Alaska
Serves the 4th Judicial District boroughs Bethel, Denali, Fairbanks North Star, Southeast Fairbanks, Wade-Hampton and Yukon-Koyukuk
In Alaska, tribal communities have long used a restorative or peacemaking approach for resolving disputes and addressing problem behavior in their villages. Restorative justice programs allow community members to respond collectively and repair harm caused by a crime. This is done by discussing what happened, the crime's aftermath, and its implications for the future and then arriving at a consensus for an appropriate consequence for the offender.
The Alaska court system issued the Statewide Restorative Justice Procedures in Criminal Proceedings to provide consistent guidance across the state. The Alaska court system promotes this process through outreach, civic education, training on restorative justice practices, and technical assistance for tribal courts, tribal leaders, local organizations, and community members to implement a restorative justice program in their community.
The goals of the initiative are to:
- promote local restorative justice practices,
- increase collaboration between rural district courts, local tribal courts, and the Alaska Court System, and
- provide an opportunity for communities to collectively respond to harm caused by a crime in a way that honors the local culture and tradition.
A study is underway with the University of Alaska to measure the outcomes of the Fairbanks Community Restorative Justice Program to determine its impact on recidivism.