Peter will explain what restorative justice is, what the roots are, why it is used, the breadth of applications, and how it works for youth crime. A short role play demonstration will follow.

Peter Meleney, a member of our congregation, is on the Executive Committee of the MV Mediation Program. With the encouragement of several members of UUSMV, he and others have formed the MV Restorative Justice Initiative. They have been working for more than a year to bring Restorative Justice to MV for youth crime through a pilot partnership with the Oak Bluffs Police Department. Last spring, they held a training for facilitators of the process, which included several members of our congregation. Last month, they finally received approval from the District Attorney’s office to move ahead with the program, and are currently working out the details.