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Message RESTORATIVECOMMUNITYPATHWAYS 2024A YEAR IN REVIEW
The research on adolescent development clearly shows how incarceration hassevere consequences for a young person's life, only worsening the harm thatalready occurred. We began this year with the news of our county’s brokenpromise to end youth incarceration by 2025. Throughout this challenging year,arrests and prosecution rose significantly to create dangerous, overcrowdedsituations for youth held in confinement facilities. Amidst this crisis, RestorativeCommunity Pathways (RCP) has never been more proud of the youth whoovercome the obstacles in their way and who find healing in their community.RCP holds a strong conviction that youth deserve clear plans from our leadersand deeper investments in restorative alternatives to incarceration. As acommunity, we cannot afford to wait.We know that restorative justice works because it begins with a deep belief inthe value and potential of young people. At RCP, we never remove a youngperson from their community—we witness on a daily basis how healing canhappen between a harmed person and a youth when we take the time torepair.The research on adolescent development clearly shows how incarceration hassevere consequences in the life of the youth that only exacerbate the harmpresent. The opposite of incarceration is networks of care and restoration.Beyond science, each one of us can understand this concept on a human levelfrom our own experiences—how our darkest moments and biggest mistakesare so much easier to get through when someone in our life cares enough toshow up for us. We hope that you will read this report and gain strength to carry on ourcollective fight for a future where restoration is the norm for every youth in ourcommunity. In community,RCP StaffDEAR FRIENDS
RCP is a consortium of organizations. Members include: CongoleseIntegration Network, Choose180, Creative Justice, Collective Justice, PacificIslander Community Association, and East African Community Services.GRATEFUL TO OPERATE AS A CONSORTIUM
In November 2021 we launched faster thanexpected—referrals were coming in from abacklog during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ifwe wanted to respond to the need, we had toact immediately. This fast start meant we wereoften at the center of contentious politicaldiscussion. While we were fortunate to receiveunanimous funding support from the KingCounty Council, we did not take the time earlyon to clearly define our processes or establishshared expectations within our community andnetwork of care. This gap created challenges wehave reckoned with around cohesion, collectiveprocesses, and managing the complexity ofcommunity relationships. Since then, we havecompleted two audits and an externalevaluation, and we are evolving with thechanges and improvements identified throughthese critical reflections. As we continue toevolve, we are committed to building a strongerfoundation and serving more young people whoneed support. We emerged from decades ofcommunity resistance to youthincarceration in King County.When the county announcedplans for a new youth jail in 2011,Black, Indigenous, and Browncommunities led bold, sustainedefforts to demand alternatives.While the jail was built, thismovement sparked change. Inresponse, King County invested$6.9 million into RCP—acommunity-designed alternativeto prosecution, created by youth,families, and grassrootsorganizations. Today, 40 percentof eligible youth are referred toRCP instead of court, with plans to expand.A challenging start Our historyLooking Back to move forward Looking back to move forward
As the fundraising and political landscape continues to shift, we recognize the needto adapt with intention and resilience. These changes present real challenges, butalso opportunities to deepen our purpose. It is more important than ever tostrengthen and sustain our network of care—both for our organization, and mostimportantly, for the participants we serve. Moving forward, we are committed toinvesting in relationships, growing our collective capacity, and ensuring this workremains rooted in integrity, equity, and shared responsibility. Some of our processimprovements in 2025 will be:Our hopesImplementing bylaws as a consortium Standardizing community navigator onboarding andprocesses Diversifying funding sources for increased stability and long-term sustainability Strengthening community partnerships, includingcommunity-based organizations, neighboring tribes, schools,and local governments.
Healingopens the doorfor youth todevelopagency. Connectionis formed incommunitieswith a sharedidentity &culture. Youth growand propelfurther to shapebroader socialsystems. I SEE MY FUTURE!GET TO THE ROOTRESTORATIVE JUSTICEHealingVictim heardAccountability1.2.3.4.
