tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post5298773881559859165..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Pretrial mediation bill implements restorative justice conceptsGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-39960311453506312442009-03-17T22:35:00.000-05:002009-03-17T22:35:00.000-05:00Anything that diverts first offender juveniles fro...Anything that diverts first offender juveniles from our justice system is great idea.<BR/><BR/>Kids involved in minor things don't need to be exposed to some of these "gangstas" that trump charges, plea bargain with co-defendants for testimony, etc., etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-63366389523401463822009-03-17T16:49:00.000-05:002009-03-17T16:49:00.000-05:00Harris County used to have a juvie mediationj prog...Harris County used to have a juvie mediationj program, but it was scrapped under Rosenthal and despite suggestions the current regime hasn't changed enough to get it going again. <BR/><BR/>It was dfone without a PO even present, and took no time or money to implement. It was 100% volunteer and DRC driven, which was already funded through the county and bar.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-52201020918277405802009-03-17T13:17:00.000-05:002009-03-17T13:17:00.000-05:00I first heard about restorative justice over 10 ye...I first heard about restorative justice over 10 years ago when I took part in a victim-offender mediation class offered by (believe it or not) TDCJ. It has tremendous potential not only to give some real help to victims, but also to help change the lives of offenders. I would love to implement this in our adult probation department. Unfortunately, there would be two drawbacks. First, this is a very time-intensive process, and we don't have a lot of extra staff time to do it. Second, you would have to get the DA's office to buy into it, and many of them would see it as too soft. We have a pre-trial drug court, but it has only half the number of participants as other counties that are smaller than we are because the DA's office is so restrictive on allowing people in.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com