Columbus — After learning that Franklin County was sending juveniles to state prison at higher rates than any other urban county in Ohio, BREAD called on the Franklin County Juvenile Court to implement a proven diversion program called Restorative Justice. Restorative Justice takes cases of first-time, non-violent offenders out of the traditional court room setting and holds meetings at a neighborhood level in order to engage victims and the community in holding the offender accountable. At BREAD’s 2012 Nehemiah Action with nearly 3,000 people in attendance, Lead Juvenile Court Judge Elizabeth Gill committed to spearhead the process of implementing Restorative Justice Circles in Franklin County neighborhoods. To date, a full-time coordinator has been hired and seven neighborhoods have Restorative Justice Circles up and running. These Circles are projected to provide meaningful accountability and diversion to over 100 youth offenders each year.
