Terry Brooks, KYA’s executive director, will be the opening speaker at the upcoming conference, Restorative Justice: Transforming Youth. This free, one-day conference will take place April 18th at the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Office, from 8:30-4:00, and includes breakfast and lunch.

You might be wondering “what is restorative justice,” and “how does it transform youth?” Restorative Justice is a common sense approach to juvenile misbehavior that gets to the root of the problem behavior, and puts youth back on the right track. Additionally, it gives victims validation and restitution. Instead of simply meting out a punitive sentence, the offending youth and the victim are engaged in a healing process that puts things right.

The traditional criminal justice approach is to ask: what laws have been broken, who broke the law, and what punishment do they deserve. Restorative Justice is more concerned with the victim’s needs and holding the offender responsible for the harm they have caused. Restorative Justice asks: who has been hurt, what are their needs, and whose obligation is it to address those needs.

Interesting in attending the Restorative Justice: Transforming Youth Conference? You can view additional details about the event here, and register by emailing your name, organization, and contact information to RJconferenceKY@gmail.com by April 1st. For more information about Restorative Justice read this short article from the Kentucky Bar Association.