Pennywise is pleased to help sponsor the 2018 International Restorative Justice Conference. taking place over the next few days at UVM in Burlington, VT.

The conference offers a rich blend of research, new knowledge and skills, and ways to achieve a restorative future through meaningful community leadership and relational values. We create the road to a more restorative world by working collaboratively across all elements of community to build new awareness and understanding of what it means to live and work restoratively, while simultaneously addressing harm and conflict through a restorative approach to achieve better outcomes for all. 

At Pennywise we believe there is a critical need for criminal legal system reform in the United States and around the world. This is why we are excited to announce our partnership with the Center for Justice Reform at Vermont Law School (the Center), the Windsor and Chittenden County State’s Attorneys and Vermont Legal Aid to host two Expungement Days to educate Vermonters about how to remove old misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana offenses from their record.

The Center promotes groundbreaking approaches to restorative justice and we share their position that few things are quite as restorative as returning citizens to a clean record. Under Vermont law, when a conviction is expunged, the person may lawfully claim they were never arrested, prosecuted, or convicted of the offense. This means increased employment and educational opportunities and a renewed sense of dignity and respect for many Vermonters.