It's Happening in Lincoln County- The Alternative Sentencing Program

​Did you know, that the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department operates an initiative called the *Alternative Sentencing Program (ASP) for individuals charged with non-violent offenses, such as Operating Under the Influence?
 
The program is offered twice each year.  Rather than serving time in a jail facility, judges can sentence eligible participants to serve their time in a secure group at an alternate location, such as a local camp facility. There, they participate in daily community service and educational programs.  The programming includes a variety of topics, such as addiction recovery, mindfulness, positive choices, and impact on others.  RJP Maine participates in the ASP education program by offering a two-hour segment on restorative justice.  Participants get an introduction to a restorative circle format, an overview of the philosophy of restorative justice and related topics such as growth mindset, and an overview of RJP's work in Lincoln County.
 
"At the end of our time together, we did a round of reflection on what the group found to be interesting takeaways from the ideas of restorative justice.  The concept of shame versus guilt came up several times, as well as growth mindset.  Wrestling with "I did something wrong" (guilt) versus "I am wrong" (shame) seemed like useful concepts -- along with the idea of growth mindset, that mistakes literally make our brain grow, and we actually need mistakes in life to learn and grow.​"- RJP Maine Facilitator, Leigh Anne
 
For more information call 207-922-3898
 
*ASP used to be run by Maine Pretrial and was run in multiple sites and formats around the state.  However last year, Maine Pretrial decided to give it up and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department took it on.