Youth Offenders Restore Public Property – And Their Reputations
Posted 07/02/2009
On a hot and muggy July afternoon, a handful of juveniles swarmed a viaduct under Union Boulevard in Colorado Springs to cover it with paint.But instead of marking it with urban symbols and profanity, the young men and women covered the already graffiti-laden walls with a new, pristine cloak.
Hard to miss was the parallel between the heavily vandalized area and the lives of the teenagers, themselves. Both tagged with unsightly stains of adolescent angst and bad decisions, they now start anew: one with a fresh coat of gray paint, the other with a fresh perspective on life and the skills to stay out of trouble.
The renovation project was conducted by clients of Pikes Peak Behavioral Health Group in partnership with the Colorado Springs Police Department.
The young men and women who wielded brushes and rollers for some two hours are part of the Restorative Justice Program in which they provide community service as compensation to a community they harmed. The police department provided the materials and identified the site.
“I’m painting this wall to make amends for my poor decisions,” explained Jake Fisher, 18, who is in the program because of an aggravated robbery charge. “This gives me a chance to make up for what I’ve done.”
Launched in 2001, the Restorative Justice Program offers local judges another option in sentencing young offenders convicted of crimes such as vandalism, drug possession and theft. Previously, jail time or suspended sentences left offenders with less self-esteem, less empathy for their victims, and more time and incentive to commit additional offenses. Now, they learn how their past actions affected their victims, the community and, often, themselves.
And they learn a renewed sense of purpose and value.
“Our goal is to increase offenders’ awareness for their victims and give them the opportunity to repair the harm caused,” said Adah MacIndoe, program manager. “A lot of times, that involves face-to-face meetings with their victims.”
Sometimes, the offenders voluntarily choose to pay restituion to their victims. A lot of times, their compensation to victims and the community involves a project such as graffiti removal or working with the homeless. “They try to repair the harm done to the community and restore their good names,” said MacIndoe.
They are also offered career skills, job placement, community living skills, and/or GED preparation. The skills – and the interest of counselors who have faith in them – decrease the chances that offenders return to crime after the program. The recidivism rate is 16 percent.
“I like this program. I think it works because it makes me think a lot about what I did and how it made my victims feel,” Fisher said.
In the past year, clients in the Restorative Justice Program have paid nearly $6,000 in restitution to victims. Nearly 90 youths have received career and development services under the program.
Since 2002, the program has served more than 2,700 young offenders, completed 613 victim offender mediations, facilitated 20,236 hours of community service, and $210,942 has been paid in restitution to victims.
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