Center for Restorative Programs

Background Statement

Center for Restorative Programs (formerly San Luis Valley VORP) has provided an array of restorative programs for youth-in-conflict in the 6 counties of the San Luis Valley for over 27 years. CRP has expanded to provide some diversion services to adults : a) victim-offender dialogue for crimes committed by youth ages 10 - 24, and adults to provide reparation to victims and restore relationships and community safety; b) restorative discipline, bullying interventions, truancy mediation, and peer conflict mediation, to address issues affecting successful school engagement and prevent expulsions; c) mediation and communication skills trainings to equip youth and adults to solve conflicts in healthy and non-violent ways; d) Wraparound facilitation through HB 1451 to help families involved in multiple social service organizations to develop a plan for family success. d) Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) and intensive case management community services through a collaboration between CRP, Alamosa City, County, Law Enforcement, District Attorney, Public Defender, health and treatment providers. CRP houses the project manager and the case managers. The programs offer: * low-level substance abuse offenses intensive case management as an alternative to incarceration and prosecution *high-risk individuals engaged with health providers intensive community supports. CRP serves youth and their families, at little or no cost to participants, through our juvenile justice, school and family programs. Research shows that youth who complete a restorative process are half or less as likely to have a repeat offense or disciplinary concern during the following 6-12 months and more likely to remain successfully engaged in school, as compared with similar youth.

We also regularly provide training to youth and adult sponsors in mediation and communication skills during the school year, involving interested high schools and middle schools in the SLV. Skills trainings are typically underwritten by area schools or other community partners and span all counties of the Valley. Additional trainings and learning communities were offered on request to adult audiences such as parents, early childhood programs, and other service providers, serving another estimated 150 or more adults in bullying prevention, restorative practices, effective communication, and conflict resolution. These trainings have taken part in several counties of the SLV.

We have also been working in a much more intensive and comprehensive fashion with school districts throughout the Valley. Our services (see above) are available to all school districts, and we are working with several School Districts to utilize a much more comprehensive approach to restorative discipline. These efforts have led to measurable outcomes. We have seen truancy days decrease, suspensions decrease, and expulsions decline. All of these outcomes have helped the school districts increase its overall academic performance because students are in school learning, rather than spending time out of school with delinquency issues in the broader community.

Additionally, CRP, along with the 12th Judicial District District Attorney's office, has continued to spearhead a site for utilizing restorative justice interventions as a Diversion program for a much broader range of cases than has previously gone through restorative justice. This partnership is in response to statewide legislation that calls for RJ to be utilized much more broadly for Diversion and community support for the programming.

Your support will allow us to continue to provide the aforementioned services, especially this important work at early intervention in schools and through Diversion. The impact being made here will be felt throughout the counties of the San Luis Valley as behaviors are addressed earlier and more effectively. Your support is more important than ever to ensure that these services are in place and effective.