2011 Annual Report

2011 Annual Report
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
Hello and thank you for supporting LCJP and restorative justice in our community,
As always it has been a busy year here at the Longmont Community Justice Partnership where, with your help, we
passionately live our mission to cultivate a safe and caring community, reduce crime, and bring together those
involved in crime or conflict to be heard, creating justice for all.
Restorative justice is cutting edge work that has deep roots in ancient tribal practices. The very nature of
restorative justice lives in acknowledging that we are all in this together. Every person in a restorative justice
process has a voice: victims ask for what would make things right for them, offenders take responsibility for the
harm they have done, and community members speak to how we are all affected when crime or conflict occurs in
our midst. It strengthens community and saves precious tax dollars by keeping 90% of the offenders who come
through our program from becoming repeat offenders.
We are very fortunate in Longmont and the St. Vrain Valley School District to have insightful leaders willing to
cultivate restorative justice practices. Looking back at the progress we made in 2011, we want to acknowledge
especially:
Mike Butler, Chief of Public Safety and #1 advocate of restorative justice in our community. In a Longmont
Times-Call article, he attributes a piece of Longmont’s “Second Safest City in the State” status to restorative
justice.
Representative Pete Lee and Senator Linda Newell, who worked diligently to realize the unanimous
passage of HB-11-1032, a law requiring District Attorneys to inform victims that restorative justice is an
option for them in many cases.
Beverly Title, our fearless founder, who published her book, Teaching Peace. If you haven’t read it, order
your copy today at www.resolutionariesinc.com! It tells many stories of the growth of LCJP.
School Resource Officer Sergeant Doug Ross, who represented Longmont and restorative justice as a
council member for the vital Safe Schools state task force.
Our Student Restorative Justice Team at Longmont High School who co-hosted Colorado’s first Youth
Summit on Restorative Justice at Flagstaff Academy in Longmont.
LCJP staff who, in addition to their daily focus on making our local community safer, presented at the
International Institute for Restorative Practices Conference in Canada in the summer of 2011.
All of these leading edge efforts sprouted out of the work “in the trenches” as our dear supporter Dan
Benavidez says. It is the hearts and souls of our dedicated volunteers and staff who bring restorative justice
to the community. They are the ones we all have to thank for helping make Longmont and the St. Vrain
Valley Schools safer.
I hope you will join me in spreading the word that LCJP is here for you and that restorative justice is a worthwhile
investment of both time and money in cultivating a safer, more caring community, and justice for all.
With gratitude,
Deb Witzel, Executive Director
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
Table of Contents
Butler, Mike. (2012, January 8). St. Vrain
Valley Voices: Why Longmont is Safer Today.
The Daily Times Call.
2 … Executive Director’s note
4 … Financial Update & Donor Acknowledgement
5 … Staff & Board of Directors
6 … Community Restorative Justice Program
7 … Story
8 … Restorative Practices in Schools Pilot Project
9 … Volunteer Program
10… Story
10… State JAG Program
Pictured: Mike Butler, Mike Brady, Beverly Title and Connie Syferd
Pictured on cover: Connie Syferd and Dan Benavidez on left and 2011 Longmont High School Student Restorative Justice Team
on right: Row 1: Stephanie, Brie, Isa, Krissy, Meg, Virginia, Ruth, Deb Witzel, Row 2: Laura Snider, William, Phoenix, Savannah,
Christian, Daniel, Jessie, Ben Emery.
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
2011 Financial Review
(Cash Basis)
Revenue
City of Longmont (Contract for Services)
State JAG Grants
Fundraising Efforts
Boulder County
St Vrain Valley School District EARSS Grant
St Vrain Valley Schools
Community Foundation Serving Boulder County
Denver Foundation
Longmont Community Foundation
Restorative Justice Training Collaboration
Community Restorative Justice (Program fees)
Corporate Contributions
Other Sources
$ 200,000
134,797
25,653
20,600
18,171
10,000
10,700
3,000
2,750
6,450
11,679
5,000
1,195
Total Revenue
$ 449,995
Expenses
Programs
Fundraising
Administrative
$ 271,352
27,938
69,535
Total Expenses
$ 368,825
Net Income
$
81,170
Restricted Funds for RPS
Carryover to 2012
$
$
70,000
11,170
LCJP is deeply grateful to the donors and supporters who continue to make restorative justice in Longmont and the
St. Vrain Valley possible!
Alonge, Karen
Bennett, Michele
Backup, Linda
Blitz, Jude & Daly, Tom
Blue, Mary K.
