Relationship. Respect. Responsibility. Repair. Reintegration.
These five words make up what is known as the five R’s of Restorative Justice, a system of criminal justice which focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large. On a Saturday afternoon in late March, Restorative Justice kept the conversation centered around healing, second chances, and empathy at the teen-centered Teen Rights Day event in Lone Tree.
Milliken Police Department Chief Benito Garcia, a guest speaker at the event, drove home the difference restorative justice programs like Teen Court can make for young people growing up in tough situations.
“I wish these practices were around when I was growing up,” says Milliken Police Department Chief Benito Garcia. Garcia says he grew up in a rough neighborhood where he would routinely see violence as an everyday occurrence. “If there was someone around that cared, that could help develop that empathy, that would have helped a lot.”
Panel of speakers answer questions from teenagers in attendance about restorative practices.
Garcia was one of 4 panelists invited to speak at Teen Rights Day, an event organized and sponsored by the Lone Tree Student Leadership Board and Teen Court programs. Other speakers included Christina Brown-Haugen, Deputy District Attorney for the Denver District Attorney’s Offices Restorative Justice and Diversion Division; Ames Stenson, Englewood Municipal Court Restorative Justice Program Consultant; and Payge Nilsestuen, former member of the Lone Tree Teen Court program.
Each of the panelists were invited to share their unique perspective on the impacts of the work done through programs like Lone Tree Teen Court. The panel answered questions from the nearly 25 attendees, a group made up of both adults and teenagers. Topics ranged from restorative practices within schools to personal anecdotes from panelists about why they got into and believe in the work
The theme of empathy remained a focal point for the speakers, who stressed the importance of allowing young people caught up in the criminal justice system the chance to grow and make amends for harm done to others.
Ames Stenson told attendees during the panel discussion that one clear advantage restorative justice practices have over the criminal justice system is closure for all involved.
“It’s a direct line of access- to talk to the responsible party,” says Stenson. “A lot of people want accountability, but don’t want to cause trauma for the ones that harmed them. This gives them that opportunity.”
It’s also an opportunity for the offending party to process and deal with the guilt and shame associated with an arrest.
“Restorative Justice gives a voice to the experience for everyone involved,” says Chris Brown-Haugen. “You have a relationship with everyone in the conflict, so you’re repairing your relationship with those individuals through restorative practices.”
Myles Rubin (center) serves on the Lone Tree Student Leadership Board and helped organize Teen Rights Day.
“You have to acknowledge and address that trauma before you can begin to reintegrate.”
The afternoon served as an entry point to the concepts of restorative justice to many in attendance, but the opportunity to learn more about restorative practices and opportunities associated with service on Teen Court wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of the Lone Tree Student Leadership Board. Two students in particular, Maya Rodenbaugh and Myles Rubin, lead the efforts to coordinate the speakers for the day and to promote the event. The pair hoped to show students an alternative avenue for both conflict resolution and volunteerism in the Lone Tree community through Teen Court.
“When I first got involved in the program, it was out of boredom and my mom thought it would be a good community service opportunity,” explains Rodenbaugh. “But once I went through the training and served on one of the student panels, something sparked in me. This was important.”
Rodenbaugh says she appreciated the approach to conflict resolution that staked its focus on empathy and healing. Rodenbaugh says she started to see some changes in herself as well.
“I found more confidence by serving in the program. I was speaking up more, sharing opinions where before I may have been more shy and timid.”
That personal growth is something Maya hopes the program can give to other students- and events like Teen Rights Day are one way of reaching out to students who could also leverage the program to find their voice.
“I know sometimes it feels because you’re young, that you can’t really do anything or make an impact,” Maya says, regarding teens who feel as though they can’t influence the world around them. “I can tell you it’s not true.”
Lone Tree Student Leadership Board members address attendees of Teen Rights Day.
The encouragement continued throughout the event as the student leaders in charge of the event wrapped the nearly two-hour discussion with a fun series of trivia questions about the day’s learnings. Rodenbaugh made the rounds, thanking the guest speakers, and answered remaining questions from attendees. Rodenbaugh hopes the event goers left with an appreciation for restorative justice but, just as importantly, a renewed sense of purpose in their young lives.
“If you look hard enough, there are so many ways to help and so many ways for your voice to be heard. As a teen, it’s important for you to make sure your voice heard.”
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More about Teen Court:
Lone Tree Teen Court offers a voluntary alternative for eligible youth respondents to the Lone Tree Municipal Court. Teen Court is a diversion-like justice program for youth and run by youth. This unique program uses positive peer influence and restorative justice principles to help respondents address the harm caused after committing a crime. Youth and adult volunteers from the community are invaluable to the Teen Court process.
The Teen Court process in Lone Tree, called Peer Panels, is run by youth volunteers who ask restorative questions of the respondent and their family. These questions are related to what happened, the impacts of the crime, and how to make it right again. The panelists then use what is shared in the process to create an appropriate and meaningful set of consequences that paves the way to repairing the harm. Teen Court focuses on misdemeanor and youth-related offenses.
You can read more about the Lone Tree Teen Court program and the use of Restorative Justice principles here.