All posts by Stan Roden

Stan is a lawyer by training, education and experience. He is currently a mediator, arbitrator and educator. He was the two term District Attorney for Santa Barbara County (1975-1982) and former partner at a Santa Barbara's law firm. His specialty was trial practice. Currently, he teaches documentary filmmaking at Antioch University, Santa Barbara and dispute resolution and negotiation at UCSB (Extension) and Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law.

Mureen Brown’s film, Santa Barbara Restorative Court- “Open Doors, Change Lives”

Mureen Brown’s film, showcased below, makes the case that the SB Restorative Court productively and efficiently works to reduce chronic homelessness at a fraction of current costs.

Santa Barbara is home to one of the more progressive programs that deals with the chronically homeless, many of whom are drug dependent and/or mentally ill.

According to Police Chief Cam Sanchez, everyone on the streets is ‘someone’s father, mother, brother, sister or cousin.’ Starting with that basic philosophy, the SB Restorative Court bring all service providers dealing with individual client needs and to eliminate the familiar cycle of arrest, court, jail and release, only to repeat itself over and over again.