".... Fines and jail are simply not appropriate in some cases in which the defendant needs to accept responsibility and understand the impact of his/her actions."
Restorative Justice — Repairing the harm and creating community
WHAT WE DO
In restorative justice conferences, victims and offenders meet face-to-face with a trained facilitator and community members. The offender hears about the impact of the offense directly from the victim and develops empathy. With the victim’s input, offenders are then asked to do what can be done to repair the harm to the greatest extent possible. Restorative justice is used in place of, or alongside, conventional sentencing; or as an effective alternative to school suspension and expulsion.WHY WE’RE GREAT!
In schools, restorative justice dramatically reduces class disruptions, suspensions and expulsions. Among offenders, re-arrest rates are reduced to below 10%. Victims receive a heartfelt apology from the offender. On a 1-5 scale, victims, offenders and community members consistently rate their satisfaction level in excess of 4.5. Restorative justice saves money, helps to heal victims, keeps kids in schools, prevents re-offending and builds safer communities.VOLUNTEER/OTHER NEEDS
- Facilitators and volunteers willing to be trained
- Advocates to promote and expand restorative justice practices in schools, neighborhoods and the civil and criminal justice systems