We welcome RJ to the VOA Family
An essential part of Volunteers of America’s mission is to find innovative and effective ways to help families and young people find hope and build stable and strong futures. We believe a vital part of that effort is outreach to young people who have contact with the criminal justice system.
We have been asking -- how can we better serve these families?
Restorative Justice of Louisville is an exemplary program that serves young people who come in contact with the criminal justice system and we are so proud to welcome Restorative Justice to the Volunteers of America family.
As a part of VOA, the program has a new name but the same vision. Traditionally, the criminal justice system asks what laws have been broken and what punishment is deserved by the offender. Restorative Justice asks what harm has been done, who is responsible for repairing that harm, and how can that harm be repaired? Together, we will focus on making amends, repairing harm and building brighter futures.
The Restorative Justice process allows victims of crime to participate more fully in the resolution of the offense that has been done – with a focus on seeking solutions and making amends. Restorative Justice has an impressive record in Jefferson County that demonstrates that young people who participate in the process are about half as likely to commit a future offense and that victims of crimes feel more fully engaged in a process of true restoration.
As a program of Volunteers of America, Restorative Justice of Louisville is now Restorative Justice. This name reflects our desire to take the great work that is already being done in Louisville and making it available to as many communities as possible in Kentucky.
The effective outcomes that Restorative Justice has achieved in Jefferson County will continue – but with more reach and resources. Together, we will work to stop youth from reoffending while making victims feel more respected and whole. We will confront the overcrowding crisis facing our prison system and youth detention centers. And we will save taxpayers’ dollars – every single year-long detention for a youth in Kentucky currently costs more than $70,000. Restorative Justice is vastly more affordable – and more effective.
We look forward to sharing more details about Restorative Justice and VOA’s goals for the program as 2021 moves forward. We know this partnership will promote VOA’s mission of creating positive change for the families and communities we serve.
Learn more about Restorative Justice