The City of Davis has begun offering court hearings that offer faster resolutions to minor offenses than traditional criminal proceedings. The hearings, called Neighborhood Courts, are based on the concept of Restorative Justice.
The outcomes of Neighborhood Courts are more satisfactory to all involved, according to a report by the Friends Committee on Legislation of California.
The Restorative Justice concept gives victims a role in criminal proceedings. The goal is to allow the victim to express how the offense has been damaging, gives an offender the chance to understand the damage done, and allows the community to have a stake in deciding how to repair the damage. The result comes closer to repairing the harm instead of the traditional focus on punishing offenders for wrongdoing, according to proponents of the concept.
“Instead of being upset and angry, offenders are accepting responsibility – owning up to what they did, and walking out of the process with an opportunity to make it right,” according to Lisa Rea, founder of Restorative Justice International. “It’s much more meaningful for everyone!”
Neighborhood Courts offer a way for offenders to repair any harm without being criminally charged, thus avoiding a record.
Although state legislation authorized Neighborhood Courts in 1992, it was almost 20 years before San Francisco established the first such court in 2012. The results of the Neighborhood Court are more satisfying for both victims and offenders, according to George Gascon, District Attorney for San Francisco. The City of Davis established the state’s second Neighborhood Court last February.
When a Davis police officer arrests someone or issues a citation for qualifying offenses, the offender receives a “yellow ticket.” The ticket offers the offender an opportunity to accept responsibility for the offense. For those willing, he or she can accept responsibility, go through the Neighborhood Court, meet with a panel of members of the community, and reach a resolution to make amends or “restore” the victim.
The entire process is designed to be completed in a matter of weeks, rather than months or years.