...and how it worksComplete needs assessmentCreate self-defined action planConnection in healing circleOpportunity to grow & serve communitybasicneedsconnection needscommunity needshealing needsThe navigator and youthdiscuss what led to theharm in the first place.ADDRESS NEEDSThe navigator offers resources to COMMMUNITY NAVIGATORThe process starts by our participantsmeeting with aA NETWORK OF CARE
At the time when I did what I did, I didn’t carewho I was hurting. I was searching for theadrenalin rush to escape…my big sister hadrecently overdosed, and I was going through alot. Now looking back, I do have a lot of regret formy actions. I know it will take a while but I planto pay back what I owe [to the shop owners Itook from].I got connected to RCP shortly after I got out ofjail. I was getting ready to go back to the samestupid stuff I was doing before but then my momtold me about RCP. When I got connected toJohnny (mentor and community navigator) Ithought I might as well take the opportunity tochange my life around.Ever since I’ve been in the RCP program, I’vebeen noticing I haven’t really been having theproblems that I used to have. I was used tohaving a lot of financial problems—all I was goodat was selling drugs, stealing cars, and takingfrom people… this started when I was 13 and it’sall I knew. I wasn’t good at getting a job. RCP helped me out with a lot of things I couldn’t really do by myself. Johnny gotme a phone, helped get me clothes for the job corps program. He made me a dealthat if I get my GED and my driver’s license that we could go do something special.Right now, I’m in school at Green River College and I just paid off my driver’seducation. If I wasn’t in this program, I’d probably still be doing some stupid stuffand wouldn’t think of going to college or anything.ALLEGED YOUTHConnor’s story
When I think about police, courts, and jail there’s no support there that willhelp young people do better. I’ve had very negative experiences at the handsof the police. In jail, I was fed uncooked meat and had belongings taken fromme. I've had countless other experiences of mistreatment... What I want people to know aboutyoung people like me is that eventhough what we did is bad, at theend of the day we’re still kids. Thiskind of treatment doesn’t help usdo better.Programs like RCP actually listen to us and are there for us. It’s a starkcontrast to [people who work in the legal system] who see me only for thebad thing I did and want me to get as much time locked up as possible. WithJohnny, I can text him that I need gas money to get to school or I need foodand, boom, he will be there the next day with $300 worth of groceries.”“*Names have been changed for privacy purposes
Avoid court altogether - We collaborate with our system partners, KingCounty's Department of Community and Health Services andProsecuting Attorney's Office, to divert youth with misdemeanors intocommunity care, as a PRE-court diversion, before any interaction withthe court systems.Staff with lived experience - We trained and hired 19 communitynavigators housed in six different community organizations to work 1:1with young people and harmed community members. Transparency - We have an external evaluation partner, Impact Justice,supporting us in refining and evaluating our growth and impact. Youth leadership - We create opportunities for young people tobecome leaders and get more deeply involved in restorative justicethrough co-leading circles and serving on hiring committees. Family support - We streamlined a process for families to receivefinancial and crisis support within 24 hrs, thanks to the relationalconnections of our navigators. Support for harmed community members - We are uniquely providingthe same support to harmed community members by addressing theirneeds and providing restitution, so they can move towards healing. 2.4.1.3.5.6.PRE-COURT DIVERSION:Historically, diversion is offered after a youth is detained or has theircase filed in court. RCP is a PRE-court diversion program that allowsyoung people to be reached out to by community and given anopportunity to take responsibility for their actions, outside of a formalcourt system.Young people who go throughthe court legal system are: more likely to drop out ofschoolat increased risk ofhomelessnessmore likely to bearrested again. Our practices
521 of youth andharmed partiesreported that their basic needs were met of youth andharmed partiesreported an increase in connection93% 94%“Having a navigator bymy side, he has beensupportive, and thatright there helpsme change.”2024 of youth saidthey met their goals 82%85% of youth saidthey grew in knowledge skills 83% of youth andharmed parties completedtheir programming participants servedOur impactMariYouth Participant
CENTERING THE HARMEDPARTYDirect Accountability CircleWe facilitate healing andaccountability dialogues betweenharmed parties of RCP and youngpeople who are responsible to theharm, providing a safe space foropen communication and healingto occur.Centering the harmed party requireslistening. Our holistic vision for healinginvolves listening to the person who washarmed, letting them share their hurt,their truth, and what was taken awayfrom them. We don't ignore the rippleeffects on a harmed person—a stolen carcan affect their livelihood, and in turntheir family, their income, and their time.We believe that healing and safety canhappen simultaneously. When we get tothe root causes of why young people arecausing harm, we also address publicsafety concerns. Putting kids in lockedrooms not only harms that young person,but also arrests their development andability to truly take responsibility for their actions.When we meet the needs of boththe harmed party and the youthwho caused the harm, it createsspace for restorative justice towork. As a community, we have theresources to meet the needs of us all.
Arts-BasedHealing CirclesCreative Justice offers a Monday circleplus Wednesday sessions for youth toengage in art-based healing activities.Within the circles, small-groupdiscussions, journaling, mindfulnesspractices, and games draw youngpeople in, allowing for different typesof learning and processing. Healcircles offer a group healing processthat makes space for young people tovulnerably engage and share abouttheir lived experience.Choose 180's YYA Advocacy Programis an opportunity for young peoplewho have been most impacted bythe criminal legal system to engagein PAID advocacy training andopportunities. This program is aspace for young people to buildcommunity and advocate forsystemic change. We meet for twohours a week over Zoom during theschool year and have regular in-person advocacy events andopportunities. No previousexperience is needed.Youth & YoungAdult AdvocacyWeekly FridayNight Circle Friday night youth circle is a safeplace for any and all youth to comeand process anything they aredealing with in their day-to-day life.Topics span everything from schooldynamics, relationships, and familydynamics to gun violence, traumas,interests, and mental or emotionalwellbeing. We strive to support theyouth as they process, and connectthem to whatever their needs may be.Examples include resources forinternships, employment, basic needs,personal interests or academics. Thecircle fosters healthy bonding throughfun activities that most youth don’t haveaccess to.A PREVIEW OF SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS!
