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:

“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.”

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:

Athens Banner Herald

11-Alive News Atlanta

DA Gonzalez’ Interview with WGAU’s Alexia Ridley

other blogs and recommended reading

Weaver School Embraces ‘Peacemaker Event’ on Campus

In collaboration with the Restorative Justice League of Merced, the “Weaver Peacemaker Event” is an all day event that focuses on educating students to “promote kindness and build a culture of peace on campus.”

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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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What SEL Teaches Us About Safety

With SEL, we can foster emotional safety and mental wellness, and help reduce violence and risky behaviors among students.

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“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That's the message he is sending.”― Thich Nhat Hanh

Each time we choose to draw near, rather than to send away, we are actively building a new way to be in community together. As we model this way of being in schools, we are shining a light and showing a way for what can be possible in the community as a whole.

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Students Belong in Class, So This School Redesigned Discipline to Honor That

Angela Monell and Southwest Guilford High School are committed to restorative practices as a way to keep kids in class and out of trouble.

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