she meant, but I decided to get clear before I answered. She wanted to know if we walked the walk of restorative justice, or just talked the talk as an organization.  

I explained that I was coming up on my two year anniversary of working with the LCJP, and that about a year ago we began exploring the idea of what it meant to be a part of a restorative organization. After a number of staff discussions we began to get clear that in order to teach peace through facilitating restorative justice processes, we had to start at home by creating a peaceful work place. We did not have a manual for this, but we were all well versed as staff members in the programmatic process and philosophy of restorative justice. 

We began looking at ways for to make decisions and resolve disagreements that involved staff members and volunteers by using these restorative justice skills in an intentional way.   We agreed that this did not mean that we would eliminate or ignore conflict. Rather, it meant that we would accept conflict as part of the work place and look at it as a catalyst for personal and professional growth.  

In this series, I would like to share about my experience of the 5 R’s of Restorative Justice (Relationship/Respect/Responsibility/Repair/ Reintegration) as defined by Beverly Title   and how they relate to creating a restorative workplace. For us, the work place community includes the staff members, individual volunteers, and community partners we work with on a daily basis. 

Warriors for Peace in a Violent World.

Having read For All the Wrong Reasons by our own Dan Benavidez, I am reminded that it is not easy to be a peace-full warrior.  Sitting with Dan in numerous Longmont Community Justice Partnership restorative justice processes I am constantly amazed at his ability to inspire and instill hope in our Latino youth.  His motto “Si se puede” or “Yes we can” speaks volumes from a man who endured it all in his lifetime yet chose an active form of non-violence as a way to build and integrate his community.

As I watch the news of the bombings in Boston I notice my own feelings vacillate between wanting to “hang the perpetuators” to redoubling my efforts in my own community, working on the future of our youth to somehow let them know that violence does not beget peace.   And I have to deal with my own anger to do that. We all do. Then we get to choose how we are going to act and respond in a world seemingly gone mad. 

I also came across a ‘declaration’ for peace by James O’Dea.  He has made his own public commitment to a more restorative community and his part in that process.  It is happening folks, we just have to look for it, choose to be a part of it, and be the change in it.  At Longmont Community Justice Partnership we have plenty of support to do just that – our ‘piece of the peace’, so to speak.

Get your copy of James O'Dea's "I Am a Peace Ambassador" manifesto here.

Or click on:

http://theshiftnetwork.com/sites/default/files/PeaceAmbassadorTraining5-PeaceAmbassadorManifesto.pdf?inf_contact_key=60662f27911753e7f74f1094c9c8762f4c931c544b04611ab69f401b2bd7ddcb

By the way, you can chat with Dan Benavidez at one of his book signings this Saturday,
April 20, at the Longmont Public Library from 1-3pm.  Have a chat with our own “peace monger” and activist and pick up a copy of his book if so inclined. Be prepared to laugh and cry at his story– in a good way. I did.

You are invited to attend a free event hosted by Natural Highs and the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. Somewhere Sober the Rainbow, for next Saturday, 4/20.  Please distribute widely and encourage teens you work with to attend. Please respect that this is a sober teen event! 

We hope to see you there!! 

Somewhere Sober the Rainbow flyer

How can restorative justice help with a tragedy such as the attack at the Boston Marathon?

First, there does not have to be an "offender" participating for restorative justice to be powerful and purposeful. Victims, witnesses, and community members can participate in restorative justice circles. Restorative justice circles offer a safe place to talk about how people have been affected by crime or conflict. The restorative justice circle can provide an avenue for sharing how people have been impacted and offer ways to begin repairing some of the harms. 

Restorative justice programs can help communities in the healing process. Longmont Community Justice Partnership is a local restorative justice organization that understands the value of community in dealing with the impacts of crime and conflict. 

I am doing Victim Advocacy training at the Boulder Police Department. The training has been incredible and very intense. Last Saturday, Nancy Lewis, the Executive Director for the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance (COVA), came to train us for the day. What an engaging, knowledgeable woman!

Nancy brought up the restorative justice legislation that is currently being proposed in the State of Colorado. It was interesting to hear her perspective. She is concerned about protecting the rights of victims and offenders and feels that the legislation needs to focus on these issues.

Restorative justice can be an integral part of the criminal justice system but we must be careful to implement inclusive legislation that honors victims and creates opportunities for empowerment without re-victimizing.

http://www.coloradocrimevictims.org/public-policy.html

We have decided to extend the application deadline so there is still time to apply! 

