Criminal Justice
Vision: The Christian Criminal Justice Community will partner with the other domains of society to bring about
spiritual renewal and help make Tucson one of the most livable cities in the world.
Mission: (How the Criminal Justice Community will make this happen.)
Mission: (How the Criminal Justice Community will make this happen.)
Criminal Justice Activities
"CRS" Community Restitution Services Pastor Steve Shermett and Justice courts Judge Keith Bee met at a community forum hosted by 4Tucson. The forum's purpose was to discuss some of Tucson's problems and needs from the perspective of various agencies-both public sector and private, both faith based and secular, with the intention of uniting various sectors to corporately benefit and improve Tucson. Pastor Steve inquired if Judge Bee would be interested in sentencing his defendants to certain programs offered by churches. Pastor Steve suggested that churches are equipped to help in such areas as substance abuse support groups, personal financial management courses etc. Judge Bee expressed an interest and a future meeting was set. At the second meeting ideas were presented and the program's basic structure was discussed. Churches would offer various community service opportunities for defendants sentenced by Judge Bee. The churches would provide a needed and currently absent mechanism for reporting compliance or noncompliance to the courts. Additionally classes, support groups and general love and acceptance would be offered to the defendants.
The first CRS person entered the program at Book of Life Community Church on Nov, 25 2008. Within the first few months CRS had been entrusted with 33 defendants responsible for 1,538.5 hours of community service. Eight defendants graduated from the program--having completed their hours. This accounts for 318.5 hours. CRS referred 21 defendants back to the courts for non-compliance. They will again have to see Judge Bee and the judge will determine what to do with their sentence. Previously these 21 defendants would simply have slipped through the system and the restorative justice imposed on them would have been ignored.
We therefore see our program as having a 100% success rate. Defendants either fulfill their restorative justice obligations or are reported back to the courts for non-compliance. No one who enters the CRS program slips through the cracks.
Concerning some of the graduates; the judge reported back that the CRS people were "beaming" as they showed their certificates of completion to him. He mentioned that for some of them this might be the only public recognition of accomplishment they have ever gotten.
Pastor Steve has spoken to other pastors and ministry leaders throughout Tucson interested in joining the program. Several have expressed a serious interest and are in fact waiting on CRS to send them clients. Judge Bee has had similar results with other judges.
Additionally we will develop a county wide network of support groups covering every issue from drug addiction, anger management, personal finances, parenting etc. etc. Many of our defendants will be required by the courts to attend these life enhancing programs.
Our vision is to provide a network consisting of faith based institutions-both private and public that will accommodate the entire case load of the Pima County justice courts--for those justices who should choose to utilize CRS. Currently Judge Bee has informed us that 3 other justices are waiting to use CRS. One of these justices would like to turn her entire caseload over to CRS as soon as we can accommodate it. Justice Bee is confident. He stated: "Once these judges use CRS there will be no going back."
This program has the potential to be a model for other counties throughout the state of Arizona and the United States. It is our desire to establish CRS in Pima County and then export the program to every other county in the United States.
It is my desire to immediately hire a CRS Principal to run, expand and further develop the program. Toward this end I'm seeking funds in the amount $100,000.00 - $150,000.00 for the first year's operating expenses. This money will go to hiring a fulltime director, an assistant, office space, web page, office supplies, furnishings, and misc. operating expenses.