Message from the ATI Coordinator

It seems hard to believe that this newsletter is being prepared for December already - it seems like the months just fly by!  We at ATI remain excited about all that is happening within the criminal justice system here in Ontario County.

The Pretrial Release Program continues to do well and you can read Kevin Case's article elsewhere in this newsletter.  Let me just say that Pretrial Release is the only Alternative to Incarceration program operating for those offenders that have been arrested and are waiting for their case to process through the court system.  It has established itself as effective in getting low-risk offenders, who cannot afford to make bail, out of jail in an expeditious fashion.  It is also beneficial in those cases where an offender may need some supervision during their Pretrial period rather than making bail and having little accountability to anyone within the criminal justice system until sentencing.

The ATI Office was honored to host the National Institute of Corrections for a week - long training in September on the topic of Restorative Justice. The conference was attended by 26 people, many from outside Ontario County and even from outside NY state.  Our attendee who traveled the furthest to come actually came here from Australia.  This was an incredible week of learning for all involved and is a week no one will soon forget.  The training was held from Sept 10 - 14^th and we found it ironic to be participating in learning about a philosophy of criminal justice that is centered on victims and the community, as a whole, during the very week that the tragedy in NYC occurred. One of our participants was directly affected by the NYC tragedy in that she had a brother who worked at the WTC who has not yet been found.  This training and the events in NYC forced all the participants to really grasp the importance of having a criminal justice system that is victim-focused and works towards healing, whenever possible, instead of just focusing on punishment of the offender.  Stay tuned for more developments on the issue of Restorative Justice.

At our monthly Board meetings, we have begun to review current ATI programs and the services they provide.  We recognize that Core Services are vital to the criminal justice system and we cannot lose sight of that while, at the same time, still continuing to research and develop new philosophies and programs that help make a difference for all of Ontario County.

By the time this newsletter reaches you, it will be near Christmas, so from all of us at ATI, we wish you Happy and Peace Filled Holidays!

Ginny Gumaer