Restorative Justice Expansion in Dane County, Wisconsin.

OJJDP's Nonparticipating state program makes the Formula Grants program fund allocation available to local public or private nonprofit agencies within the state. The recipient agency must use the funds to carry out activities that support compliance with the requirements of 42 U.S.C. §§ 5633(a)(11), (12), (13), and (22) (the "core" requirements). This program will be authorized by an Act appropriating funds for the Department of Justice.

YWCA Madison, in collaboration with Dane County Restorative Justice Coalition, proposes to address the racial disparities in Dane County and to divert young people from the pipeline to incarceration. Three organizations in partnership with local municipalities and law enforcement formed an innovative, evidence-based collaborative -- the Dane Restorative Justice Coalition (DRJC). The goal of the DRJC is to decrease contact with the juvenile and criminal justice systems. The membership is composed of YWCA Madison; Briarpatch Peer Courts; TimeBank Peer Courts; and representatives from Dane County Health and Human Services, the City of Madison, Madison Metropolitan School District, and local municipal officers. The two goals of this project are to (1) reduce the number of municipal tickets received by young people in the community and provide restorative pathways for those who do and (2) create an environment where students are more engaged in school and receive fewer suspensions and disciplinary actions. These goals will be achieved through determining the current baseline for restorative justice in school settings, expanding existing programs to serve more youth, educating police and the value of partnerships, working with school administrators to implement whole-schools strategies that reduce out-of-school suspensions, and providing training in schools to engage youth in peer supports.

CA/NCF