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"I was given life without the possibility of parole…I was sentenced to die in prison at the age of 19. It took many, many years for me to come to taking accountability for that…I can’t believe I caused so much pain and anguish to this family." – John Johnson During a recent CYS event, Safety Starts With Us, we were grateful to be joined by Lynn Williams and John Johnson, who participated in a deeply honest and inspiring moderated discussion. During this conversation, Ms. Wi

Before you begin, take a moment to slow down and read with curiosity. The stories in this flipbook share real experiences of harm, accountability, and healing through Restorative Justice ( what is Restorative Justice? ). As you turn each page, you’ll encounter different perspectives and paths toward repair. There are no perfect answers here—only opportunities to listen, reflect, and imagine what justice can look like when relationships and community are at the center. Click

All names have been changed to honor CYS client confidentiality. A store manager, Richard, was left feeling distressed after a group of youth stole from his store. When approached to participate in a CYS mediation with one of the youth involved, Richard was not sure. This wasn’t the first time his store experienced this, and because of that, he was feeling a bit frustrated. After explaining the mediation process, however, Richard saw the benefit of a space where he and the

Through the hard work, expertise, and care of our amazing team, CYS is able to achieve real impact within our community. Hear from Gio...

As we wrap up our first year of Mediation Office Hours (MOH), we would like to share one final success story (until next school year!)....

"I do the work for CHC because it has always been in my heart to give back to my community. I have always loved working with youth,...

Growing up is no easy feat. Between school, family, friends, hobbies, and complicated emotions, every kid has a different story. It is...

This story highlights the incredible impact our team has on the youth we work with, and the importance of patience and empathy when...

Two 12-year old boys who attend the same middle school, were playing after school. One was arrested...

Recently, a group of twelve students at Compton Unified’s Enterprise Middle School were invited to take part in Restorative Circles...

The story of why Nicole brought a knife to school revealed profound hardships in her life and threats to her well-being.

Crafting meaningful restitution agreements in Victim-Offender Restitution (VORS) mediations is a collaborative process combining input...

Every successful mediation has a turning point....In this VORS case, this special moment came after hours of exchanges between parties...