The Maine Department of Corrections (DOC), through its Division of Juvenile Services, has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to contract community-based organizations in delivering “restorative justice” services to lessen or dismiss charges against juvenile criminal offenders in York and Cumberland Counties.
[RELATED: Two Juvenile Suspects Charged for South Portland Robbery, Alleged Display of Handgun…]
The initiative, titled the “Juvenile Justice Restorative Practices Initiative,” is for “justice-involved youth” and “youth-at risk for justice involvement” and involves various discussion-based practices.
Those practices, as laid out in the RFP, are expected to include various types of discussion “circles,” called by the department “restorative circles,” “circles of support and accountability,” and others, with the express purpose of re-entry from incarceration.
Part of the restorative process is that the youth offender will be expected to create a “repair agreement” which details “how the person who caused harm (responsible party) will take active responsibility and outlining the support the community can offer them to this end.”
After the creation of that agreement, the juvenile offender meets with a mentor for an hour at least once a week for eight to 12 weeks.
It is stated in the RFP that after following this “restorative justice” protocol of group discussions and a “repair agreement,” that Maine DOC staff will compose a letter asking that the charges against the juvenile offender be reduced or dismissed.
The RFP proposed an initial term of the contract from Aug. 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027, includes options for two renewal periods, potentially extending to June 30, 2030, pending funding and performance by the vendor. Proposals from prospective vendors are due to the state by May 19.
In May 2024, the Maine DOC awarded a $375,000 no-bid contract to the Portland-based “restorative justice” training organization Maine Youth Court — aka Youth-Led Justice (YLJ) for a similar initiative, also involving “restorative circles.”
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Letting the perps off the hook sends THE WRONG MESSAGE to society. A token 1 hour per week mentor meeting is inadequate for the purpose of supporting a young angry juvenile delinquent. Back to the drawing board for a realistic solution for accountability and responsibility of young beginners in the criminal justice system. Make EVERYONE accountable for their own stupid, unaccountable repeated criminal choices.
Let’s coddle them some more instead of whooping their asses like we got. In fact the reason why we have so many juvenile criminals is because the liberal cry babies overreacted and decided that child rearing was child abuse. The millennial generation is a prime example of how that mentality failed us and hence the moral quagmire we find ourselves stuck in now because these are their children.
“justice-involved youth” and “youth-at risk for justice involvement”
Are you shitting me? And you wonder why it’s all going to hell? How about we call them perps, punks, lawbreakers, anything but this mumbo jumbo.
And just who are these “at risk” juvies?
Would they happen to come from other countries?
DUMBASS
There should be more to the restorative process than is being presented. First the offender should be meeting with a coordinator. At this meeting the offender should be taking ownership of their actions, showing an understanding of the harm they have caused and start thinking about how to restore or repair for the harm they have done. After that meeting, a community circle should be set up. At this circle there should be a member(s) from the community harmed, advocates for the offender and the victim. Again, the offender should be expected to take ownership and show an understanding of how their actions harmed others. Then the community and victim have an opportunity to discuss how they have been harmed. Then all parties involved will discuss the repair.restorative action. Once everyone at the meeting agrees, the nthe restorative agreement is filled out and signed. This is far better than young offenders just being in court, where they do NOT own their actions, where the victim does NOT get to talk to the offender, and if the case doesn’t get tossed out, the offender or family just pay a fine anyways.
Restorative justice, if done the right way, provides learning and corrective opportunities. Lock them up and they just hang out and learn from other criminals. Who would you rather live in your community.
The point of this whole clusterfuck is for the $375,000 no bid contract. They couldn’t give two shits about youth at risk. Democrats moto, cause a problem, then wait for payday.
So we can’t stand our ground and protect ourselves and The state won’t punish the offenders .
Then the offender calls up the state and red flags our guns .
Maine is REALLY FUKED UP …..Isn’t it !
WTF happened to my state ?
i dont think this is intended for white people…
i mean right people
Oh yeah, this will work. Uhmm….if you want more black criminals in Maine it definitely will work. Nothing like not prosecuting repeat losers to encourage more of ‘em to come here. I don’t think the Cumberland County DA prosecutes anyone of color under 25 now. The businesses are complaining, the residents are complaining, tourism is down, most of us avoid Portland. Yet our “government officials” only hear the liberal out of state losers who came here after ruining thier state. Another mess that most blue states know that doesn’t work. Los Angeles removed Gascon for this very reason. Does our governor not get f’n cable?