Just recently, I helped to present a breakout session at the 2nd Annual WARP/WRJC Conference (Wisconsin Association of Restitution Programs/Wisconsin Restorative Justice Coalition). I joined two friends and mentors in the Restorative Justice Field, Polly Wolner of Barron County Restorative Justice Programs and Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Bissonnette.

We were asked by the conference committee to present on the “Starting, Maintaining, & Funding of a Restorative Justice Organization” – in other words, the “nuts and bolts” of a restorative programme. Our discussions were good reminders of what is necessary to develop a sustainable programme. We believe those elements include being community based and victim focused.

To do this, we suggest drawing in your community members/stakeholders (school personnel, county agencies, foundation members, police, judges, business people, victims, etc) and create the programme with them. One strategy for doing this is a large kickoff or public informational meeting. During such an event, share both the tenants of restorative practices and how those tenants can be used within the community.

Usually there is a primary agency or person seeking a way to bring restorative practices to their city or county. In my case, it was Marathon County Department of Social Services, which handled juvenile delinquency referrals. In both Barron and Dodge County, a judge brought the idea to the community. Therefore it was important to use the public event as a way to build a wider coalition to pursue the goal of programme implementation.

Gather contact information from the attendees to this event to help form an advisory or working board. Once a board is formed, this driving agency or individual is able to move into a support role.
 
The newly formed board can then set up the organizational structure and financial system. Both Polly and I have been fortunate in being able to partner with Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin. They have graciously offered to be the fiscal agent of the programme, so we can spend the majority of our time working with victims and offenders versus doing bookwork and payroll.

If you are open to partnering with another non-profit, we suggest you find one that allows you to work together with the citizens of your community and not be too limited by agency demands.

Next, you will want to choose your director. This initial employee will need to have a variety of talents – part entrepreneur, part personal relations person, part grantwriter, part social worker, part politician, and part cheerleader. We call it a “BIG” personality.

He or she will need to know how to work together with community members/volunteers and county agency personnel; have the ability to counsel with a victim; and, be respectful while holding the offender responsible for his/her actions and walking alongside this person through the rehabilitation/restitution phase of the journey. When seeking the right person, think about using unconventional styles of interviewing and consider the person being interviewed, rather than the college degrees he/she may have attained.

Once the director is hired, encourage him/her to find a mentor within the restorative justice “world”. Training events in restorative justice take place locally, nationally, and internationally. It is wonderful to learn from each other. Use these contacts to gather information from mentors and community members in order to put together programming.

Much time can be wasted trying to come up with brochures, forms, questionnaires, etc. Connect with others willing to share what they have done. Do not try to reinvent the wheel – others have paved the way, so learn from them.

As you are building your community’s restorative justice programme, make friends with the press. They can be of assistance as you educate your community on restorative practices and share what programming you desire to provide for victims and offenders. You can augment their coverage with your own articles, photos, etc.

If you are the director or a board member, always be in touch with your community and the needs that members perceive to be important. As with many in the non-profit world, if you do not continue to evolve, you eventually become ineffective or die. We encourage you to always be looking for “what is next”. Note the needs within your community and seek to fill those needs. As the programme grows, look for ways to empower others.

Funding a restorative justice programme can at times be difficult, but as your community begins to embrace restorative practices and how they can be effective, there are opportunities that come your way. Remember that government agencies may support start-up efforts for your programme. You will also need to contact your local governing body, local foundations, schools, as well as other governmental funding agencies. You may even consider charging for certain programmes you provide.

When you are running the programme yourself or have a limited staff, the time invested in a fundraiser is huge compared to the funds you may be able to acquire. But if you have community or board members that would like to assist you in a fundraising endeavour, give it a try.

Hopefully, some of these ideas will help those considering a restorative justice programme in their area. I have been blessed with running a programme for three years and have just begun a fourth. Not a day is the same!

I have a passion for working with young people as they seek to make amends and I am equally gratified when I see victims gain a sense of control in a situation he/she earlier felt helpless in. Working in this field feels much more like a ministry to others, than a job. I cannot imagine doing anything else. If you are looking to begin a programme in your community, feel free to visit our web-site for information at www.mcrjp.org. We just began the web-site through a grant from the Marathon County Bar Association.

I would like to leave you with a story of why I believe restorative practices can make such a difference in the way we handle offenses. I work mainly with juvenile offenders and received a referral at the end of 2005 from a municipal court in our area. The court asked if I would handle a case where the victim was from our county, but the teen lived in another county. At first, I was reluctant to do so, but the court clerk said the judge sensed this young female needed something different than the usual “system” route. I agreed to take on the case.

I met with the teenage girl and her father for a pre-conference. She appeared a bit hardened by life, but was open to meeting with the victim and paying restitution for her theft. Her father asked to meet with me in private, so she was excused from the room for a few minutes. He shared with me that the girl’s mother was an addict and had just left the family. The teen was not his own child, but he had adopted her during the marriage. Now he was trying to raise this young girl and felt overwhelmed. He stated he would do his best to assist his daughter in making amends to the victim.

I met with the victim for a pre-conference shortly thereafter. The victim was willing to meet with the teen and a full conference took place. An agreement was drawn up between the teen and the victim, which included payments of $25.00 per month until $150.00 was paid in full. The teen apologized for her actions and the victim accepted the apology. The teen also agreed to meet with me to cover life skills curriculum until payment was made in full.

The payments should have concluded after six months; however, the case was not completed for two years. The father lost his job and the odd jobs he was able to find went for necessities. The teen was able to make smaller payments when she got a babysitting job and later a job at a restaurant. The victim was very patient and was kept up to date on how the offender was doing.

I got to know the offender well as we covered curriculum and talked about family issues together. I also worked together with her guidance counsellor and we both encouraged the teen in her schooling. She had some truancy issues and was getting poor grades prior to this.

This young lady eventually paid off her restitution and began to be more connected with her school. Recently I received an e-mail from her guidance counsellor, stating that she would be graduating in May and invited me to the graduation. I was thrilled to accept the invitation! Through the restorative process, both victim and offender actively participated in the justice system. They were both empowered to move forward, being that the harm was repaired to the extent possible.

Carrie S. Vergin, CSW
Coordinator of Marathon County Restorative Justice Programs

June 2008