Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office partners with local neighborhood restorative justice program

SANTA MARIA, Calif - The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office is partnering with a local non-profit group on a new "neighborhood restorative justice" program.

What's being being called a groundbreaking initiative, the new program will address non-violent crimes and offenders with community-based solutions outside of the traditional criminal justice system.

It offers an alternative to offenders to take responsibility for their actions and make amends directly to those they have harmed and eventually rejoin the community.

"It's only for misdemeanors," said Edwin Weaver with Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, the local non-profit group is partnering with the District Attorney's Office in the new program, "so this is the District Attorney's first project in restorative justice, we started in Goleta and now we're expanding into Santa Maria, Lompoc and the City of Santa Barbara, so it is only misdemeanors and the only ones who have done the crimes are only adults, so no juveniles will be part of this."

Fighting Back is expanding the Neighborhood Restorative Justice Program in northern and southern Santa Barbara County.

"Here they have an opportunity to say what I did was wrong, I'm very sorry about it, and I want to make it right, I'll never do it again. This provides them an opportunity to say that to community members who volunteer and gives a chance for the community to say yes, we know what you did is wrong, here's what you're going to do to make it right, and then welcome back, you're no longer outside, you're inside the community and bringing them back and restoring those relationships with the community."

For more information about the Neighborhood Restorative Justice Program, visit https://da.countyofsb.org/da/nrjp. Those interested can also contact Joanne Flores at sbdaneighborhoodrjp@countyofsb.org or 805-403-0448, as well as Edwin Weaver at edwin@fbsmv.com or 805-346-1774.