MN DCYF Restorative Practices Initiative Grant

Clay County Attorney’s Office – Current Grantee

Grant Award: $230,000
Grant Term: September 1, 2025 – February 28, 2027

This grant program supports initiatives rooted in restorative practices, guided by four core principles:

Relationship

Focus on relationships that have been harmed. Create a safe space for the person who caused harm to accept responsibility and make amends. The people directly affected — those harmed, those who caused harm, and their families — work together to decide what repair looks like.

Respect

Respect makes the process safe for everyone. It means listening to each person’s perspective, pausing your own judgments, and acting in ways that allow the process to move forward safely.

Accountability

Accountability includes five parts:

  1. Accept responsibility for your actions
  2. Recognize how your actions affected others
  3. Show genuine remorse
  4. Take steps to repair the harm, guided when possible by the people harmed
  5. Avoid causing similar harm in the future

Reintegration

When someone has demonstrated accountability, the community supports their return. The goal is to rebuild trust and welcome them back as a contributing member.

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Contact Us

  1. Grantee Leadership

    • Brian Melton - Clay County Attorney 
    • Michelle Carney – Juvenile Diversion Program Director 
    • Lukas Brandon – Restorative Practices Coordinator
    • Peter Ferguson – Restorative Practices Facilitator

    Program Director and Grant Manager