House Judiciary Committee Endorses Congressman Cohen's Restorative Justice Program

“Too often, we rely on harsh punishments, like incarceration, which prove to be expensive and counter-productive in many cases, especially when applied to non-violent youth offenders,” Congressman Cohen said. “Some time ago, someone took an axe to a number of trees in my neighborhood, and after a little detective work, the young offender was apprehended. Rather than put him through the criminal justice system, the offender was offered a chance at restitution and had to plant new trees and care for them for one year.”

“Because of this use of restorative justice the young offender had an opportunity to get back on the right path, rather than be labeled as a criminal and possibly putting him on the path to a life of crime. While not appropriate in all cases, this approach can be a useful tool in the arsenal of law enforcement and community leaders,” Congressman Cohen said.

Restorative justice is a juvenile justice policy that focuses on offenders taking responsibility for their actions and creating a plan for restitution.

The process holds juvenile offenders accountable to their victims and their communities, and helps them understand the impact of their actions. It establishes a non-adversarial process that brings together offenders, their victims, and other interested parties to ask three major questions:

• What is the nature of the harm resulting from the crime?
• How should this harm be repaired?
• And who is responsible for the repair?

Congressman Cohen’s restorative justice proposal was included in the manager’s amendment to H.R. 1064, the Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education (PROMISE) Act, which passed the House Judiciary Committee today. Communities interested in creating a restorative justice program would be eligible for funding through the Gang Prevention Grants that are contained in the bill.

“The Youth PROMISE Act moves juvenile justice and crime prevention policy in a very positive direction, especially through its focus on community involvement,” Congressman Cohen said. “Restorative justice should to be one option available to those who apply for grants under the legislation.”

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Steven Broderick
Communications Director
Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9)
1005 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Direct: 202-226-7916
Main: 202-225-3265
steven.broderick@mail.house.gov