Community members should be able to see the tangible impact of the justice system on their streets and to participate more deeply in shaping criminal justice solutions, especially when it comes to the quality-of-life crimes that can make streets and parks dangerous or business districts uninviting….
Although the traditional, incarceration-oriented criminal justice system can be effective, it can be remote from daily community life. Neighborhood Justice is designed to connect closely to the special character of each L.A. neighborhood, targeting low-level offenses that the current system often fails to handle effectively.
Neighborhood Justice will rely on trained community volunteers knowledgeable about their neighborhoods’ quality-of-life challenges, and a system of services designed to prevent offenders from repeating their crimes. The program is based on principles of restorative justice: An offender should take responsibility for his conduct; he should help restore what has been taken from the individual and the community victimized by his conduct; community members should take an active role in shaping what that restoration entails; and the offender should be required to take advantage of services designed to reduce the likelihood of recidivism.
Your donation helps Prison Fellowship International repair the harm caused by crime by emphasizing accountability, forgiveness, and making amends for prisoners and those affected by their actions. When victims, offenders, and community members meet to decide how to do that, the results are transformational.
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