Upcoming Webinars and Trainings

Panelists will reflect on how addressing youth behavior through processes that center values, strengths, and goals prior to sharing concerns create a different level of engagement and dignity compared to more traditional probation practices. This positive engagement also creates tailored accountability plans by specifically building on youth strengths and goals as a way to address concerns and make right any harm caused. Panel members will discuss how experiences of the Youth Restorative Justice Disposition Program (YRJDP) affirm research demonstrating adolescents are inherently relational- their behavioral, developmental, and social-emotional wellness and growth are deeply impacted by the quality of their relationships, opportunities, and context. 

Presenters:

• Cynthia Prosek has over 20 years of restorative justice practice. As Executive Director of Restorative Justice Community Action (RJCA), Cynthia leads a trajectory of growth, expanding services and deepening community engagement in restorative justice practices.  She draws on the knowledge and wisdom of the community, collaborating with a network of volunteers, leaders, and agencies for of a strong, vibrant, and diverse Twin Cities community. Cynthia promotes and helps to implement new programming from a lens of race equity as the means to transform the criminal legal system and redefine public safety as rooted in the community.
• Dr. Talaya L. Tolefree is the Founder and CEO of Koinonia Leadership Academy, LLC where she uses her Indigenous Restorative Practices Engagement Circle Framework (Tolefree 2015) to provide leadership development and restorative practices consulting, coaching, implementation, and training to schools, legal systems, nonprofits, and faith-based communities. Dr. Tolefree is a Restorative Practices researcher and is involved in a number of Restorative PRactices initiatives focusing on healing, social, racial, and educational justice, and youth development.
• Beau RaRa (they/them/theirs) is a poet, lawyer, and restorative practitioner who believes in the power of relationships to transform society. Equal parts learner and educator, Beau believes that youth are the experts of their own lives. Beau spent their first two years as a lawyer at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and the Disability Law Center representing unhoused youth and youth with disabilities on cases ranging from eviction to emancipation to disability-related proceedings in schools or related to county benefits. As an advocate for systems changes, Beau could not be more thrilled about their role as Youth Restorative Justice Initiative Lead at the Legal Rights Center. They partner with restorative practitioners, systems
  stakeholders, and researchers to expand restorative options for youth in the legal system with the accountability of all involved to racially equitable outcomes.
• Alyssa Benson is a clinically trained social worker, working as a Corrections Program Manager at Hennepin County Juvenile Probation. She oversees the front-end work of Juvenile Probation including the oversight of a vast array of community-based services. As part of this work, she had the privilege of implementing Restorative Practices in Juvenile Probation. This process gives youth and families an opportunity to advocate for themselves and feel that they are a part of the solution.  Alyssa has been working in corrections for the last 17 years serving adults and youth involved in probation.

To register for this webinar click here.