2016 -- H 8198

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LC005913

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY RESTORATIVE

PRACTICES/RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

     Introduced By: Representatives Barros, Maldonado, Regunberg, Amore, and Fogarty

     Date Introduced: May 11, 2016

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     WHEREAS, Growing bodies of national and international research show that using

punishment as the response to misbehavior, minor or serious, has long-term negative effects on

the victim, offender and their community; and

     WHEREAS, Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice (RP/RJ) have been shown to

be highly effective at building relationships, managing conflict and repairing harm; and

     WHEREAS, By investing in strong, healthy families, schools and communities, RJ/RP

both reduces social services costs and improves the quality of the workforce; and

     WHEREAS, The practices lower the need to use adversarial, expensive judicial systems

by focusing resources on preventative efforts that take place in the community itself, where the

problem(s) first began to take root; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created

consisting of seventeen (17) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island

House of Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by

the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a member of a local Police Department, to be

appointed by the Speaker; one of whom shall be the Superintendent of the Rhode Island State

Police, or designee; one of whom shall be a member of the Rhode Island Youth Diversionary

Program (YDP), to be appointed by the Speaker; one of whom shall be a member of the staff of

the Department of Children, Youth and Families/Juvenile Correctional Services, with training in

RP/RJ, to be appointed by the Speaker; one of whom shall be a mental health advocate, to be

appointed by the speaker; one of whom shall be a member of Family Services of Rhode Island, to

be appointed by the Speaker; one of whom shall be the Director of RI ACLU, or designee; one of

whom shall be the President of the Providence NAACP, or designee; one of whom shall be the

Director of the Latino Policy Institute, or designee; one of whom shall be the Policy Director of

HousingWorks RI, or designee; one of whom shall be the Executive Director of the National

Conference on Community Justice, or designee; one of whom shall be a doctor specializing in

Adolescent Medicine, to be appointed by the Speaker; one of whom shall be the Director of the

Youth Restoration Project, or designees, and one of whom shall be a member with restorative

experience, to be appointed by the Speaker.

     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory

commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly

resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu

of a legislator, provided that the Majority Leader or the Minority Leader of the political party

which is entitled to the appointment, consents to the member of the general public.

     The purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study and provide

recommendations to:

     1. Raise awareness in the Legislature, with local organizations, and in the general public

about the power of Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice;

     2. Raise the visibility of RP/RJ and map out what restorative strategies would benefit the

state, and why;

     3. Monetize both the costs of starting up restorative strategies as well as the potential

savings; and

     4. Make recommendations to fully utilize existing restorative efforts and build

collaborations, in order to reduce justice recidivism and other recurring juvenile behavioral

problems.

     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select a chairperson.

     Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

     All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information,

documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or

desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

     The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters

for said commission; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

House of Representatives no later than February 1, 2017, and said commission shall expire on

March 1, 2017.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY RESTORATIVE

PRACTICES/RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

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     This resolution would create a seventeen (17) member special legislative study

commission whose purpose it would be to study and make recommendations on restorative

practices/restorative justice in the state, and who would report back to the House no later than

February 1, 2017, and whose life would expire on March 1, 2017.

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