SALINA – Young offenders who commit a non-violent crime as a first brush with the criminal court system have a path forward that is showing promise at preventing future crimes.

Volunteers with the Salina Initiative for Restorative Justice had a 94 percent success rate for completion of victim-offender mediation and dismissal of formal charges in cases they were referred. Recidivism rates are being tracked.

Restorative justice views crime as a violation of the victim and of the community as a whole, not just a violation of state law by a young person.  Agreements reached during the process often include community service as a form of reparation by the offending youth.

Grant funding helped pay for mediator training and stipends for their service.