Reducing Recidivism Through Restorative Justice: Hang Time’s Bold Strategy for Empowering Justice-Impacted Individuals and Driving Sustainable Change

This book tells the story of Hang Time, a grassroots, community-based program to reduce violence and recidivism amongst returning citizens in Connecticut, and how its model can be used in restorative justice efforts across the country.

Featuring stories of Hang Time participants, this volume illustrate the impact a supportive and safe environment has on ex-offenders, their families, friends, and community during re-entry. It offers examples of successful programming elements, such as:

- Creating a safe space for people to share their experiences and issues

- Developing an community for people of different ages, backgrounds and community roles

- Identifying and utilizing community resources

- Furthering community engagement via training of new correctional officers, police, and state prosecutors during their career on-boarding.

This volume is the ideal resource for individuals, groups, and organizations aiming to humanize justice-involved individuals and programing, including: community organizations and funders, policy makers, social services, members within the judicial, law enforcement, corrections, students, and non-profit community leaders.

Charles Grady is the founder of Hang Time and a highly decorated former police detective and federal task force officer for the Connecticut State Police Narcotics Unit, DEA and FBI joint task force. Grady created and launched the grassroots effort to foster community and give voice to men and women (ex-offenders/returning citizens)who have been silent--or unheard--for far too long in his community. What has since become Hang Time targets those involved with gang/group violence and those that inherently suffer from Post-Traumatic & Present Stress Disorder (PTSD) resulting from urban gun violence.

Dr. Markovic has developed a robust career in criminal justice, focusing on terrorism and other areas of organized crime. She began her professional career in academia as an assistant professor at the University of New Haven, and eventually became Assistant Dean for the College of Criminal Justice. She also served as Principal Investigator and obtained several grants for the institution and at Sam Houston State University prior to that. Upon obtaining her doctoral degree, she became the Director of the Institute for the Study of Violent Groups (ISVG). She previously worked as a Private Investigator doing corporate due diligence Investigations at Search International.