Brady, Mike
Butler, Mike & Julie
Carpenter, Michelle
Chenault, Denice & Tom
Cohen, Terry
Couch, Grant & Pearson, Louise
Cronk, Janet
Davis, Walt & Connie
Esters, Sandie
Fairmont, Lorraine & Keith
Gillatt, Terri
Hagan, Ryan
Haught, Martin & Juliana
Heikkila, Dwitt & Sook
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Head, Marian & Glen
Henry, Seth & Hess, Rhonda
Herrick, Michael & Witzel, Deb
Hibbard, J. Devin
Higgins, Karen & John
Holdaway, Michael
Holt, Peter & Nancy
Kellgren, Jeff
Laemmle, Sandra Sharonah
Lehman, Edward & Connie
Lewis, Leslie, & Potratz, Donald
Maya-Charles, Leslie & Michael
Nirschl, Maureen
Parker, Doug & Shana
Peacock, Jeffrey
Pugh, Kevin
Rhysling, Kieran & Leigh
Rochat, Robert & Susan
Seidler, Mark
Routt, Susan
Sackett, William
Sather, Karen & Mark
Scott, John
Seagull, Ruth
Smith, Ed & Andie
Sock, Susan
Springer, Beverly
Stow, Diane
Swenson, Dan
Syferd, Connie
Todd, Dawn
Tschumy, Cate & Bill
Walker, VK
Wiser Family Fund
Witzel, Dave
Bryan, Stephanie
Sharonah, Sandra
Xilinx
Amgen
Chef Dale Lamb
Dana Software Development
Discoveries Egyptian Imports
Eberspacher Family Fund
Faegre & Benson Foundation
First United Methodist Church
Longmont Rotary Club
Longmont United Hospital
ReSolutionaries Inc.
Samantha Heather Witter Fund
Snyder Jewelers
St Andrews Presbyterian
Denver Foundation
Community Fndation Boulder
Longmont Community Fndation
Arkenstone Properties
St Vrain Valley Schools
City of Longmont
LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
LCJP staff in 2011:
Executive Director, Deb Witzel
Office Manager , Sara Mahan
Community Restorative Justice (CRJ) Program Manager, Amanda Mahan
CRJ Case Coordinator, Pablo Carvajal
Restorative Practices in Schools (RPS) Program Coordinator, Laura Snider
(pictured above left)
Restorative Alternative To Expulsion & Suspension (RATES) Coordinator, Sarah
Madrigal
Volunteer Coordinator, Ken Keusenkothen
State Project Manager, Mary Carr (pictured above right) (starting July 2011Ben Emery),
CRJ Intern, Heidi Cline
Board of Directors
Mike Brady- President
Generosity Wealth Management
Connie Syferd- Secretary
Assistant Superintendent for Student Achievement
Ryan Hagan- Treasurer
CFE, CPA, Shareholder of Brock and Company
Diane Stow
The Diane Stow Team REMAX
Ed Smith (pictured with wife Andie at Ollin Farm Dinner)
The Law Office of Edward Smith
Mike Butler
Public Safety Chief, City of Longmont
Marian Head (term ended)
CEO, Head to Wellness
Stan Garnett
District Attorney, 20th Judicial District
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
Community Restorative Justice (CRJ) Program Summary & Statistics
The Community Restorative Justice (CRJ) Program within LCJP works closely with the Longmont Police
Department (LPD) and other criminal justice agencies in handling restorative justice case referrals. In 2011, more
people were served by the CRJ program than ever before in a 12-month period in LCJP history.


The CRJ program served 1274 people in 2011.
Satisfaction rates averaged 98%, satisfied or very satisfied for all involved
(victims, offenders, support people and volunteer community members).
Case Referral Data:



159 Cases were referred
262 Offenders referred
95% Referred by Longmont Police Department
Restorative Process Data:

Total number of Restorative Processes
delivered: 131
o Community Group Conferences: 87
o Community Accountability Boards: 38
o Restorative Circles: 6

16% required Spanish language support
Restorative Process Participant Data:





LCJP/LPD Liaison Officers: Dan Wright, Matt Cage, Stacy
Stallings, Sandie Esters, James Brown, John High
180 Offenders participated
98% of Offenders completed his/her contract
to make things right
7% Recidivism rate*
*Recidivism is defined as a re-offense by an offender within one year of his/her LCJP contract completion date.
