The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office has received a $1 million state grant to establish a countywide juvenile diversion pre-filing program focusing on “restorative justice,” in which young people who have committed crimes work with their victims to atone for damages made.
“I am proud to have this program for the first-time ever in our county’s history,” Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement. “Our office has a crucial role to play in reducing the pipeline
into the juvenile justice system while at the same time, reducing disparities in the entire criminal justice system. We have invest in our youth to ensure they have other opportunities in their lives.”
Contra Costa hopes to divert up to 230 youths away from the juvenile justice system through the program enabled by the state grant.
A similar restorative program proved to be successful in Alameda County, where young people who participated in the program were 44 percent less likely to recidivate compared to similarly situated probation youth.
The program carries a one-time cost of $4,500 per case, while probation costs $23,000 per year and incarceration costs nearly $500,000 annually.
I doubt the victims will want to”work with” the offenders.I doubt they ever want to see or hear from them again.This will make them not offend again??please……They get light treatment,they don’t take their own offense seriously…
wasted money
In their mind this will save money ni the long run,they HOPE and it’s the only reason.Everyone knows if you’re nice to kids that offend and tell them”dont do that again’ they laugh,because there is no learning experience.Good one liberal govt.They only move up in crime unless you give them a firm way to remember.This is to spend less but will cost more,and puts the public at higher risk,as usual.If you multiply $23000 x how many people are on probation,you then get to see how much they really spend on nice new cars and air conditioned offices with a nice big kitchen,and lots of overtime.
More silly nonsense . As a previous poster pointed out , what victim would want to be further exposed to a young criminal ?
Maybe if they steal your car they wil need to send an apology..
Statistics look good because they don’t arrest or they don’t prosecute under California’s “You’re not a criminal if you’re under 18 program”.
When I was young I got into some mischief. I was given a work program to pay my debts to society. I had to do some serious labor with some older more criminal types. It was a good lesson.
This is a good thing, however, the working with victim part could go.
There should be more programs like this. Tax payers are spending half a million dollars per criminal, (child, adult, or both?) per year for incarceration?
Let’s get some of that money out of them, in work.
Our society would be a better place.
How much it costs…
https://lao.ca.gov/PolicyAreas/CJ/6_cj_inmatecost
(Spreadsheets!)
How much it costs…
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/paying-for-uc/tuition-and-cost/index.html
(More Spreadsheets!)
Interesting…
I was hoping to find a nice spreadsheet comparing costs of youth sports/music/activities, but I couldn’t.
After much reading I did find that the cost vary from $2000.00 – $20,000 per year.
Interesting…
More stupid ideas.
This is insane. The criminal should be no where near the victim ever again. Wouldn’t this be re-victimizing the victim? Unbelievable.
Thank you.
I know as a kid that got in trouble decades ago,seeing the inside of juvenile hall for several days and the disturbed,and dangerous people that were in there,I knew I didn’t want to go back.
Still I saw it twice more.Work detail would have made me into a laughing,career juvenile delinquent that then moved onto worse things.This is not a good idea.,They need to do psychological studies,not economical studies.This is what tax money is meant to be spent on.The facilities were a mess back then,and then don’t want to spend even now.Young and impressionalbe kids need to see there is a consequence to their actions.It can be good or bad.They are the rulers of their own destiny,but not if this is going to happen.There is no regret or educational value to this idea.
Not good
Not good
Basically, a one-time cost of $4500 per case to release up to 230 juvenile criminals back to society. BS. Bring back “scared straight”.
$4,500.00 per case. Where does that money go?
Can never replace the lost time and desire for the loving attention from parents!
Can we just divert them to another county? Or perhaps a few months in Marine Boot Camp?
A plane ticket to an inexpensive labor camp in a third world sh!t hole would be much more cost effective. I hate to outsource American jobs but the savings are tremendous. Plus the savings from not having to defend law suits in the US for prisoner “rights” issues
Plus “Scared Straight “ would be incorporated for free
One of these victim / criminal relationship stories would make a really good movie.
Ron Howard where you?
A bullet to the base of the skull is a FAR cheaper option, and a fantastic deterrent to any other juvenile delinquents with bright ideas.
Perhaps attach their parents wages or social security to cover this $4,500 experiment. Then they will have a vested interest in the outcome.
And yet our National Debt keeps expanding instead of paying it down.