Kankakee County State's Attorney's Office
State's Attorney Jim Rowe
THE MASAI JUSTICE PROJECT
RESTORATIVE JUVENILE JUSTICE
BY A JURY OF THEIR PEERS
MASAI JUSTICE PROJECT
What is the Masai Justice Project?
The Masai Justice Project (M.J.P.) reimagines juvenile justice and is a hybrid model of teen court that combines restorative practices, community justice, accountability and both victim- and offender- focused interventions.
Benefits of M.J.P.
Successful completion of all the requirements and remedies as determined by the peer jury will result in the juvenile not facing the filing of delinquency charges in court (the equivalent of criminal charges in the context of the adult criminal justice system). Also, the youth engages in restorative remedies to restore the community impacted by the offense and provide restitution to the victim(s).
How MJP Works for the Juvenile Facing Charges
Referrals for participation in the MJP by a youth facing delinquency charges truancy or other concerns may be made by the Kankakee County State's Attorney's Juvenile Division, public defenders and/or private attorneys representing the juvenile, local police agencies, juvenile probation department, school and community-based organizations, and even the victim(s) of the juvenile's offense. The juvenile must be willing to acknowledge responsibility for the offense and to participate in the MJP. Each juvenile appears in court with his/her parent(s) or guardian. A jury of their peers, teen volunteers unknown to the juvenile, then decide upon remedies. Potential remedies may include college tours, restitution, community service in the community impacted by the offense, participation in restorative justice models facilitated by the State's Attorney's Director of Restorative Justice, counseling, engagement with a community-based organization, and other outcomes that may be relevant to the offense. The juvenile is given 90 days within which to complete the sentence. Failure to complete the sentence results in the case being sent back to the originating agency and may yet be brought into the judicial system
Why "Masai"?
Among the most accomplished and fabled tribes of Africa, no tribe was considered to have warriors more fearsome or more intelligent than the mighty Masai. It is perhaps surprising then to learn of the traditional greeting that passed between Masai warriors. "Kasserianingera," one would always say to another. It means: "And how are the children?" It is still the traditional greeting among the Masai, acknowledging the high value that the Masai always place on their children's well-being. Even warriors with no children of their own would always give the traditional answer: "All the children are well," meaning, of course, that peace and safety prevail, that the priorities of protecting the young, the powerless, are in place, that the Masai society has not forgotten its reason for being, its proper functions and responsibilities. "All the children are well" means that life is good. It means that the daily struggle of existence, even among a poor people, does not preclude proper caring for its young. This fable begs the question of the effect on our consciousness of our own children's welfare if, in our culture we took to greeting each other with this same daily question: "And how are the children?" One wonders if we heard that question and passed it along to each other a dozen times a day, would it begin to make a difference in the reality of how children are thought of or cared for in this country? What if every adult among us, parent and non-parent alike, felt an equal weight for the daily care and protection of all the children in our town, in our state, in our country? Could we truly say without hesitation, "The children are well, yes, the children are well"? What would it be like: . . . if the President began a conference, every public appearance, by answering the question, "And how are the children, Mr. President?”; if every governor of every state had to answer the same question at every press conference, "And how are the children, Governor, are they well?" Wouldn't it be interesting to hear their answers?
Excerpted from a speech by
the Rev. Dr. Patrick T. O'Neill
INTERESTED TEENS LOOKING FOR A CHALLENGE ARE ENCOURAGED TO VOLUNTEER TO BE A PART OF MJP! Check with your school counselor to see if this project qualifies for community service hours credit.
(click above flyer for larger version)
For More Info on the Masai Justice Project:
QUESTIONS?
Kankakee State's Attorney's Office MJP:
Jimmy West
MJP Administrator
Courtney Casteel
MJP Program Coordinator
(815) 936-5821
2025 MJP Sessions Are Held
On the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at the
Kankakee County Courthouse
All sessions are held at the Kankakee County Courthouse, 450 East Court Street, Kankakee, IL 60901. Enter thru the rear door on the south side of the Courthouse.
The 2025 dates are:
Jan 14th & Jan 28th
Feb 25th
Mar 11th & Mar 25th
Apr 8th & Apr 22nd
May 13th & May 27th
June 10th & June 24th
July 8th & July 22nd
Aug 12th & Aug 26th
Sept 9th & Sept 23rd
Oct 14th & Oct 28th
Nov 11th
Dec 9th
This is where you sign up to participate in a Masai Justice Project court session if you have received a Referral from a law enforcement officer (police or probation), prosecutor, judge, teacher, school administrator, or other authority. To participate in this program, you must meet all of the below requirements and agree to the following process:
1. Complete the below form in its entirety. Be sure to answer every question. If you fail to answer a question your application will be rejected.
2. The Masai Justice Project meets every 4th Tuesday at 5:30pm at the Kankakee County Courthouse, 450 East Court St., Kankakee, IL. We are not able to guarantee the order in which your case may be called, and other cases may (and likely will) be called before your case. Your case may be called as late as 7:30pm. You should plan to be in attendance from 5:30pm until 8:30pm.
3. You must arrive between 5:15pm and 5:30pm. Late arrivals will not be permitted entry. If you miss a scheduled session without advance notice, you will not be permitted to re-enroll and your case may be referred for prosecution. If you miss a second date for any reason (even with notice), you will not be permitted to re-enroll and your case may be referred for prosecution.
4. Be sure to remember and write down your scheduled date. You will not receive a reminder as the date approaches. We suggest you put the date into your phone calendar if possible.
5. Available dates to attend a MJP Court Session are on the side of this page (below if you are using a cell phone or similar device). Be sure to indicate two possible dates which you and your parent/guardian are able to attend. You will receive a confirmation email and phone call to confirm a date for you to attend. If you do not answer the phone when we call, we will leave a message; your failure to call back or reply to the email to confirm within 48 hours will result in cancellation of your application, and your case may be referred for prosecution.