The Citizens Council is a County department composed of volunteer citizens from throughout Belknap County who are appointed to the Council by the Belknap County Commissioners through an application process. Members of the Citizens Council actively encourage a positive environment for children and families in Belknap County through a variety of activities that include comprehensive planning; networking and collaboration; advocacy; dialogue with community citizens and service providers; resource development; and promoting the principles of Community Justice and the active involvement of County residents.

Community Justice is a philosophy that builds strong and united neighborhoods and communities by (1) emphasizing the values of Balanced and Restorative Justice in the management of wrong-doings that occur (2) acting early to prevent problems before they happen, and by (3) focusing on the specific strengths and resources that are unique to each community.

Balanced and Restorative Justice is an approach to crime and wrong-doing that considers equally the well-being of the victim, the safety of the community, and the accountability/rehabilitation of the offender. Balance occurs when resources are evenly distributed, all components are addressed equally, and when victims, offenders, and communities are all actively involved in the justice process.

For example, community protection is a responsibility of the justice system to the public. Accountability is the obligation of the offender to the victim and community. Competency Development is the goal of the justice system for offenders who should exit the system more capable than before they entered.

The BARJ model is a product of the work of national juvenile justice professionals, Gordon Bazemore, Andrew Klein, Dennis Maloney and Mark Umbreit.

A partnership among citizens, government, and professional service providers, the Citizens Council is an innovative concept developed by a group of County citizens, elected officials, and service providers to reduce some of the challenges facing many families in Belknap County. As few problems can be solved without the input of all the involved parties, the unique contribution of the Citizens Council is the dialogue it offers residents in each of the County’s eleven communities, a component often left out of the problem-solving equation.

The Citizens Council is a County department, established in 2002 and funded through a mixture of grant and government funds. The primary non-government funding partner is the Annette P Schmitt Trust Fund, a fund dedicated to the advancement of children and families in Belknap County and New Hampshire. The agreement between the County and the Schmitt Trust Fund includes a four-year decreasing grant from the Schmitt Fund, with the expectation that by 2007, the Council will be fully supported by County funds. In the three years since January 2002, the Council has generated close to $2.00 in new revenue for every $1.00 spent on operating the Council.

Using a variety of communication strategies, members of the Citizens Council ask Belknap County residents, parents, youth, elected officials, and professional providers to identify key areas of concern for children and families in Belknap and for suggestions where Council resources might be placed. Following a series of forums and conversations held throughout Belknap County in the fall of 2002, the Council identified priorities and shaped them into an Action Plan with goals and objectives. The Council’s Action Plan is modified each year, based on achievements and new information. Council members are now planning a second round of community conversations around Belknap County and this information will help to create future Action Plans

The areas of priority and need for families and children in Belknap County are summarized in the Web of Challenges, a graphic that clearly indicates the maze of tightly knit problems that are facing the County’s population of families and children. All Council activities address one or more components of this Web: Juvenile Crime, Mental Illness, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, and Substance Abuse.

The Council is currently staffed by two employees:

• Executive Director, Alan Robichaud
• Research and Planning Coordinator, Judith Buswell

These two staff members support Council members with their work on Council priorities in their communities.

Council members are appointed by the County Commissioners through an application process. Please click here for more information.