Jessica Dancingheart delights in human interaction. She has a strong belief in the goodness of people. Several years ago, Dancingheart discovered the rewards of working with children as a volunteer in her son's school. Curious about bullying issues, she began to explore various interventions. In a leap from school yard altercations to more serious crimes in the community, she became involved in the Longmont Community Justice Partnership (LCJP).

LCJP is at the forefront of restorative practice. Here victims meet offenders with the support of community members and law enforcement representatives. After facing their victims and community representatives, criminal offenders deeply understand how they hurt others. They can begin with dignity and respect, to meaningfully repair the damage their actions caused to their victims, the community and themselves. Consequently, everybody heals. An offender going through the restorative justice is seven times less likely to repeat their crimes than when they go through the court system. Recidivism drops from 70% to 10%. The purpose of restorative justice is accountability, communication, and ultimately - healing. Everybody wins.

Jessica Dancingheart frequently facilitates these circles. She finds these restorative circles empowering to all participants and is inspired by this environment which allows the perpetrators to be seen as whole persons taking responsibility for their mistakes. They no longer get defined solely by their harmful acts.

Dancingheart finds her volunteer work with LCJP extremely rewarding. She is currently expanding this process to use with families experiencing conflict. She believes everyone who encounters this style of intervention will change the way they interact, benefiting not only themselves but the community as a whole.

For information about volunteering with the Longmont Community Justice Partnership or other agencies, call the Volunteer Connection at 303-444-4904.