91 Victims or victim support people participated
Longmont Police Officers participated 96 times in RJ Processes or in 70% of the processes
Offender Demographics who participated:
Ethnicity: Caucasian 67%; Latino/Hispanic 28%; Black/African-American 2%; Other 3%
Gender: Male - 69%; Female - 31%
Age: Youth - 72% (age 10 to 17); Adult - 28% (age 18 and older)
A grand THANK YOU to the Longmont Police Department Liaisons to for continuing to work with LCJP staff to
improve the efficiency and utilization of the Community Restorative Justice Program!
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
A Restorative Justice Story from the field
Leading By Example
Two boys found a knife and brought it into a classroom at school. No real threat was involved but it caused quite a
stir within the class. This case required a strong youth community member to make clear what the harm was. The
week before the process, the CRJ staff contacted a Longmont High School Student Team member and asked him to
participate as a community member. He enthusiastically agreed. During the process the Student Team member
shared his personal story about how he had made a choice that had caused him to look dangerous in the eyes of his
community. It had caused him to be judged and excluded. The two boys, who struggled to take feedback from the
adults in the process, tuned in when the Student Team member shared his story. He went on to encourage the boys
to seek out mentors with Longmont’s Children, Youth and Family Services center where they would hold them
accountable for their actions and support them in repairing their reputations. He went on to explain that once you
begin making these types of decision, it is hard to turn your life around. In this case, the Student Team member
reminded the offenders through the example of his own life, that it is possible to make a new choice. As a result,
the two offenders chose to visit a local elementary school and talk to the students about the importance of school
safety. These students have valuable knowledge and experience to offer as youth community members. Their
ability to speak directly to the hearts of the youth offenders they work with has a powerful and positive affect.
Rea, one of the RJ Student
Team facilitators, practices
pre-conferencing, July 2011
RJ Student Team Members Jessie
and Ruth at the June 2011
Student Team Retreat
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
Restorative Practices in Schools (RPS) Program
It was a busy year of firsts for the Restorative Practices in Schools (RPS) Program. In January we hosted the first
ever Youth Summit on Restorative Justice (RJ). Over 120 people participated from across the state of Colorado and
included special guests the Re-Thinkers from New Orleans. Students from the RPS program were integral in
conducting this summit by holding the opening and closing circles, giving two workshop sessions, and leading
three open space discussions.
LHS Student RJ Team participating in the
opening circle at the Youth Summit on
Restorative Justice in January 2011
During the summer months, two members of the Student RJ Team
participated in the newly-formed RPS Summer Intern program
designed to increase youth ownership of restorative justice
practices. Each of them spent more than 130 hours serving the
program through outreach, donation solicitation, blog writing,
compiling program statistics and reports, and assisting with
training at the Summer Training Institute. The Summer Training
Institute was held in July 2011 with 16 students in attendance
who learned restorative justice skills that ranged from being a
Community Member to Solution Circle Facilitators. They are now
ready to work with peers and adults in restorative processes at Longmont
High School and the two feeder middle schools, Westview and Longs Peak.
The RPS Program continues to grow and develop restorative responses to
the full spectrum of discipline issues-from repeated classroom disruption to harassment to underage drinking to
fighting. In 2011, there were 100 students referred with 78 making it to circle process. Of those, 70 completed
successfully, and 8 did not complete. We anticipate that we will maintain 90% completion and 95% satisfaction as
the project continues to grow. The Pilot Project saved 111 days of suspension in the three pilot schools in 2011,
totaling 777 school hours in classes these students would have missed otherwise. The relationships with school
personnel at the pilot schools and the guidance of the RPS Advisory Group remain crucial as we expand and
cultivate restorative practices in our schools.
The Restorative Alternative to Expulsion and Suspension (RATES) Project hired a new part-time Case Coordinator,
Sarah Madrigal Perry. In 2011, RATES received fourteen referrals, with nine making it to RATES circle process. Of
those, six students completed successfully, two are still under agreement, and one was referred back for violation
while on agreement. Of the successful completions, three expulsions were deferred, thirteen days of suspension
were saved, and five students were prevented from moving toward expulsion by participating and completing
successfully.
“I think this is a great way to turn a negative event into a positive
experience. Restorative Practices in Schools is an excellent
opportunity for kids to look and see beyond themselves.”
- School Administrator
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
Volunteer Program
Our volunteers truly keep restorative justice in Longmont and the St. Vrain valley alive. Over 1600 hours of service
were delivered by this generous group of dedicated citizens. LCJP would like to extend an enormous THANK YOU
to all who continue to show up and make restorative justice possible for our community!!!
In 2011 we trained 90 new community members and 8 new Facilitators. LCJP is always looking for new facilitators
and offers free professional training to these vital volunteers.
