Introduction
On Saturday, October 12, RED’s Founder, David Lee Windecher, has been invited by a friend and President of the State Bar of Georgia, Darrell Sutton, to be the keynote speaker at the 2019 Southern Conference of Bar Presidents where David will be unveiling RED’s groundbreaking online learning restorative justice program. As part of his presidency, Darrell Sutton will be leveraging technology to enhance the membership experience of all Bar members. This emphasis on utilizing modern technology to increase accessibility and interconnectedness compliments RED’s newest digital curriculum initiative. As it currently stands, RED manually implements and administers its curriculum to a group of participants on an annual basis.
The Vision
David Lee Windecher, the Managing Partner at the Windecher Firm, founded RED in March 2015. A former juvenile delinquent and gang member, David formed RED with the desire of helping at-risk youths referred to the criminal justice system escape the cycle of mass incarceration and legal oppression. RED’s restorative justice program helps youths reclaim personal dignity and gain social mobility through alternative education, mentor support, and community partnerships.
Since its inception, RED has helped many young men and women reclaim their freedom and restore order to their lives. RED offers its restorative justice program out of the DeKalb County Superior Courthouse jurisdiction in Decatur, Georgia. The in-person curriculum takes a calendar year to complete. While achieving great success, David and the RED team are still not satisfied and believe RED can make a bigger impact on restoring justice and rehabilitating a greater number of individuals within our criminal justice system. The next step is leveraging modern technology to scale RED’s positive impact.
The Online Learning Curriculum
The cloud-based online learning program will mirror the in-person curriculum currently offered to all RED participants. RED’s classroom-style program enables participants to develop their social, civic, and financial literacy through task-oriented learning, engaging workshops, and interactive educational modules.
The curriculum monthly breakdown includes:
- Month 1 – Orientation
- Month 2 – Personal Assessments
- Month 3 -Mentor Assignments
- Month 4 -Know Your Rights
- Month 5 – Your Voice Matters
- Month 6 -Anger Management
- Month 7 – Emotional Intelligence
- Month 8 – Substance Abuse
- Month 9 – Finance & Banking
- Month 10 – Employment Training
- Month 11 – Employment Search
- Month12 – Record Restriction
The online learning program will incorporate these areas and allow students to develop their life skills without needing to be physically present. This online addition will allow RED to scale our impact and educate more individuals on key skills critical to rehabilitation success, thereby, further arming the public with educational tools on the criminal justice system. At the conclusion of the year-long program, graduate’s cases are dismissed, and their criminal records wiped clean.
The Event
The 57th President of the Georgia State Bar, Darrell Sutton, will be hosting the 2019 Southern Conference of Bar Presidents at the Ritz Carlton in downtown Atlanta. Sutton, a proponent of leveraging modern technology, recently launched a virtual listening tour called #ShapeTheBar. Sutton’s objective is to enhance communications between the State Bar and all of its members. #ShapeTheBar aims to ensure that every member of the State Bar is aware of the benefits of Bar membership. #ShapeTheBar also creates a platform for Bar members to voice opinions, as well as share concerns and ideas. RED encourages this act as we also value increasing access to technology that enhances efficiency and produces impactful results.
Another proponent of the use of modern technology, a friend of RED and Supreme Court of Georgia Justice, the Honorable Michael P. Boggs, will open up the event. David will be the keynote speaker in the educational session on criminal justice reform. Over 20 State Bar Presidents have confirmed their attendance.
