In North America the recidivism rate for young people leaving custody has been reported to be as high as 96 percent.1 When restorative practices are a part of the common experience of a society, it can relieve the stress on the judicial and law enforcement systems.
Considerably fewer and less serious additional crimes are committed by juvenile offenders in several victim offender mediation programs in the U.S., when compared to similar offenders who did not participate in mediation.2
Locally, justice restoration has put back millions of dollars into the community and aided in the successful reintegration of juvenile offenders.
Local programs have proven successful:
- In its 30 years of service to the community, Workout, Ltd. returned close to $2,000,000 to the victims of juvenile crime and served over 17,000 youthful offenders.
- While an average of 30 percent of most youthful offenders in traditional rehabilitation programs are rearrested, this rate continually stands at less then 10 percent for Workout, Ltd. youth (currently 7.4 percent).
- Colorado Division of Youth Corrections (prison for youth) reported that it costs $160.12 per day to institutionalize a youth whereas it only costs $54.57 per day for a youth in Workout, Ltd.’s programs.
- In addition to understanding the responsibility for the consequences of their actions, youth engaged in justice rehabilitation programs:
- Gain an understanding and appreciation for work and social ethics.
- Enter a structured and productive working and nurturing environment in the community, instead of a tax supported institution.
- Realize valuable self-pride through their successful achievements in the program.
- Receive training in job and social skill development that may either lead them to a permanent vocation and/or socially acceptable behaviors.
Successful justice rehabilitation turns juvenile offenders into contributing tax payers rather than tax burdens and provides victims with quality justice for crimes.
1. Lewis DO, Yeager CA, Lovely R, Stein A & Cobham-Porterreal CS 1994. A clinical follow-up of delinquent males: ignored variables, unmet needs and the perpetuation of violence. Journal of the American academy of child and adolescent psychiatry vol 33: 518-28.
2. Participation in Victim-Offender Mediation and Reoffense: Successful Replications?
Nugent et al. Research on Social Work Practice.2001; 11: 5-23
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