Restorative justice is on the rise

…Representative Lee has championed Restorative Justice in Colorado in his two terms. Most recently he had great success in the passage of HB 13-1254. The new law includes Restorative Justice Pilot Projects in 4 Colorado judicial districts. Passed last spring and implementing in just a few short weeks on August 7th the bill sets up a fund for restorative justice with a $10 surcharge on all violations excluding traffic. Its focus is on youth diversion and strong data collection, research and education that will complement a growing general statistic that proves the efficacy of Restorative Justice. It also will fund a State Coordinator position.

…Nationwide there are programs doing powerful work in the field and there is legislative action in the works in Massachusetts and Florida. Backed by Congressman Bobby Scott, D-Va., with support from U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., and U.S. Senator James Inhofe, R-Okla., the Youth Promise Act, brought forth by many co-sponsors and led by The Peace Alliance, places focus on dismantling the prison-to-school pipeline by effectively implementing programs and providing education and tools that derive from Restorative Justice principles. It will fund evidence-based violence prevention & intervention practices, empower local control and community oversight, save taxpayer money, and provide measurable data that backs up the successes.

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