What We Do

Department of Juvenile Services: DJS is a primary referral partner for MCRC, Inc.’s restorative youth restorative services. Youth offenders meeting certain criteria are referred by DJS to MCRC, Inc. to acknowledge and reflect upon their actions and have a conversation with two professionally trained facilitators, the youth’s parent(s)/guardian(s) and possibly other people involved in or effected by the situation resulting in the youth’s referral to MCRC. Outcomes often involve the youth writing an action plan about how to plan ahead to assure the same behavior and/or action is not repeated. This process serves to encourage accountability in the youth, to provide an opportunity for learning through the prior incident, and to reduce the flow of youth entering the school to prison pipeline.

Howard County Detention Center: Through this partnership with HCDC, select teams of MCRC, Inc. volunteers make presentations to insiders about re-entry mediation services and conduct intake and screening conversations with insiders who wish to utilize services. Once approved, outsiders and insiders can be brought together with two neutral, professionally trained mediators in a private meeting space within HCDC to discuss topics pertaining to their lives when they are released from the detention center. Insiders are encouraged to use this time to make plans for their return into the community with people they feel are important to their success. Research has proven that insiders who participate in the re-entry mediation process before release have a lower recidivism rate than those who do not participate.

State’s Attorneys Office: The SAO refers youth offenders to MCRC, Inc. for youth restorative services led by two professionally trained MCRC, Inc. volunteer facilitators. These services are recommended by the SAO when they believe the youth offender and type of violation would be better served by an opportunity to fully examine their actions and identify and consider those effected by their actions through alternative methods in lieu of a more formal court process. Outcomes most often involve the youth writing an action plan about how to assure the same behavior and action is not repeated. This process serves to encourage accountability in the youth, to provide an opportunity for learning through the incident and to reduce the flow of youth entering the school to prison pipeline.

HCPD’s Youth Services: MCRC Inc. and HCPD’s Youth Services partnership is crucial to the Youth Restorative Services. HCPD’s Youth Services refer cases to MCRC for Restorative Dialogues and Restorative Reflections. Through these processes, first-time offenders are offered an informal, alternative dispute resolution approach to handling their case without the formality of the court system. Instead of placing blame, punishment, or taking sides and criminalizing the youth, our Youth Restorative Practices program with HCPD’s Youth Services focuses on the behavior and actions in order to prevent repeated offenses in the community.

MCRC Inc appreciates generous funding by Howard County Government.