Report on RJI in Schools
Mr. Benjamin E. Farish
First of all, I am willing to be at docket call at 3:00. I can stay as
long as needed.
Next, I have a report on RJ in CC schools. Randy and I went to meet
with the teachers and administrators at the elementary school in Comal
County. They are ready and eager to start implementing RJ in their
classes. We will begin with preventative circles in three 5th grade
classes twice a week. The chosen teachers will be emailing me shortly
with the times most suitable for them. These times will likely be in
the mornings to maximize the impact on the children's behavior
throughout the rest of the day.
I sent out an email earlier to see who might be interested. I know
that Amy, Mary, and Susan have an interest in working within schools.
Randy and I are planning to meet on campus this Friday (9/12/08) at
11:00 to talk about the program with volunteers for this project and
distribute some material to begin looking over. As of now, we need 4
volunteers.
However, there were at least 15 4th and 5th grade teachers ready to
start circles in their classrooms. There was also a representative
from a high school there who wants to start RJ programs in his school
to work on substance abuse among students. With 2 volunteers per class
this can be a very large program in the near future, depending on how
many of us will commit to it.
The idea is that we stay in one class for 3-4 weeks and then the
teacher takes over the circle. That way the school can implement RJ as
its school wide policy. So, now we need our members to step up and
become facilitators for these kids. If you are going to practice in
the areas of juvenile justice, education law, or really any area
involving inter-personal conflict and you are willing to volunteer a
couple of hours twice a week then get in touch with me. You can email
me, stop me on campus or call me (252) 382-0469. I will be happy to
talk with you more about this particular RJ opportunity.
Thanks,
Ben
Randy L. Langford wrote:
>I have clinic class at 3:00 on Thursday but I'm happy to help set up.
Just
> let me know. Also, I can meet on Fridays. We really need a good
turnout
> to help at Docket Call. I hope folks will find a few minutes in their
busy
> schedules to work the table and answer questions about RJI and
restorative
> justice in general. Our organization is only as strong as the efforts
of
> our membership. I know we all want RJI to grow and continue to
advance the
> cause of justice at St. Mary's and our community. We have a strong new
> leadership and I'm looking forward to working with you all.
>
> See you on Thursday.
>
> Your friend,
> Randy L. Langford
> 2009 Juris Doctor Candidate
> Member, St. Mary's School of Law Restorative Justice Initiative
> Protecting the Lord's children who have fallen short of perfection
from the
> wrath of those who believe they have attained it - Stuart Kinard
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> _____
> From: Mark Laneman [mailto:mlan...@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 1:26 PM
> To: leade...@stmarytxrji.org
> Subject: Docket Call, etc.
>
> If anyone wants to work the RJI table at Docket Call with me, please
let
> me know. The hours are 4-7 this Thursday. For everyone who is doing
BTL or
> has clinic conflicts, don't worry about because I know y'all can't
make it.
>
> Also, I think it would be a good idea to have a regular time to get
> together for lunch. For now, how does everyone feel about meeting at
the
> student center at 12:30PM on Fridays?
>
> Mark
>
Mr. Benjamin E. Farish
Randy L. Langford
Hi All,
I know sometimes the tasks before us seem daunting and overwhelming, so I thought I would share with you all a bit of good news and encouragement. Please see the email below from Ben Farish, a student member of the St. Mary’s School of Law Restorative Justice Initiative (RJI). Ben was one of the students who traveled to Marquette Law School this past summer to learn from their restorative justice program. He came back (as did, I believe, all those who went) with a renewed enthusiasm for RJ and equipped with new knowledge that he hoped would allow RJI to expand the application of RJ into areas of community justice. Well, as you will see from Ben’s message, that has happened very quickly and in a very dramatic fashion.
Last Friday I attended a banquet honoring the Barrios family at Z Place – a local community outreach organization in San Antonio. For those of you who are not familiar with the Barrios family story it is one of tragedy and triumph. A few months ago the family matriarch was brutally murdered. Her story of meager beginnings in the restaurant business that resulted in iconic status in San Antonio today made the news of her death even more dramatic. The connection to this horrible event and RJ is that her family came forward almost immediately after the arrest of the alleged killer and offered him their forgiveness as well as their willingness to pay his lawyer’s fees for his defense. Their actions epitomize the spirit of restoration that we all espouse and are working to promote. I believe the example of the Barrios family and of the opportunities that have been presented to the St. Mary’s RJI are evidence that people are hungry for a different/better way of dealing with harms and offenses. They seem to be open to a system of justice that results in healing and peace rather than retribution and hatred. I hope you are as heartened by these events as I am.
I want to thank each of you for the work you are doing to bring restorative justice to our communities. Keep up the good work.
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