FAQ's
What are the benefits of the RJP?
With restorative justice, success is not measured by how
much punishment is given; it’s measured by how much
harm is prevented or repaired. The RJP offers many
benefits to the victim, the community, and to the
offender. Here are just a few:
-
Empowerment—When victims are given an
opportunity to voice how they were affected by
the harm and what they need to feel whole again,
they report a higher level of satisfaction with the
justice system.
-
Safer & Cheaper—Because restorative justice
has a high success rate in reducing repeat
offenses, communities are made safer and save
money by preventing individuals from becoming
a part of the criminal justice system for offenses
that can be resolved at the community level.
-
Reintegration—Offenders have the opportunity
to put their actions in context to see how their
conduct impacted the victim and the community
as a whole, make amends, and reintegrate into the
community without a permanent criminal record.
Who may participate in the RJP?
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Juvenile offenders who have been charged with a misdemeanor offense
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Juveniles aged 6-18 who are enrolled in a school or structured day program
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Who may refer juveniles to the RJP?
Referrals to the RJP may be made by juvenile court
counselors, school resource officers (SRO), district
court judges, or may come directly from law
enforcement officers (Goldsboro Police
Department or Wayne County Sheriff’s
Department).
What does a LEO need to do to make a direct referral to RJP?
To make a direct referral to the RJP, LEO only
needs to forward the incident report to the
Restorative Justice Office. At a minimum, the
incident report must contain the juvenile’s name,
the juvenile’s parent/guardian’s name and contact
information, the LEO’s name and contact
information, and the offense for which the juvenile
is being referred.
Can a juvenile offender participate in the RJP more than once?
Yes, but at least six months must have passed since the juvenile’s last involvement with the RJP.