Resolution by consensus

From the article by Pam Adams in the Journal Star: 

Community peace conferences have already had an effect on Peoria police Sgt. Shawn Wetzel, and the program hasn't officially started yet.

"Being in law enforcement 17 years, we've always seen people who hate each other," he said. "To see the victim and offender getting along at the end of the process is a surprise for me."

The "process" is the peace conference, face-to-face meetings between the victim, the offender and trained volunteers who, jointly, work out a resolution for the offense.

Sep 30, 2010 Media, Juvenile, Region: North America and Caribbean, Country:USA

• Read More

Breaking Florida's school-to-jail pipeline: Alternative approaches to student discipline and punishment

from the article by the Collins Center for Public Policy:

Low graduation rates and a rising incarceration rate in Florida have led to calls for alternatives to the harsh punishments and criminalization of student misbehavior often practiced by school districts. One alternative being practiced by the Escambia County School District offers a non-traditional way in dealing with day-to-day rule violations and disruptive behavior in schools. The Escambia County Alternatives to Zero-tolerance Program engages students, victims, the wider school community and the neighborhood in repairing the harm caused by an offense. Students who break the rules and disrupt the educational process are given a chance to avoid suspension or expulsion by entering the program.

Sep 15, 2010 Policy, School, Region: North America and Caribbean, Country:USA

• Read More