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Restorative Justice

Thread ID: 18105 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2005-05-05

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Stigmata [OP]

2005-05-05 06:36 | User Profile

[img]http://www.catholiccharities-kcsj.org/images/topleft.gif[/img]Restorative Justice

The goal of Catholic Charities’s Restorative Justice program is to repair the harm and restore wholeness to the person and the community where the crime was committed. This is quite the opposite from how the Criminal Justice System has operated in the United States. Adopted from the English, historically the state has controlled the system and it focused on the offender. The victim and the community had no significant role to play therefore the offender never saw the ramifications of his/her actions. Recently, there has been a shift in this paradigm for many communities to Restorative Justice. Restorative Justice initiatives bring together crime victims, the community and the offender, to address what harm has been done by the offender, the impact of the behavior and what needs to be done to repair the harm. The offender is held accountable to both the victim and the community and, in turn, the offender is supported in behaving in a healthy, non-offending manner. Catholic Charities offers many programs to offenders and their families in getting their lives back on track.

For offenders transitioning from prison/jail to the community, Catholic Charities offers: [list] []Information/referral for emergency assistance for clothing, food, housing, substance abuse, etc. [list] []Transportation – We supply them with bus passes []Clothing – We supply them with work clothes, underwear, socks, etc. []Housing – We help get them out of local shelters and family member’s homes and into their own rental housing. [/list] []Employment – We help them find steady work []Education – We refer them to the local vocational centers []Limited financial assistance – funds permitting []Case management [*]Advocacy [/list]For incarcerated offenders and their families, Catholic Charities offers:

[list] []Involvement with letter writing programs []Assistance with developing home plans and identification of other needed services []Information and referral for emergency assistance for family members []Advocacy [*]Family support group [/list]To find out more information about the Restorative Justice programs please contact the appropriate individual listed below.

[u]KANSAS CITY OFFICE[/u] Rita Flynn 207 W. Linwood Blvd., Suite 14 Kansas City, MO 64111 (816) 561-1835 [email="rflynn@ccharities.com"][color=#0000ff]rflynn@ccharities.com[/color][/email]

[u]NORTHWEST MISSOURI OFFICE[/u] Marcia Miller 1302 Faraon St. Joseph, MO 64501 (816) 232-2885 ext. 24 (888) 629-2886 [email="mmiller@ccharities.com"][color=#0000ff]mmiller@ccharities.com[/color][/email]

“What so ever you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me.”

[url="http://www.catholiccharities-kcsj.org/services/restorativejustice.html"]http://www.catholiccharities-kcsj.org/services/restorativejustice.html[/url]