Healing Harms - Restorative Youth Diversion

Healing Harms offers a Restorative Justice Youth Diversion program created as an alternative to the juvenile justice system for youth 17 and under that have been charged with a crime and those who were harmed by that action.

Our program provides youth with intensive case management over multiple sessions, supporting them in reaching several key goals: building an understanding of the reasons for their harmful actions, exploring any potential impact their actions had on others, planning for future success, and practicing accountability to the people they harmed. This multistep process culminates in a dialogue, circle, or family discussion where the youth responsible for causing harm meets with anyone negatively impacted by their actions in order to take accountability and make the situation as right as possible.

Restorative Diversion Success: Noelia’s Story

What is Restorative Justice (RJ)?

CCEJ uses an indigenous practice rooted in Maori culture known in the U.S.A. as Restorative Justice Circles. Circle is a dialogue process used to create shared understanding and reach accountability. Restorative Justice (RJ) gives those in conflict an opportunity to take responsibility for the harm they caused and a chance to make the situation as right as possible for those they have impacted.

Healing Harms defines Restorative Justice as a way of being and interacting with each other that centers relationships, acknowledges power dynamics, promotes personal and collective accountability and requires the entire community to be invested.

Healing Harms uses Restorative Justice practices to support community members in accepting accountability and finding healing in response to conflict. Healing Harms brings together the people who are responsible and those who are impacted to address the harm caused and create agreements to build meaningful justice.

Check out this video from Brave New Films - Restorative Justice: Why Do We Need it?

What is Restorative Youth Diversion (RYD)?

CCEJ facilitates Restorative Justice circles and dialogues as an alternative to involvement in the criminal-legal system for youth who are confronting a legal charge.

CCEJ partners with a wide range of referring legal agencies including police departments and district attorney offices. CCEJ offers Restorative Youth Diversion services within Los Angeles county including:

  • Manhattan Beach

  • Redondo Beach

  • San Pedro

  • South Los Angeles

  • Wilmington

  • Avalon

  • Compton

  • East Los Angeles

  • Lomita

  • Long Beach

These services are partially supported by the Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development.

For more information on Restorative Youth Diversion, please contact April Van Ligten at avanligten@cacej.org or (562) 435-8184 ext. 121

Reach out!

Need to refer a case? Curious to learn more about our youth diversion work?

Contact the Healing Harms team!