The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 24: Municipal and County Government

Chapter 058: COMMUNITY JUSTICE CENTERS

• § 1961. Legislative findings

  A system of community justice centers that operates under the authority of a single statute will:

  (1) help each community justice center collaborate more closely with law enforcement and State’s Attorneys, State agencies, social service providers, victim advocacy organizations, and other community resources;

  (2) enhance the services each community justice center provides; and

  (3) help each community justice center further its policy interest of achieving restorative justice. (Added 2007, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

• § 1962. Definitions

  As used in this chapter:

  (1) “Legislative body” means the mayor and board of aldermen of a city, a city council, a town selectboard, the president and trustees of an incorporated village, or the legislative bodies of a group of municipalities.

  (2) “Municipality” means a city, town, incorporated village, or group of municipalities. (Added 2007, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

• § 1963. Authority of municipalities

  The legislative body of any municipality may create within its jurisdiction a community justice center to resolve civil disputes and address the wrongdoings of individuals who have committed municipal, juvenile, or criminal offenses. A municipality may designate an organization to act as its community justice center. (Added 2007, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)

• § 1964. Structure of the community justice boards; confidentiality of certain restorative justice meetings

  (a) Each community justice center:

  (1) shall have an advisory board comprising at least 51 percent citizen volunteers;

  (2) may use a variety of community-based restorative justice approaches, including restorative justice panels, group conferencing, or mediation; and

  (3) shall include programs to resolve disputes, address the needs of victims, address the wrongdoing of the offender, and promote the rehabilitation of youthful and adult offenders.

  (b) Meetings of restorative justice panels and meetings to conduct restorative justice group conferencing or mediation shall not be subject to the Vermont Open Meeting Law, 1 V.S.A. chapter 5, subchapter 2. (Added 2007, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 143 (Adj. Sess.), § 5.)

• § 1965. Duties of the community justice centers

  Each community justice center:

  (1) shall work in close coordination with State agencies, law enforcement agencies, State’s Attorneys, social service providers, victim advocacy organizations, and other community resources in administering the programs defined in subdivision 1964(a)(3) of this title;

  (2) shall, in collaboration with State and local agencies, provide training on the restorative justice process to citizen volunteers to enable their participation in the local community justice center;

  (3) may address quality of life issues in the community it serves by providing informational and educational resources to the community; and

  (4) may apply for funding from private foundations, other governmental sources, or other sources. (Added 2007, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2017, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § 157.)

• § 1966. Community justice centers’ relationship with State government entities

  (a) Support from the Agency of Human Services. The Agency of Human Services shall provide to the community justice centers the information, analysis, and technical support that the community justice centers, in collaboration with the Agency of Human Services, determine are necessary to further their policy of restorative justice.

  (b) Funding from the Agency of Human Services. The Agency of Human Services may provide funding and authorize community justice centers to participate in the implementation of State programs related to juvenile and criminal offenses.

  (c) Access to information. Community justice center employees and volunteers participating in State-funded programs shall have access to information, analysis, and technical support as necessary to carry out their duties within the program in accordance with State and federal confidentiality statutes and policies. Victim information that is not part of the public record shall not be released without the victim’s consent.

  (d) Liability.

  (1) For the purposes of defining liability, community justice center volunteers participating in programs funded by the Agency of Human Services pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be considered volunteers of that agency.

  (2) In all other cases, the State and the municipality shall each be liable for the acts and omissions of employees operating within the scope of their employment. (Added 2007, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2015, No. 97 (Adj. Sess.), § 56.)

• § 1967. Cases prohibited

  No case involving domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual assault, or stalking shall be referred to a community justice center except in Department of Corrections offender reentry programs pursuant to protocols protecting victims. The community justice centers shall work with the Department of Corrections and the Center for Crime Victim Services or its designee to develop victim safety protocols for community justice centers that take into consideration victim needs such as safety, confidentiality, and privacy. (Added 2007, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)