Suspended Prosecution Restorative Justice Program

The Connecticut Judicial Branch, Court Support Services Division (JBCSSD) supports an innovative risk reduction and restorative practices intervention to address the needs of high-risk youth charged with multiple motor vehicle offenses. JBCSSD plans to implement a risk-based and restorative juvenile probation supervision model (RESTORE RJ) to support high-risk youth. This innovative model includes research-based risk assessment, connection to evidence-based services, and referral to Credible Messenger mentors. Since 2017, JBCSSD has partnered with the Center for Children's Advocacy (CCA) and the Center for Restorative Practices at Suffolk University to implement restorative practices throughout its juvenile residential, community programs, and Juvenile Probation Services (JPS). JPS has a trained Restorative Justice Response Team (RJRT) that will work in collaboration with Credible Messenger mentors to co-facilitate restorative circles with youth, families and communities, and develop youth leadership skills to facilitate community restorative circles. The goals of the RESTORE RJ Program are to reduce recidivism, build youth empathy and accountability, and strengthen positive youth development through leadership skill acquisition and increased community connection. In addition, The JBCSSD proposes working with research partner Dr. Stephen Cox, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Central Connecticut State University, to document the implementation of the RESTORE RJ Program and develop tools for replication. The JBCSSD will utilize existing electronic data collection systems to collect quantitative program data and surveys to collect qualitative responses from youth, families and project partners. This data will be analyzed by the JBCSSD Business Intelligence Unit and reviewed by the project team to guide and evaluate project implementation.