Building a Restorative Community
Each part of this process will detail how a community, such as a neighborhood, school district, apartment complex, parish, workplace, or an entire city, is actively participating in the response to crime and how the community is involving itself with both those harmed by crime and those held accountable for crime. The community wide portion of the program is available to any community member who voluntarily wishes to provide input toward how to better the entire community in regards to healing from previous crime and reducing future crime. Each part is estimated to take anywhere between two to four weeks.
Part 1: Training
Community members who aim to by directly involved in restorative justice efforts are highly encouraged to enroll in locally operated training programs that teach individuals how to interact and build relationships with one another in the event of crime or injustice. The Longmont Community Justice Partnership, an organization that promotes and teaches restorative justice practices, focuses largely on empowering trainees and community members to engage in restorative justice conferences and discussions. Our program's training steps are listed below.
- Step 1: Orientation
- Trainees will be introduced to basic restorative justice principles and get to meet other trainees as well as the program's leaders.
- Step 2: Grief Management
- Restorative justice calls for compassionate and empathetic responses to crime. In order to respectfully and compassionately interact with those affected by crime, trainees must understand what the grief and recovery process is like and how difficult regaining trust in the community might be for victims.
- Step 3: Skills Development
- Trainees will learn about restorative justice tactics and how to interact with those who have caused or been affected by crime. Trainees will develop their skills through methods similar to restorative justice practices, such as connection circles.
Part 2: Education
Community members must fully educate themselves about the crime that was committed in their community, including about those who were harmed, those who committed the crime, and what specific area of the community was most affected. Education can come from directly speaking to parties involved or seeking information from legal services or community organizations. The community can also post updates about recent events on websites, newsletters, or central placed announcement boards.Part 3: Reflection
After grasping the diameters of the crime, members are able to reflect upon what greater policy or community aspect might have contributed to the crime occurring and whether or not there is a sense of “mutual accountability” between the offender and the community (Zehr 26). Realizing how each individual plays into the greater community dynamic will help establish what crime may be the product of.Ask questions such as:
- Is there something I could have personally done to prevent this crime from occurring?
- Are there aspects of my community I know need improvement?
- Have I witnessed any acts of injustice in my community that went unnoticed or were ignored?
- How can I be an asset to better my community and its members?
Part 4: Communication
Members of the community are next encouraged to get in contact with individuals affected by crime themselves to discuss how the community can be of benefit or assist in the process of rehabilitation. Those harmed by crime must be aware that they are supported and protected by the members of their community. The members of the community, including those directly harmed by the crime, are encouraged to interact with one another and organize events such as support group meetings for individuals who feel unsafe in the community as a way to discuss related emotions and possible solutions to community problems. Those who have harmed their community through crime are responsible for reaching out to members of the community to state any apology or explanation. The community must in turn voice the obligations they believe must be met by the offender.
Communication is a vital component of giving and receiving justice. As discussed by Zehr, some of the most beneficial forms of communication include victim, offender, and community member face-to-to face or mediated conferences, family group conferences, and circle processes such as those originally introduced in the Aboriginal communities of Canada (Zehr 64). Mediated conferences between those responsible for harm and a representative from the community may be a valuable method of communication for offenders already in prison. Panels held within prison with speakers from the community, similar to those used in the Insight Prison Project, can offer multiple individuals on all sides of crime with the opportunity to bring concerns and obligations to light and a chance to create reasonable solutions.
Circles are a means of respectfully facilitating a conversion about a certain crime or injustice that has occurred and the main initiatives that require priority in order to heal from and repair the damage of crime. Circles can be as narrow or wide as needed to include as little or as many people as the situation calls for. Those directly affected by crime are welcome in community circles, if they feel comfortable in that environment and discussion. If a criminal justice case is referred soon enough to restorative justice options, this program also allows for those responsible for crime to be included in circle conferences. Including the perspective of all parties involved in crime is essential to the healing process. Circle conferences are the most productive and restorative when discussions are respectful and honest.
As stated by the International Institute for Restorative Practices, "...listening circles provide people an opportunity to speak and listen to each other in an atmosphere of safety, decorum and equality. Listening circles emphasize storytelling for cultivating empathy."
Circle considerations (Zehr 64):
- Establish set values to give the circle a sense of direction
- Appoint “circle keepers” who will prompt and facilitate the conversation in a productive manner
- Have a “talking piece” to establish a designated speaker
- Place the seats in a circle so all members are facing one another
- Allow time after circle conferences or time during future meetings to debrief about the conversions that occurred
- What key points should be brought to the larger community?
Example plans for action:
- Community service hours
- An apology to a victim or family member
- Research about the law that was broken
Part 5: Taking Action
After members of the community have discussed what they believe the issues at hand are and any possible solutions, the community will create a set list of guidelines, recommendations, or changes that all members must commit to in order to maintain maximum safety.Once the community voices what they believe the offender is responsible for providing, the offender is able to work with members of the community to rebuild trust and healthy relationships. As seen in the video listed on the previous page, the young girl who robbed the coffee shop worked with the store owner to cook dinner for the entire town as a sign of sincere apology and regret. The store owner, the young girl, and the community were able to better understand each other and the decisions that led to the crime occurring. The act of sharing a meal and coming together in solidarity was restoring for all members involved.
References:
Zehr, Howard. The Little Book of Restorative Justice: A Bestselling Book by One of the Founders of the Movement. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2014.
"A Restorative Justice Agency.” Insight Prison Project. Accessed November 7, 2020. http://www.insightprisonproject.org/a-restorative-justice-agency.html.
"Facilitating Listening Circles." International Institute for Restorative Practices. Accessed November 19, 2020. https://www.iirp.edu/professional-development/facilitating-listening-circles
"Franklin County: Court of Common Pleas." Restorative Justice Circles Program. https://drj.fccourts.org/DRJ.aspx?PN=Restorative_Justice_Circles.htm
"Volunteers & Individuals." Longmont Community Justice Partnership. Accessed November 19, 2020. https://www.lcjp.org/training-volunteers-and-individuals
