What is Restorative Justice?

BYC uses restorative justice as a way to constructively adjudicate a case. In our cases, we form a restorative justice circle in order for everyone who is a part of the case to discuss what happened. We cover the harms that were caused and address the needs of the respondent, so that they can learn from their mistake and give back to their community. 

This circle is unique to BYC because it a way for the cases to be heard from all sides of the story. Everyone involved in the case, including expert witnesses, parents, friends (if affected by the case) is invited to participate. This discussion leads to a disposition. A disposition is the action that the respondent is responsible for in order to repair the harm that was caused by their infraction. In lieu of having their infraction on record, restorative justice allows an avenue for the respondent to contribute to their impacted community.