Zuri: I was driving through an intersection, and got hit by a young person in acar who ran a red light, and found myself in a major accident. My car wastotaled, and I began experiencing a medical issue as a result that preventedme from driving. I was unable to work for six months. I had a well-paying job, and now, I couldn't even get to work. I was losingeverything. My insurance went up, my car was totaled, and I couldn't affordthe medical bills. I didn’t know what to do. I just wanted to give up.I was then introduced to Restorative Community Pathways. A communitynavigator at the program reached out to me, and offered both financialsupport and a sense of emotional care. I didn’t even know this programexisted. But when I met with them, I felt like I had someone who trulyunderstood what I was going through. They helped me navigate everythingfrom medical appointments to dealing with the insurance and legal stuff. Itwas like therapy for me.But to have someone help you through it, that makes all the difference. Thework done by RCP is vital—not only for people like me but also for the youthinvolved in harm. I see what young people are going through, and I reallybelieve that programs like this offer hope.“”HARMED PARTY *Names have been changed for privacy purposesZuri’s story
RCP didn’t just provide financial help—it also gave me the emotional support I needed.It felt like a lifeline. The community navigator who helped me was there for me inways I hadn’t expected. She didn’t just talk to me about paperwork and logistics, shegenuinely cared about how I was doing. I was lost, and she helped guide me throughthe next steps.One of the most powerful aspects of RCP's approach was its focus on restitution andhealing, not just for the person who was harmed, like myself, but also for thoseresponsible. I got to know a little about the young person who caused this, and theidea of restorative justice really resonated with me. I don’t feel anger or hatred towardthat person. I’m grateful that the program is helping them, too, because I know thatnot everyone has survived the kind of situation young people are in. If this programhelps even one person avoid going down the same path, it’s worth it.I’ve learned that life is unpredictable, and you never know when things might change.But to have someone help you through it, that makes all the difference. The workdone by RCP is vital—not only for people like me but also for the youth involved inharm. I see what young people are going through, and I really believe that programslike this offers hope. It gives us the chance to heal, and it gives young people a chanceto change. I hope this program continues to help others, because it’s been so helpfulto me.RCP helped me when I had nowhere else to turn. It’s so important that peoplecontinue to support RCP because it’s more than just a program—it’s a lifeline forpeople in need. If this programhelps even oneperson avoid goingdown the samepath, it’s worth it.“”
Contract awarded to RCP$4,131,925In 2024 Restorative Community Pathways was funded by King County’s Department ofCommunity and Human Services (DCHS). Each organization received funding for staffand programming. Additionally, navigators worked to distribute the Youth andFamilies Fund to participants to meet basic needs and offer support in areas wherethey experienced harm.RCP - RVC5 Operations 7 Community NavigatorsYouth andFamilies Fund,(includingRestitution)$1,816,639 Choose1802 Community Navigators& Programming$285,627Congolese Integration Network 2 Community Navigators & Programming$321,908East African CommunityServices 4 Community Navigators& Programming$518,797Pacific IslandersAssociation of WA3 Community Navigators & Programming$297,690Creative Justice 1 Community Navigator& Programming$461,133Collective Justice Programming and Training$299,475 Distribution to consortium organizations*Details of each consortium organization can be found on their respective websitesHere is the breakdown of how the contract was distributed to organizations within theconsortium. About 3% of the contract was not distributed to organizations but wasused by DCHS to support RCP.
Staff Wagesand Benefits5 Operations 7 CommunityNavigators $965,384Youth and Families Fund$390,775General Operating Cost $196,489Consultants and Sub Contractors $49,800Impact of the Youth and Families Fund$390,775Our consortium-wide Youthand Families Fund is housedwith Operations at RCP - RVC.Community navigators may usea streamlined process to securefunding for participants' basicneeds or for urgent crisissituations of participatingfamilies and youth. We aim toprovide a network of care thatresponds to the needs of ourcommunity as quicklyas possible—often within 24hours. The fund also providesrestitution to harmedcommunity members.Our fiscal sponsor: RVC Seattle$1,816,639Administrative Cost$214,191As a fiscal sponsor, RVCsupports our back-endoperations, taking careof responsibilitiesincluding legal,insurance, HR, andpayroll. This expense isreflected in theAdministrative Cost. *Final numbers subject to 0.5% variance due to reconciliation.Youth Participation 5%Education/ School Supplies8%Groceries,Health,Wellness,Clothing, HouseholdNeeds34%Rental/Bills37%Transportation10%Therapeutic6%
restorative_community_pathwayscomms@restorativecommunitypathways.orgrestorativecommunitypathways.orgcollectivejusticecollectivejusticenw.orgeastafricancsinfo@eastafricancs.orgeastafricancs.orgcin_seattleofficialinfo@cinseattle.orgcinseattle.orgIt’s going to take each and everyone of us. Get involved in our network of care. creativejusticenwcreativejusticenw@gmail.comcreativejusticenw.orgpicawashingtoncontact@picawa.orgpicawa.orgichoose180(206) 457-8940choose180.orgDonate Today
As a communitywe are choosing healing over punishment
LOOKING BACK AT2024All youth deserve theopportunity to transform