Tag: restorative justice
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SRO task force meeting gets a little testy
Representatives from the Harrisonburg Police Department provided their perspective Wednesday night to the Harrisonburg City Public Schools’ task force that’s evaluating the role of school resource officers and were met with a mixture of appreciation, skepticism, support — and some pushback.
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School resource officers are under scrutiny. Here’s how Harrisonburg’s program works.
As communities across the nation began more closely scrutinizing their police departments last year, so too is the city school district reevaluating Harrisonburg’s SROs – whether they should stay in the schools and, if so, what their roles and responsibilities should be. The officers — and data regarding incidents at schools — offer a glimpse into how Harrisonburg’s program operates.
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Democratic council candidates carve out slight differences over approaches toward housing, JMU and the golf course’s fate
The candidates seeking the Democratic nominations for this fall’s city council election signaled a general agreement on big-picture issues, such as supporting education and working to encourage affordable housing, although they each sought to differentiate themselves over how they’d prioritize certain approaches.
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One month into new role, criminal justice planner finds ways to affect change — even amid a pandemic
A reverence for comprehensive data, a belief in transformational justice over punishment and a willingness to listen to area stakeholders before taking action are all in J. Frank Sottaceti’s toolbelt as he steps into the newly-created role of Criminal Justice Planner for the city of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.
Stories of hope, gratitude, tributes, sustainability and homelessness in Hburg dominated in 2019
The waning days of the year offer an opportunity for reflection — a quick check of what happened in the previous 12 months and how the community changed for better or worse. Of all the stories The Citizen published in 2019, these were the most shared, read and buzzed-about of the year.
‘More accountability than I’ve ever seen in a court.’ How restorative justice is embedded in the Harrisonburg Police Department
On a bright fall afternoon, Officer Jason Hensley was on patrol, riding through Harrisonburg in an unmarked cruiser with a trainee officer at the wheel. Hensley had rolled down the passenger side window to take in the cool breeze and casually draped his arm against the outside of the door. The car had just passed a wooded area when Hensley heard a sharp crack.
City’s groundbreaking restorative justice program offers second chances and accountability as alternative to criminal charges
Pierre Mbala and two friends were headed to get pizza on an overcast, chilly Thursday in late March, 2018. On the way, they stopped at a convenience store for a soda or maybe some candy, and to taste the freedom that comes with being 17.
From ‘bubble of fear’ to path of hope: Drug court’s effects beginning to be felt in Hburg
The courtroom was chilly as participants in the afternoon hearing on a recent Thursday trickled in. Some were alone, others entered with partners and family members. But this wasn’t like many other court proceedings, marked by tension and conflict.
