Law

Oregon tribe finds success with restorative justice program





The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians in Oregon are seeing success with a restorative justice program.

The Peacegiving Court requires offenders to admit their wrongdoing. Offenders work with victims and other affected parties to find solutions to their problems.

"Our recidivism rate is around 5 percent," court clerk Diane Whitson told The Coos Bay World. "There is as much as a 67 percent failure rate of people who are incarcerated. We haven't had anyone re-offend since we started this system."

Tribal Judge Donald Costello developed similar programs for Deschutes County and the Coquille Tribe, also in Oregon.

Get the Story:
Ore. tribal courts deliver 'restorative justice' (The Coos Bay World 2/17)

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