The city of Santa Fe is hoping a more expansive community restorative justice program for offenders under 18 will help quell an increase in youth crimes.
The city council is considering an amendment to its contract with the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) to allow additional funding to help deal with an increase in youth crimes, ranging from turf wars to drugs to gang violence.
A city spokesperson said that Santa Fe is seeing an increase in youth crimes, and they are going in front of the city council next week in an effort to intervene. The council will vote on an amendment to its contract with CYFD, which would allow for funding to bring on an additional community restorative justice program for offenders under the age of 18.
“We’re seeing an increase in minor offenses, minor assaults,” Julie Sanchez, director of the Youth and Family Services Division for Santa Fe, said to KRQE.
The city currently has a restorative justice program, but it’s only for children under 13 who are enrolled in Santa Fe public schools.
The city council is considering amending the contract so the program is accessible to those aged 13 to 17, regardless of where they go to school, or even if they go to school, according to KRQE.
“Allowing access to this kind of program will let our young people have another alternative to sentencing, another alternative to potentially going into detention,” Sanchez said. “The program focuses on prevention and intervention by bringing offenders and crimes together for open conversation.”
Sanchez said the program is a “good resolution” for those accused of crimes and those victimized.
“Whether it’s a property-related crime or a youth-on-youth assault, it really brings the two people together to build trust, to help build community, and to really get a good resolution for both of the parties,” Sanchez said. “That could mean things like community service, like volunteer work, like restitution. It just depends on the two parties coming together and coming up with that resolution.”
If the council approves the more expansive program, the city’s next step would be to hire a contractor to run the new program. The city expects the program to be available within a few months; it will be backed by $12,000 of funding from CYFD to pay for the program.
