Cook County MN Restorative Justice, a program of the North Shore Health Care Foundation (NSHCF), invites all interested citizens to attend a public outreach and volunteer appreciation event on Thursday, March 12 from 5–7 p.m., at the Wunderbar Eatery & Glampground. Restorative Justice Chair Inger Andress and County Attorney Molly Hicken will make a presentation about how Restorative Justice works to resolve conflicts and repair harms with benefits to individuals, families and community, as well as opportunities to get involved. The presentation starts at 6 p.m., and a complimentary taco bar dinner will be provided.
“Restorative Justice practices can dramatically change the course of people’s lives for the better while healing wrongs and preserving relationships in communities,” said Inger Andress, Chair – Cook County MN Restorative Justice, and board member of the North Shore Health Care Foundation. “We are fortunate to have a diverse, dedicated group of volunteers who have been working on getting this program off the ground in Cook County. This event is an opportunity to recognize their hard work, share a meal, and build greater understanding of the program among the public.”
To date, 25 volunteers have completed training to be able to facilitate conferences and resolve cases as part of traditional, or as an alternative to, offender sentencing. Since its inception in 2019, eight cases have been successfully resolved through the Restorative Justice Program. About 80 percent of cases involve youth offenders. Advanced training for facilitators recently took place with restorative justice expert and UMD professor Ted Lewis for offender versus offender cases, which expanded the skills of the facilitators.
Cook County MN Restorative Justice is overseen by a volunteer advisory committee which includes representation from the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office, Cook County Board of Commissioners, the County Attorney’s Office, Probations, Grand Portage Tribal Council, Grand Portage Health & Human Services, Cook County ISD 166 schools, the Violence Prevention Center, participant and facilitator advocates and an administration team including the North Shore Health Care Foundation’s Executive Director Valerie Marasco Eliasen. The NSHCF adopted the program to ensure its sustainability to serve this community until it can grow into its own independent non-profit.
More Upcoming Restorative Justice Opportunities
• Cook County Higher Ed will be hosting a Lunch and Learn on March 24 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Anyone interested in attending can register online at www.mycche.org
• Become a volunteer Restorative Justice Facilitator – Another round of full 16-hr Basic Restorative Justice Facilitator Training will be taking place on May 1 and 2. Registration details will be available soon.
For more information about the Cook County Restorative Justice Program, contact Chair Inger Andress at inger@ccmnrj.org or the North Shore Health Care Foundation at 218-387- 9076 or NSHCF@boreal.org.
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