Community Court Volunteer

About

• The Restorative Justice Community Court (RJCC) is the first court of its kind in Cook County to adopt peace circles as the resolution process for criminal cases for adults. Avondale is the second location.
• Restorative justice empowers the community to create solutions to repair the harm caused by crime and conflict.
• For every case, the RJCC brings together the person charged, the person harmed, and the community members in a confidential conversation in a peace circle.

We currently work with participants from Avondale, Logan Square, Portage Park, Hermosa and Belmont Cragin, Montclair, Galewood, Old Irving Park, and Irving Park.

Come join us and help restore peace in your community by becoming a community court volunteer!
Currently, we are only taking volunteers from a select group of zip codes:
60618
60639
60647
60641
60634
60630
60641
60707
60644

Skills

• Advocacy
• Conflict Resolution
• Critical Thinking
• People Skills
• Problem Solving
• Relationship Building

Requirements

• Time Commitment:Each case may take 3-6 weeks to complete repair of harm agreement but we meet once a week unless scheduled otherwise.
• Other Requirements:Be open and honest. Listen from the heart and speak from the heart.
• Minimum Age:21

About the Organization

The purpose of the circle process is to ultimately reach an agreement between the participant and members of the community called a Repair of Harm Agreement, in which the participant agrees to complete certain tasks, such as perform community service, write a letter of reflect to a loved one, undergo substance abuse treatment, and other tasks. If the participant successfully completes all the tasks set out in the agreement, his or her case will be dismissed, the offense expunged, and the participant will be invited to attend a graduation ceremony celebrating this milestone in his or her life.

Scientific research has shown that the brains of young adults are still emerging, and that the portion of the brain responsible for good judgment isn’t fully developed until the age of 26. Restorative Justice Community Courts give young adults a second chance to keep their records clean and get their lives back on track.

For additional information, please contact Larry Barrett (Circle Keeper - Office of the Chief Judge), larry.barrett@cookcountyil.gov