'Heart of Safety' Is First Ever Juvenile Restorative Justice Diversion Program in VA County

Date:  02-26-2022 Restorative Arlington is also looking to create a referral pathway to allow schools to directly refer students to Heart of Safety in an effort to close the school-to-prison-pipeline

From Restorative Arlington FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PARISA DEHGHANI-TAFTI cwa_info@arlingtonva.us KIMIKO LIGHTY klighty@arlingtonva.us February 22, 2022 ARLINGTON COUNTY ESTABLISHES “HEART OF SAFETY”, ITS FIRST EVER RESTORATIVE JUSTICE JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAM ARLINGTON, VA – Restorative Arlington, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney (OCA), and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Services Unit (CSU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing Heart of Safety, Arlington County’s first restorative justice diversion program for youth and young adults. Heart of Safety is aimed at promoting safety, healing, and accountability. Through the Heart of Safety program, both persons harmed and persons responsible for harm in Arlington and the City of Falls Church will be able to participate in a process that centers their needs, addresses accountability, and offers both individual and community healing. Heart of Safety will provide an alternative option to prosecution in certain misdemeanor and felony cases in which both the respondent(s) and person(s) harmed voluntarily agree to resolve the case through the restorative justice conferencing process (RJCP). The respondent(s), or the individual who caused harm, must be 26 years old or under at the time of the incident. “Heart of Safety embodies the priorities and interests of our community and is in full alignment with best practices in restorative justice diversion,” said Kimiko Lighty, Executive Director of Restorative Arlington. “We are grateful to be able to offer this long-awaited option for people who have been harmed in our community. Continue reading >>>