Jim Kenyon: Safe Driving Program Focuses on Learning from Mistakes
Kenyon, Jim. “Valley News – Jim Kenyon: Safe Driving Program Focuses on Learning From Mistakes.” Valley News, 22 Jan. 2019, https://www.vnews.com/A-Different-Kind-of-Driving-School-22925569.
The Hartford Restorative Justice Center’s Jonathan Tuthill, who teaches the class with help from probation officer Tara Clarke, allowed me to attend last Wednesday’s session. I agreed not to use names without first checking with participants.
The class, which gets about 40 participants a year, wasn’t what I expected. I assumed that “safe driving” meant a refresher of high school driver’s ed: How much of a cushion to keep between you and the car in front of you, and other assorted safe driving tips.
But it wasn’t about nuts and bolts. As stated in the opening paragraph of the reading materials handed out to participants, the class is designed to teach people about the “real consequences of unsafe, impaired, and/or distracted driving. You will learn how unsafe driving affects you, your family and members of the community.”
Jim Kenyon: Out of jail, they have to go somewhere
Last week, the Vermont Department of Corrections doled out $5.8 million in “transitional housing” grants to 15 community organizations who will arrange housing and coordinate support services for offenders who are returning to the outside world, sometimes following long stints behind bars.
The Orange County Restorative Justice Center and the Hartford Community Restorative Justice Center in downtown White River Junction are among the recipients, getting $111,000 and $182,000, respectively.
Both justice centers have been assisting recently released offenders with housing for a while. The Hartford center currently has nine offenders that it has placed in apartments.