Spring13AtLourdes

It was so successful that
at the end of its first year
in practice, there were
71% fewer young people
in the New Zealand
court system than in the
previous year.
In Toledo, RJ is picking
up steam as well. In 2009,
Mercy St. Vincent Medical
Center hired Karen
Rogalski to revitalize
the Toledo Old Towne
neighborhood it’s called
home since 1855. Known
today as the Cherry
Street Legacy Project,
Mercy’s initiative has
grown to include the
collaborative efforts of
6 AtLourdes MAgAzine | Spring 2013
fewer juveniles incarcerated
community residents,
local businesses, law
enforcement, religious
organizations and the
block watch in rebuilding
the neighborhood so it
can thrive again.
One of the Cherry Street
Legacy Project’s primary
features is the use of RJ in
addressing juvenile crime
in the neighborhood.
Karen worked with Gina
Paris (‘06, BA, Criminal
Justice, Sociology),
Instructor of Sociology &
Justice Studies (Lourdes)
and Morris Jenkins,
PhD, JD, Chair of the
Department of Criminal
Justice and Social Work
(UT) to train more than
two dozen community
members in employing
the RJ technique in their
neighborhood in the
instance of a juvenile
crime. In order to further
promote the use of this
technique, Karen also
worked directly with the
juvenile court system,
which now recommends
RJ as a formal option
over jail or detention
time.
“The Cherry Street
Legacy Project is one of
few circles dealing with
juvenile crime before it
goes into judicial court
systems in our region,”
shares Gina. “The results
have been positive
and there has been a
reduction in recidivism.
But also, as a process it is
reconnecting the people
of this community,
and giving them the
power to make their
neighborhood a better
place.”
That is ultimately the
goal of Restorative
Justice – to “restore”
everyone and make
them whole again – and
to do it in a way that
values the individual
and the community.
“This is a good concept,
a concept that can
work if we are willing
to do it and put the
proper resources into it,”
expresses Dr. Lanigan.
“Here in Toledo and at
Lourdes, we will start
by hosting the national
conference in June, so
that everyone has a
chance to learn more
about it! From there, the
sky is the limit.” U