Nashville Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway is ready to do just about anything to change public opinion about the justice system and youth restorative justice programs.

Calloway, who oversees Davidson County’s juvenile court, is a skilled communicator, and the rare judge to publicly share her perspective while on the bench. Among her efforts are appearances at the celebrated Moth Radio Hour and a TedX event, where she serenaded an appreciative crowd with a few lines from Prince’s 1984 “Purple Rain” anthem.

“I never meant to cause you any sorrow,” an expressive Calloway crooned in 2017, emphasizing how little space youth who’ve committed crimes are afforded to seek forgiveness and to heal.

Following a career as a public defender, Calloway, 55, has spent two decades in the juvenile justice system, first as magistrate and, for the last decade, as the head of Davidson County’s juvenile delinquency court. During her 2014 election, Calloway ran on a platform that included a restorative justice diversion program for teenagers arrested by police that allowed them to avoid felony charges and jail time.

Under the model that exists today, teenagers must successfully complete a rigorous, months-long program that includes the completion of counseling and other services, as well facing their victims and repairing the harms of their actions.

According to a recent report by The Sentencing Project, nearly half of all states now use juvenile diversion programs as an alternative to arrest or prosecution. But unlike models that only focus on smaller, misdemeanor crimes, the Davidson County program allows some youth who’ve committed serious and violent offenses to participate. A partnership between Calloway’s juvenile court, the district attorney, law enforcement, the public defender and nonprofit Raphah Institute, the restorative justice diversion program handles youth charged with felonies such as aggravated burglary, felony theft, vehicle theft, and robbery.

Early returns show promise. From 2017 to 2019, just 4% of youth who completed the restorative justice program were subsequently convicted of another crime. By contrast, a report this year by the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services found that Davidson County had a juvenile recidivism rate of roughly 23%. In a survey after the program was completed, 80% of the victims who participated expressed satisfaction with the process and the outcomes, while 20% rated their experience as neutral.

But implementing restorative justice instead of court for offenses that cause harm to victims can sometimes be a tough sell, even in a liberal city such as Nashville. Calloway is using her talents as a communicator and a belief in transparency to open up awareness of juvenile court practices — including diversion — to the wider public.

Earlier this year, the six-part HBO documentary series “Justice, USA” featured one of her cases. In March 2021, a 13-year-old joyriding in a Dodge Dart collided with David Cheatham’s car, killing the 71-year-old father and husband. In the final episode, filmmakers showed what happens in a restorative justice circle as Cheatham’s family grapples with his death and the boy’s future.

Read the full article about youth restorative justice programs by Jeremy Loudenback at The Imprint.