Restorative Justice Programs
Madison Police Department is committed to a restorative justice approach that seeks to divert individuals from the criminal justice system. Why? Traditional justice systems often focus on the crime as a violation of the state, leaving victims on the margins and offenders disconnected from the real impact of their actions. Restorative justice flips that narrative. It recognizes that crime damages people and relationships, and the path to true justice lies in repairing that damage wherever possible.
MPD's Restorative Justice Programs use a human-centered approach to harm that prioritizes healing over punishment, accountability over vengeance, and community over isolation.
Who benefits from the Restorative Justice Program?
Restorative justice is not soft on crime. It asks us to believe that people are more than their worst decisions. Studies have found restorative justice process result in reducing recidivism rates, improving victim satisfaction, and resolving cases more quickly compared to traditional criminal justice.
Restorative justice benefits victims, offenders, and the community.
The Madison Police Department has two restorative justice programs.
Restorative Justice Programs
Community Restorative Court (CRC)
Our partnership with the Community Restorative Court launched as a pilot project in the South Madison Police District in July 2015. CRC is for youth ages 17-25 who are cited for disorderly conduct, simple battery, obstructing an officer, damage to property, or theft (including retail theft). By 2017, every MPD police district was participating in referrals to CRC. Madison Police Department is the number one referring agency to CRC annually and has been every year since CRC’s inception.
In 2022, MPD sent 178 referrals to CRC. MPD is actively exploring ways to expand eligibility to this diversion program, including the use of a specialized app and eliminating barriers like non-qualifying, accompanying tickets, which currently prohibit a person from referral to CRC.
YWCA and Briarpatch
We also partner with the YWCA and Briarpatch. We refer youth ages 12-16 to these restorative justice partners in lieu of any municipal citation. Youth Restorative Justice Referrals began in September 2015. By March 2021, Madison Police Department's current model launched. Any time a police officer in the field investigates and has probable cause to write a municipal (forfeiture) ticket, that officer must instead issue a Restorative Justice Referral to the youth.
In 2022, 116 youth “opted in” to restorative justice proceedings by way of this referral system. And,18 youth "opted out", meaning that they or their families wanted to go to traditional municipal court. In Dane County, municipal court almost always refers those “opting out” youth directly back to a restorative justice partner.