RJOYs is intervening both systemically and in direct service theoughout the Bay Area to interrupt broken systems of justice and incarceration.
Our grant this year supports in two ways: half provides money for “circles” which are the main tool of restorative justice. When harm is committed (from assault to rape to murder) community members are gathered, often with the perpetrator, to find paths to healing and eventual reintegration. When youth are released from jail, these circles have been shown to reduce recidivism by more than half.
One thing we love about RJOY is their use of indigenous African wisdom and culture. Often this helps young people who have known nothing but punishment and bureaucracy to connect with their own roots and a sense of purpose beyond violence.
The second part of our gift goes to support their Restorative Cities project. Working closely with Oakland’s mayor they are trying to make the city the first “restorative city” in America. That means RJ would become the norm in schools, in the DAs office and in Juvenile Hall. Their work has already gotten Oakland’s school system to invest $3m annually in RJ programs. This has sharply decreased suspension and expulsion, two key predictors of future incarceration.
