Timebanking and Community Justice

The Dane County Timebank is developing programs designed to involve all members of our community in protecting the safety of our community.

To this end, we are working to implement Timebanking in three main areas.

Timebank Youth Court

The mission of the Timebank Youth Court is to provide an alternative to the juvenile justice system so youth can willingly take responsibility for their actions, make amends and build healthy and productive relationships to create a safer, more caring community.
The Timebank Youth Court sends kids in trouble to a jury of their peers rather than through the court system. A ticket or other formal consequence may be held in abeyance while a respondent is given the opportunity to pursue this alternate course of action. The peer jury generally sentences respondents to serve on the jury and to take part in activities that can help them succeed in the long run. These activities can include: writing letters of apology to victims or other restorative justice activities, participating in life skills or mentoring programs, tutoring younger kids, and more. When respondents' mandated sentences are complete they have the option to continue their service, earning Time Dollars. Our goal is to keep kids in programs that they enjoy and are benefiting from, helping them to maintain a strong social network and build their skills, capacity, and work experience. We are modeling this program on Washington DC's Time Dollar Youth Court. The Timebank Youth Court is now underway in Madison's North and East sides, LaFollette High School, and South Madison. If you would like to get involved please call Lorrie at (608) 663-0400 or send an email.
East Madison Timebank Youth Court hearings are held the 2nd Saturday of each month, 10am to noon. Hearings are held at Goodman Atwood Community Center, 149 Waubesa St.LaFollette Timebank Youth Court hearings are held the on rotating days the third week of each month, 4 - 7pm. Hearings are held at LaFollette High School, 702 Pflaum Rd. South Madison Youth Court hearings are held at Centro Hispano, 810 W. Badger Rd., the fourth Monday of each month.
Timebank Youth Court Flyer

Read more about our Youth Courts:
Timebank Youth Court: A jury of their peers
by Jodi Wortsman
Southern Exposure
Getting the Community Involved: Youth Court offers creative alternative to juvenile court
Thursday, March 22, 2007
by Emma Lierly
Isthmus, Madison, WI

Youth Courts Give Kids A Second Chance
Thursday, May 26, 2007
by Pat Schneider
The Capital Times, Madison, WI
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The Timebank Youth Court was developed with the help of Youth Services of Southern Wisconsin, who run similar peer courts around Dane County. Dane Co. Timebank and Youth Services of Southern Wisconsin have received funding for 2008-2009 through the State Budget, administered by Office of Justice Assistance and shared by both organizations, to develop meaningful service, learning and reward opportunities for Youth Court jurors and respondents.

The Corrections Reintegration Project

Dane County Timebank has also begun offering opportunities for returning prisoners to earn Time Dollars even while they're still in prison, so they have some community connections and resources to draw on once they get out. They can earn Time Dollars working on group service projects for neighborhoods and non-profit agencies and spend them on peer counseling, getting rides to job interviews, help with resume and interview skills, ESL, child care, or anything else they need. We can offer Time Dollars to other former inmates to help them navigate their new life in the community. The goal is to create a safety net for people with Time Dollars before they are released.

Selected inmates nearing release to Dane County have earned Time Dollars working with non-profit agencies and neighborhood associations, doing landscaping, pulling invasive species from a wild area, and helping to rehab an old office. All reports are that the exchanges have been both beneficial and enjoyable!

Timebanking and the Dane County Jail

The Jail Subcommittee feels there is great potential in Timebanking for those in process of getting out of Jail. Timebanking can help address problems in their life crisis of transitioning. This could mean someone who has experienced a loss of home, job, or family might develop new relationships that will help with housing, employment, resources, and education. Timebanking helps all of us overcome fear, lack of confidence and lack of proven skills. It can help RE-CONNECT us for our well being and that of our families. Timebanking can help identify assets, help motivate us to try new things, help provide some immediate benefits to self and/or family, and can be enjoyable. Most importantly, timebanking that includes those who are in jail or recently released can help educate our community and our non-profits regarding returnees and their contributions to our community.

The Dane County Timebank has approved selected inmates to be released to do volunteer work. Inmates on volunteer release are earning Time Dollars from the organizations they volunteer for; they then give them to family members for things such as childcare and transportation, use them for training on resume preparation, financial planning, ESL and other skills that can help them upon release, and save them for needed resources after release.

Safety Committee
A Safety Committee for the Timebank has been established in order to develop screening guidelines and procedures for determining eligibility for various levels of participation in the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Timebank. It was decided that the Safety Committee should be a continuing structure of the Timebank. The Safety Committee will address any safety concerns as they arise, review members who are at a Level 2 or Level 3 and are considering moving to a less restrictive level either at their request or the coordinator's request. They will also address moving members to a more restrictive level or terminating participation at the coordinator's request. The make up of the committee should be a member of the Dane County Sheriff's Office, Dept of Corrections, Madison Police Dept. (Neighborhood Officer), a private citizen/member, the Timebank Coordinator, and a member of Dane County Joining Forces for Families, Madison Urban Ministry, Voices Beyond Bars or similar organization. The committee will meet quarterly or as needed depending on the circumstances.

Screening guidelines
Screening and levels of participation
Criminal Charges to be considered

Imagine a former gang member providing security to a local neighborhood center or a high school and earning Time Dollars, (one time dollar for one hour), which can be traded for food, utilities, transportation, or tutoring. Or, imagine someone who gets their entire office organized because they earned a couple time dollars driving someone to appointments. More important, imagine the neighborhood contacts, trust, and sense of community and public safety nets being built around people. It's happening now on the north side of Madison and starting to spread through Dane County!