GCC Finalizes Partnership With DA Deborah Gonzalez' Office

December 6, 2022

It’s official!  GCC is moving forward with our formal partnership with District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez’ office to offer a restorative justice diversion pathway for certain high level misdemeanor and felony juvenile cases.  According to the press release related to the Memorandum of Understanding that DA Gonzalez and GCC Executive Director, Danny Malec, signed on November 16:

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“This program highlights the viewpoint of the DA’s office that restorative justice and diversion programming are essential components of an effective justice system. Restorative justice is the evidence-backed philosophy that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large, in which the offender takes accountability for their actions in an effort to repair harm and prevent it from happening again. This method has shown high satisfaction rates for offenders, victims, and the overall communities in which restorative justice is practiced.”

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As we begin to receive and facilitate restorative justice diversion cases, we will look forward to sharing more information.  In the meantime, feel free to take a look at some of the recent press that we have received about this restorative justice diversion program:

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Athens Banner Herald

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11-Alive News Atlanta

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DA Gonzalez’ Interview with WGAU’s Alexia Ridley

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other blogs and recommended reading

Remembering How to Be Friends: After COVID, One School Uses Talking Circles to Help Kids Reconnect

That predictable, structured place to safely share is critical, especially for students who want to take on society’s bigger challenges, Swearingen said. “It puts us in a spot where we can be vulnerable with each other, and because we can be vulnerable together we can be productive.”

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Pine Bluff School Introduces 'Restorative Room' to Help Calm Students, De-Escalate Fights

A school in Pine Bluff introduced the 'restorative room' as a way to help encourage kids to process their emotions and get through tough experiences.

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Restorative Justice

Elderly and Imprisoned: 'I Don't Count It as Living, Only Existing.'

A recent opinion piece from The New York Times discusses the peril of elderly incarcerated individuals. As the article states, the ACLU estimates that "by 2030, people over 55 will constitute a third of the country's prison population", even though elderly people are significantly less likely to reoffend.

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Principles Over Passion

Former GCC Executive Director and current GCC Collaborator, John Lash, reflects on his time serving as a Circle Keeper and Restorative Justice educator over the first 5 cohorts of the Principles over Passion Program (PPP) at the Athens Clarke County Jail. PPP is led by Shane Sims, GCC Board Member and People Living in Recovery Executive Director. PPP is a structured 8-week course that supports jail inmates in recovery as they prepare for release as well as offering ongoing support once released. Participants live together in one cell block without oversight from a correctional officer. They participate in workshops ranging from addiction recovery, re-entry planning, artistic expression, workforce readiness, restorative justice and more.

Read full article (LINK OPENS IN A NEW TAB) →