The antepenultimate one

Another piece of work that I am involved at CDR that I have yet to mention is the Theft Impact Class (TIP). TIP is mandatory for juveniles participating in the RPC process that have been caught stealing. The aim of the class, in line with RJ principle, is to hold the offenders accountable while providing them support to help in their transformation. So far I have been involved in two sessions, and have one scheduled for this month. The class provides an opportunity for juveniles to learn why stealing is not as good or 'fun' as it seem from the offset. The message seems apparent, but it is truly surprising how quite a few juveniles do not have a full picture of the extent of their action and its effect on those who are affected by it. There is a cap of the amount that was stolen to be considered for the RPC, but the amount notwithstanding the main focus is to show the children that stealing in general, and no matter the amount, or if there are no apparent "victims" is wrong in itself. The class helps juveniles understand empathy, seeing the ripple effect their action has on individuals and their communities, and also serves as a reminder of the repercussion of stealing. Getting and maintaining the attention of middle and high-schoolers for two hours is quite a feat, but I would like to believe by the end of the lesson the juveniles gained some new insight.

Last week I also attended a mediation session, as a observer, between teachers, janitors, students and parents at Shashta Middle School, where a case was being conducted regarding some students vandalising a classroom and school property. Witnessing raw emotions where everyone put forth how they were affected by the incident and then coming together to formulate ways to make up to the community and school-members that were affected was a great experiencing seeing the efficacy of victim-offender dialogue process.