Combining SUPPORT and ACCOUNTABILITY
in a way that leads youth
to take positive responsibility.
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Are you 14 to 18 years old?
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Do you live in Rusk County?
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Want to learn about justice processes and conflict resolution?
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Are you willing to do some volunteering as community service?
YES x’s 4?
If you answered ’yes’ to all four questions, then you can join a team of volunteers who run the Rusk Restorative Teen Court.
For more information, contact Rick Lewallen, 715-532-2239.
In May of 2011, the Rusk Restorative Teen Court started as a pilot program coordinated by BCRJP, and run by coordinator Rick Lewallen. It operates through a three-way partnership between:
- The Rusk Restorative Teen Court Task Force
- Rusk County Department of Health and Human Services
- Barron County Restorative Justice Programs
The mission of the Rusk Restorative Teen Court is to help youth offenders restore their relationships with the community through alternative methods of processing minor youth offenses and violations. This evidence-based, peer-jury model has been proven to be successful in helping youth offenders learn how their actions have affected others, and thereby taking greater responsibility to make amends and not repeat negative behaviors.
The Rusk program is based on the same framework of BCRJP’s Restorative Teen Court, and all the links in the side bar will provide additional information.
Referrals can come from:
- Schools
- Police
- Sheriff
- Human Services
- Courts
To download the referral form for Rusk Restorative Teen Court, contact Rick Lewallen. Any potential case can be queried with Rick to see if it is appropriate for a restorative resolution process.
Cases with victim parties can be referred, and after initial intake meetings, options for post-teen court conferencing can be discussed with victims.
