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Restorative Justice Initiatives (RJI) is a
multi-benefit, victim/offender conferencing program of the CMC.
Restorative Justice Initiatives:
- focus on the harms of wrongdoing beyond the rules that have been
broken
- work toward the restoration of victims by empowering them and
responding to their needs as they see them
- support offenders while encouraging them to understand, accept, and
carry out their obligations to the victim(s)
- provides opportunities for dialogue (direct or indirect) between
victims and offenders as appropriate
- involve and empower the affected community through the justice
process, and increases their capacity to recognize and respond to
community bases of crime
More about RJI
Victim Offender Conferencing is a voluntary
process that allows individuals directly affected by crime to actively
participate in dealing with the consequences of crime. The goal of the
process is for parties most affected to have an opportunity to safely
meet, assisted by a trained facilitator or mediator, to discuss:
- what happened
- how they felt when the event happened
- why it happened
- how they feel now
- what is needed to fully resolve the situation
Victims and offenders decide what can be done to repair the harm. This
can mean the offender contracts to repay a cash amount to replace the
victim's out-of-pocket losses. It may also mean doing community or
personal work, or any creative plan agreed upon.
In Non-Court Conferencing, restoring harmony,
discovering truth, or ending intolerable behaviors are often the goals.
Agreements focus on peacemaking behavior.
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Conferencing Benefits vary according to each
situation. Overall, parties involved in RJI can expect the following:
Victims:
- tell the story of the crime and its consequences to the person(s)
directly responsible
- receive an opportunity to participate in plans to end their
victimization and move towards healing
- receive compensation for their losses
Offenders:
- face the real human and financial costs of their actions
- accept responsibility for what they have done and take steps to make
things right
Criminal Justice Officials:
- have a less costly alternative to incarceration
- have an opportunity to foster more positive attitudes toward the
legal system
Communities:
- benefit from a less expensive alternative that offers an opportunity
to repair the breach in the community
- gain as volunteer mediators and participants receive satisfaction
from helping others and learning how to deal with their own
relationships in a more positive way
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Contact CMC Links to other Mediation Sites
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