The Kingsburg Community Justice Conference (KCJC) is a community-based program of the Kingsburg Police Department and New Path Center in Kingsburg, California. This program provides an alternative process to address the needs of juvenile offenders and their victims which may not be met by the traditional justice system as we seek to build a healthy community.
At each KCJC, people from the community come together: juvenile offenders, victims, family members, faith leaders, law enforcement, city officials, local business owners and other concerned citizens. Our goal is to dialogue about difficult issues in an atmosphere of respect and concern for everyone involved: how the community was affected, how to repair the harm, and how to create a better future for all those involved.
In essence, KCJC implements a very old idea – we gather as a community to solve problems, and support and connect with one another. We acknowledge that we all need help at times, and in helping others we help ourselves at the same time.
The following is a brief overview of some essentials of the KCJC process:
• Participation is voluntary
• Respect and equality offered to all
• Recognition of shared values
• Willingness to speak truthfully
• Commitment to confidentiality
• Opportunity for everyone to be heard
• Willingness to honor all stories
• Decisions based on consensus
• Dialogue guided by a trained facilitator
In summary, KCJC works to reduce youth violence and increase the connectivity of the community. The Model Programs Guide of the OJJDP states: Teaching conflict resolution and problem solving skills has been shown to be effective in reducing overall aggression and violent behavior. KCJC literally puts this guideline into practice in a real-world classroom approach as we seek to build a healthy community for all of our citizens.
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