Press Release |
The Avondale Restorative Justice Community Court will hold its first in-person graduation ceremony in its two-year history on Friday, November 18, at 1 p.m., according to Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.
The ceremony will be held at Resurrection Hall at St. Hyacinth’s Basilica, 3657 W. George St. Featured speakers will include Judge Evans and the Hon. Beatriz Santiago, the presiding judge of the court. Seventeen graduates will be honored.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Avondale court has not held an in-person graduation since its opening in 2020. The court is the only Restorative Justice Community Court on Chicago’s Northwest Side – other community courts are in North Lawndale and Englewood, as well as a county-wide restorative justice court located in the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.
Restorative Justice Community Courts are aimed at young adults, aged 18-26, charged with non-violent felony or misdemeanor crimes. Avondale is a diverse neighborhood, and participants in the program include people of all ethnicities and backgrounds.
Restorative Justice Community Courts give young adults a second chance to keep their records clean and get their lives back on track. Those who successfully participate in the program may have the opportunity to have their charges dismissed and arrest and court records expunged.
Part of the court’s mission is to end the harmful cycle of revenge and recidivism. The courts resolve conflict through restorative conferences and peace circles involving participants, victims, family members, friends, others affected by the crime, and the community.
Participants must repair the harm caused by their actions. If one of the participant’s problems is substance use, they also must go through a program to address that issue. A participant must engage in four or five “peace circles,” talking to members of the community to come to terms with the harm caused, and what kind of “repair of harm” is needed.
“Brain science research has shown that the brains of young adults are still ‘emerging,’ and that the portion of the brain responsible for good decision making is not fully developed until age 26,” Evans said. “This is why restorative justice courts were developed for young adults.”
“The goal of the court is to get these non-violent offenders to acknowledge the impact of their offenses, empathize with victims and make restitution,” Judge Evans said. “The idea is to stop the conduct and help the participant realize what the consequences of their behavior are.”
Judge Santiago said it has been an “honor and privilege” to see the positive transformation of the graduates in the program.
“In the time that I have presided over RJCC, I have witnessed the transformation of many participants from being angry and sullen to positive and hopeful after receiving wraparound services from community support networks designed to help participants change their ways,” Judge Santiago said.
“There are participants who have received their GED certificate who are now actively pursuing a college education, which was something they didn't think was possible,” Judge Santiago said. “I have seen participants who have obtained driver licenses and now can legally drive. Most importantly, I have seen participants who now believe in themselves and their future.”
One of the graduates to be honored at Friday’s ceremony is Jehamontae Pritchett, 26, who got arrested on a weapons charge last year after police found a gun in his car. Pritchett, who helps care for a young, disabled son, said he had not faced criminal charges before and was advised to participate in the Avondale RJCC.
He said that, in “peace circles” with community members, young people like himself are encouraged to open up and talk about where they are in life and what got them into trouble, something many of them had never done before.
“It gave us an opportunity to be listened to and heard and actually understood,” said Pritchett. “They put in a lot of effort to better yourself.”
Pritchett said that, as part of the program, he put together a job resume and had a nerve-racking “mock interview,” to help him get ready for real job interviews in the future. He currently works as a part-time food delivery driver, but he said the skills he learned through RJCC can help him get a regular, full-time job to help his family.
Pritchett said he would recommend the program to other young people facing minor offenses. “I would say take it in a heartbeat,” said Pritchett. “It’s a second chance. A lot of people don’t get second chances. There are a lot of people in jail wishing they had the opportunities I have, to talk to people, to go to school, to get a job. That’s what RJCC offers you.”
The Restorative Justice Community Courts rely on community members who volunteer for the peace circles to help young participants understand the effect their actions have had on the community, and find a way to repair the harm caused.
One peace circle participant, Ruth Cruz, an assistant director for admissions at Roosevelt University, said that she highly encourages others to help their community by becoming peace circle members for restorative justice courts.
“It has been a blessing and a unique experience being part of this process and seeing how these individuals are willing to put in the work to repair the harm,” Cruz said.
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