Beatrice Roger

The Project

Beatrice provided legal advocacy to crime victims, addressed the cyclical nature of crime by acknowledging and managing trauma, and worked to diminish juvenile crime and recidivism by incorporating Restorative Justice practices into local schools and probation facilities.

Harris County averages 10,000 inmates and 30,000 parolees at any given time. Those who are incarcerated or paroled, as well as their children and dependents, are often not considered to be victims and are marginalized due to their connection with the criminal justice system. This population is saddled by the collateral consequences of crime, and often faces the same legal issues as primary victims, in addition to the stress, stigma and financial constraints of having a criminal record or supporting an inmate or parolee. Beatrice’s project expanded the definition of victim to incorporate anyone who has been connected to or touched by the criminal justice system.

Fellowship Highlights

In the past two years, Beatrice has:

• Developed Restorative Justice programs for local probation facilities and for three Houston area schools.
• Facilitated almost 100 Restorative Justice Circles for over 250 participants.
• Partnered with local probation officers, schools and agencies to ensure that her Restorative Justice programs will be
• sustained.
• Trained probation officers, teachers, and community advocates on
• Implementation of restorative practices and strategies.
• Provided direct legal services to 65 clients and developed experience with approximately 80 legal issues.
• Given 11 presentations about her project and Restorative Justice, including 2 CLEs.

Next Steps

Now that the Fellowship is complete, Beatrice plans to:

• Work as a managing attorney for the Oregon Health Justice Center (OHJC) in Portland, OR. OHJC is a law firm that works with the Medical Legal Partnerships in Portland. Her work will be centered on the notion that inadequate access to legal services is a major cause of physical, psychological and emotional harm.
• Provide direct legal representation and conduct research on the efficacy of improving patient/client health through legal interventions
• Develop a holistic reentry program, for juveniles and adults, that emphasizes successful reentry after incarceration as a public health necessity. She will use her training and passion for Restorative Justice as a means of facilitating successful reentry.