Community Restorative Justice Bilingual Case Coordinator
Hours: Full Time (40 hours per week)
Compensation: $32,000/year salary plus benefits
General Position Description: The Community Restorative Justice (CRJ) Bilingual Case Coordinator is a full-time position responsible for coordinating all restorative justice processes referred to the Community Restorative Justice program.  Flexible hours are required including some nights and weekends.

Qualifications: Education: High School diploma, College degree (preferred)
Language: Bilingual Spanish/English required
Experience Required:
• Three years of case coordination experience
• Microsoft ACCESS database experience (2-3 years preferred)
• Working knowledge of Microsoft office products
• Appreciation of restorative principles
• Ability to work and make decisions independently with minimal supervision
• Well organized, detail oriented and possess a strong work ethic
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse populations including youth and adult volunteers, peers, supervisors, representatives of cooperating agencies, police officers, victims, offenders and the general public
• Ability to deal with information in a confidential manner
• Excellent written & verbal communication in English and Spanish
•  Capable of effectively speaking in front of groups
•  Community-minded and knowledgeable of Longmont and its youth-serving agencies is helpful.

Commitment: Minimum two years
Responsibilities: Case work & coordination – 80%
Building & cultivating community relationships – 10%
Uphold restorative justice values & maintain program integrity – 10%

To Apply: To apply for the CRJ Bilingual Case Coordinator position, please submit a resume, cover letter with brief salary history, 3 references (1 personal and 2 work or school related) and available start date to jobs@lcjp.org. This position is open until filled.  

For full job description please visit the Longmont Community Justice Partnership website. 

In March 2013, five students had the opportunity to attend the Denver Peace Jam Conference thanks to a generous scholarship from the Center for Juvenile Justice. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum, an indigenous Guatemalan human rights activist, was the keynote speaker and source of inspiration during the two-day convention which focused on "Transformation Not Incarceration." All five of the Student Restorative Justice Team members have witnessed first-hand how restorative justice in schools makes their schools safer, transforms relationships, and gives students a second chance to take responsibility and make things right. Their school-based restorative justice program through the Longmont Community Justice Partnership works hard to keep kids in school and out of court, making them stakeholders in Transformation Not Incarceration. A recent video telling the story of Xavier McElrath-Bey, an ex-murderer who turned his life around and now works with at-risk youth, highlights the importance of second chances for growth, development and yes, even transformation. McElrath-Bey, who spent 13 years in prison for a murder he committed at the age of 13, now has a Masters degree in Counseling and Human Services and is part of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth.

On March 16th and 17th, five members of the Student RJ Team were able to attend Peace Jam, a conference where youth and Nobel Peace Laureates work together to build relationships, complete service projects, and learn about activism and peace. The focus of the weekend was empowerment of youth, and Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1992, was present to work with the students. The theme of the weekend was: Transformation Not Incarceration--a perfect fit with the work the Student RJ Team, and all LCJP volunteers take on. Day one was spent getting to know their "family groups" where youth from different schools, regions and backgrounds engage in teambuilding and games to build community and relationships. Rigoberta Menchú Tum spoke about her life experiences and work, taking time to answer student questions. One of our students even got to have lunch with her! The afternoon focused on Service Projects, keeping with Peace Jam's Global Call to Action for one billion acts of service and peace in the areas of: equal access to water and natural resources, ending racism and hate, halting the spread of global disease, eliminating extreme poverty, social justice and human rights for all, rights for women and children and their role as leaders, restoring earth's environment, controlling the proliferation of weapons, investing in human security and breaking the cycle of violence.

Day two opened with a Ceremony of Inspiration in which Rigoberta Menchú Tum shared what inspires her to continue fighting injustice, and the youth who wished to share their sources of inspiration spoke to the entire conference. Three of our students shared how participating in the restorative justice in schools program has inspired them. More time was spent in their family groups for team building, and then each group presented about the project they had been working on for the past year, and the successes they have had. Several people were impressed with the Student RJ Team's successes with increasing school safety, bullying prevention, reducing suspensions and expulsions, and preventing fights at school.  The team had their photo taken with Rigoberta Menchú Tum and a resounding round of applause. The afternoon was spent in workshops ranging from quieting the mind and active listening to awareness-raising about incarcerated youth. The Closing Ceremony had a surprise special guest, State Senator Linda Newell, one of the sponsors of the RJ Bills in Colorado. The students stayed after the conference to talk with her about the future of restorative justice in their school, community, state and world. The students are excited to bring back what they learned at Peace Jam to the rest of their team and are already planning on how to attend the conference next year.

State Senator Linda Newell spoke to the Peace Jam students about being engaged in their communities and the power that young people have to hold adults accountable. Thanks Senator Newell for your great work moving Restorative Justice Programs forward in our state!