In 2011 LCJP added a new position to the staff to help better care for our volunteers. If you are interested in
becoming a part of the LCJP Team please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Ken Keusenkothen at [email protected] or
by calling (303) 776-1527.
*Savannah Iverson - LCJP Youth Volunteer of the Year
Savannah committed to doing 130 hours of intern experience and ended up giving more than 150 hours, bringing
her grand total for the year to almost 300 hours of volunteer service and 40 hours of training. As a student intern,
she helped to train the upcoming members of the Student RJ Team, designed a Student RJ Team Handbook,
participated in cases for the Community Restorative Justice Program, and helped with the Restorative Practices in
Schools Program outreach.
Savannah assisting with restorative mediation
training at the 2011 Summer Training Institute
Pat Haagenson (second from left) receives the Volunteer of
the Year Award from Chief Mike Butler (second from right)
and Mayor Dennis Coombs (far right)
*Pat Haagenson - LCJP Adult Volunteer of the Year
During 2011 Pat facilitated over 20 processes with Community Restorative Justice. During this time
Pat established a reputation with the LCJP staff as an individual who could step in and facilitate any type of
circle. Pat is now working with LCJP as a Facilitator Mentor and will be assisting with the development of this
program to help train new facilitators.
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
A Restorative Justice Story from the field
Providing Hope through Persistence
A young man had been involved in threatening violence and sexual abuse on fellow students. The LCJP volunteer
facilitator who took the case met with the offender in advance of the restorative justice process. During this time
the offender felt threatened by having his story known by a stranger. At multiple points in the meeting the
facilitator could have referred the case back, but she persisted, pulling from her LCJP training and professional
experience of working with youth at risk. As a result, the offender chose to move forward and participate in the
restorative justice process. The process took place and an agreement to repair the harm was reached. The
offender’s mother pulled the facilitator and an LCJP staff member aside and shared that this was the first time that
her son had experienced hope that he could repair the harms caused by his previous actions. In her post-process
feedback she stated, “I appreciate the extra time and effort in helping everyone come up with ways to support my
son. The facilitators have been very supportive and compassionate and offered a lot of helpful strategies. It was
nice to see my son smile and feel positive after the meeting.” Our facilitators dedicate themselves to providing
opportunities for offenders to believe that they can actually repair harm. They continuously rise to overcome
obstacles that would dissuade most people from following through with the restorative justice process. Through
their selfless actions, they often bring hope to situations where none existed before.
Pictured: Carol Nickell and Kappy Hall
Pictured: Mark Deaton, Pablo Carvajal, Bertrand Babinet
and Amy Stenson
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
LCJP has served the Colorado Coordinating Council on Restorative Justice as a contractor since 2009 via a Justice
Assistance Grant. The work has increased the awareness and utilization of restorative justice statewide since the
initial grant. At the time the partnership developed, this project was aligned with the strategic plan goals of LCJP
and remains so today. LCJP is honored to continue serving the State RJ Council as the restorative justice movement
gains momentum and recognition state- and nation-wide.
State Justice Assistance Grant Project
in partnership with the Colorado Coordinating Council on Restorative Justice
2011 has been a big year for the restorative justice movement in Colorado. Governor Hickenlooper signed House
Bill 11 -1032, deemed the Restorative Justice Bill, into law after a unanimous decision on both side of the aisle
calling for its passing. In essence, the law requires that restorative justice practices be considered in schools and
the criminal and juvenile justice system when appropriate. This has increased the demand for restorative justice
services in Colorado.
Through the tools created by the State JAG project of which LCJP is the manager, more was done in 2011 to meet
the changing needs of a suddenly larger demographic of Coloradans interested in restorative justice. The web
tools, RJ Colorado Online and the RJ group based on BigTent.com, were merged this year into one intuitive web
platform under www.rjcolorado.org. A Colorado Restorative Justice Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice has
been drafted by a wide range of practitioners across the state.
The biggest news continues to be the “2012 Restorative Justice Summit” set for August 9th, 10th & 11th at the
Tivoli Turnhalle, Denver. The coordination of the Summit has in itself been no less than a restorative processbringing RJ players together for dynamic collaboration around the first statewide Restorative Justice event in 7
years. Even before the Summit comes to pass, it’s planning has been a powerful catalyst for the cross-disciplinary
advancement of restorative justice in Colorado in 2011.
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org
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LCJP 333 Terry St Longmont CO 80501 ~ 303.776-1527 ~ www.lcjp.org