Restorative justice offers numerous benefits, including empowering victims, promoting offender accountability, fostering community healing, and potentially reducing recidivism, all while offering a more holistic approach to justice than traditional punitive methods. And research shows that survivors of crime often want more alternatives to the traditional criminal legal system. Join us to learn how California has enacted legislation to bring more awareness of restorative justice options to survivors of crime.

This training will focus on Assembly Bill 60, a bill signed into law by the California Legislature in 2023. It is codified within the Welfare and Institutions Code Section 742 and Penal Codes Sections 679.02 and 679.027. This new law requires anyone who interacts with victims or survivors of harm to inform them about the availability of restorative justice programs early and frequently. During the training, you will learn what this notification entails and hear from several restorative justice practitioners who will enhance your understanding of the subject as you and your office implement these notifications. Participants from outside California can learn about what this new model can provide to survivors of crime and take back lessons learned to their own jurisdictions.

Eligible for 1 Hour of General MCLE Credit in CA.

Speakers

Francisco Carbajal is an effective intervention specialist and restorative leader dedicated to serving underserved communities in San Diego, particularly individuals affected by crime. He has achieved significant milestones, including the development and implementation of the National Conflict Resolution Center’s Restorative Community Conferencing Program and the District Attorney’s Juvenile Diversion Initiative. Francisco is a member of the California Restorative Justice Policy Coalition and has served as both Commissioner and Chair of the Superior Court Juvenile Justice Commission. He was recently recognized for his contributions to San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community and for his support of the county’s migrant services. His positive impact continues through his founding of Peace Anger Love and his expert guidance to the University of San Diego’s Center for Restorative Justice, Vermont Law School, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Fatimeh Khan is the Co-Director of the CA Healing Justice program of the American Friends Service Committee. She holds a Master’s in Education with a concentration in equity and social justice. For the last 10 years Fatimeh has found herself learning and leading different initiatives within the RJ world. Fatimeh has implemented RJ practices in high schools, has utilized RJ circles to divert youth from the legal system in various counties across CA, has led national 6 week RJ circle trainings as well as local RJ circle trainings and has worked on multiple RJ legislative bills.

Sandra Rodriguez was born and raised in Northern California and is the daughter of parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Colombia, South America. She has nearly fifteen years of experience in restorative justice that includes work in process facilitation, community organizing, research and evaluation, training/technical assistance and program development. Prior to joining the Ahimsa Collective, she spent over six years with the RJ Project (formerly at Impact Justice and now at Equal Justice USA), where she assisted community-based organizations around the country in the implementation of pre-charge RJ diversion programs. From her current role at The Ahimsa Collective as the Director of Healing Pathways Programs, she oversees the organization’s restorative and transformative justice work, such as the Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD) program, RJ in the Community program, various in-prison healing and accountability programs and the Survivor Support and Engagement program. Sandra also functions as a key partner on local and national initiatives focusing on RJ research, advocacy, policy development, and coalition building. For example, she is a founding and active member of the California RJ Policy Coalition and a steering committee member of the National Center on Restorative Justice’s RJ Research Community. At the core of all her work is the desire for BIPOC communities to reclaim, increase and sustain their power to heal, to dismantle systems of oppression and to build life-giving ways of being, so that future generations see collective liberation not as a dream or a goal, but as a lived reality. Sandra lives near the Russian River in Sonoma County, California and finds joy and love everyday in her partner, three dogs, two cats and gecko.

Alicia Virani is a restorative justice practitioner, advocate and researcher. Upon graduating law school, Alicia received an Equal Justice Works Fellowship through which she created and implemented a restorative justice youth diversion program at the California Conference for Equality and Justice. The program remains in operation and diverts hundreds of youth out of the juvenile legal system each year. Subsequently, Alicia went on to practice as a public defender in Orange County, representing people in misdemeanor and felony cases as well as parents at risk of family separation. Alicia then moved on to directing the Criminal Justice Program at UCLA School of Law. In this position, Alicia led a policy and research agenda focused on pretrial justice and alternatives to incarceration. During her time at UCLA Law, Alicia helped to co-found the California Restorative Justice Policy Coalition, which advocates for policies to sustain and grow community-based restorative justice. Alicia also co-founded and taught the Pretrial Justice Clinic at UCLA Law for six years as well as a course on trauma informed lawyering and restorative and transformative justice. Alicia Virani is a graduate of UCLA School of Law.

Alana Mathews currently serves as an Assistant District Attorney on the Executive Team for the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, where her duties include supervising the Human Trafficking and Mental Health units and coordinating MCLE trainings for the office. She is also an Adjunct Professor at McGeorge School of Law teaching and training on Implicit Bias and the Law and is the founder of the Racial Equity and Justice Summer Practicum program. Ms. Mathews has also served as a faculty member for the American Leadership Forum providing training on Implicit Bias, Bias Interventions, and Belonging and Inclusion strategies.

Ms. Mathews began her legal career as a deputy district attorney for Sacramento County before serving in Executive and Legislative appointed positions for the State California. Ms. Mathews earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Spelman College and her Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master of Laws, (LL.M) in Governmental Affairs and Public from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.