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Umbreit, Mark S. "Restorative Justice Conferencing: Guidelines for Victim Sensitive Practice - "Adapting Conferences, Mediations, Circles and Reparative Boards to People, Communities, and Cultures."

The purpose of this monograph is to present guidelines for the practice of victim sensitive restorative justice conferencing, a term used here to identify all those processes that facilitate restorative dialogue and problem-solving among victims, offenders, family members, and other support persons or community members. Umbreit refers specifically to four established expressions of restorative justice conferencing: victim offender mediation, family group conferencing, peacemaking/sentencing circles, and reparative community boards before which offenders appear. Umbreit addresses a number of questions concerning the nature of restorative justice conferencing. Using examples of cases and programs, he notes specific characteristics of a multi-method approach to victim offender conferencing. Then he identifies core principles and skills of restorative justice conferencing, including humanistic "dialogue-driven"mediation/facilitation, guidelines for victim sensitive conferencing, and multi-cultural implications.

Diversion Association and Chilliwack Restorative Justice and Youth. Operations manual

The Chilliwack Restorative Justice and Youth Diversion Association (CRJYDA) is a nonprofit organization in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. Begun in the late 1990s and rooted in restorative justice principles and practices, it offers diversionary alternatives to the court system for first-time young offenders. This manual details its operations. Following an introduction to the organization and its rules for restorative practice, the manual provides extensive, practical information on program administration. Sections cover the following information: CRJYDA's mission statement and purposes; CRJYD's formation as a nonprofit organization; organization and operation of the Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers; the nature and functioning of the diversion process; and a description of CRJYDA's collaboration with community organizations and other resources. Numerous appendices add more detailed information in areas such as these: resource list of restorative justice models; organizational by-laws; sample budget; organizational chart; sample partnership contracts and agreements; statistics; a volunteer application form; a youth alternative measures form; and a glossary of terms.

Umbreit, Mark S and Bazemore, Gordon. Guide for Implementing the Balanced and Restorative Justice Model

This 88-page report is the result of 5 years of joint development, training, and technical assistance efforts by Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) Project and juvenile justice professionals in the United States. The purpose is to assist juvenile justice professionals in implementing balanced and restorative justice practices in their work. The BARJ mission includes attention to each of three components: accountability, competency development, and community safety. For each of these three components, the report outlines key characteristics of programmatic approaches. The report presents practical information and tools to enable juvenile justice professionals to implement the BARJ philosophy and mission. The report is a guide to the BARJ model not a prescription. Within the general principles and values of restorative justice, implementation may vary based on local resources, traditions, and cultures.

Lamont, Louise. A best practice model for victim services: A reflection on the process that developed the model.

Lamont maintains that, for families affected by family and domestic violence, a Best Practice Model is a critical mechanism for promoting victim safety. Specifically, such a model maximizes accountability in service provision, so that victims receive quality service in response to family violence. With this in mind, she provides an overview of the processes that led to the development of a Best Practice Model for Victim Services within the Domestic Violence Prevention Unit (Western Australia).

Spies, Chris.. A Safe Space: How Local Leaders Can make Room for Reconciliation

Spies explores the meanings of reconciliation for a community and the reasoning for ongoing conflicts. Using a survey, Spies and a local team gathered the peoplexe2x80x99s ideas and definitions of reconciliation. The main argument was that a safe place for open and honest discussion was needed to foster reconciliation. The ongoing conflicts in the community were linked to misunderstandings about history, place, and motives.

Lavery, Carol and Achilles, Mary. Apologies: Balancing the Needs of Victims and Offenders

Lavery and Achilles identify important issues and questions that must be addressed when apologies by offenders to their victims is considered as part of a restorative justice endeavor. The victim must be in control - fully informed of the offenders motives and expectations, and allowed to decide when and if to accept an apology - in order for the apology to have a truly rehabilitative effect.

Voth, David. The Victim Justice Ship in the Restorative Justice Harbor

The author notes that workshops on the role of crime victims in restorative justice theory and programming usually center on anecdotal victim sensitivity stories, illustrations of victim offender mediation, and exhortations to include victims as stake holders in the justice process. These activities should continue, but reaching a safe harbor where the victim justice ship can dock requires additional channel buoys. Although we see dimly the shores of restorative justice, it must include healing oriented processes for all participants even before the conclusion can be determined collaboratively between victim, community, and offender. To move toward that place in history, some system changes and victim issues need to be addressed.

McGillis, Daniel. Community Mediation Programs: Developments and Challenges

This report reviews the evolution of the community mediation field, examines the contributions of innovative dispute settlement programs to the administration of justice, and explores major issues confronting the field. The report's intended audience is diverse. It includes community mediation program administrators, program staff members, volunteer community mediators, program planners, legislators, policymakers in other governmental programs that are relevant to the mission of community mediation, and potential community mediation program funders in foundations and government

Gregorie, Trudy. A Road Map to Restorative Justice in Corrections

The concept of restorative justice has emerged as an approach that incorporates offender accountability, victim assistance, public safety and crime prevention. In the restorative model, crime victims, the community and offenders are all considered clients of justice processes - including corrections - thus offering crime victims and the community more active, vital roles. The involvement and interests of these three client populations become core to the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of restorative justice programs and services.

Gerard, Gena. A Primer for Developing a Community-Based Restorative Justice Model.

This brief outline is intended to cover the basic steps involved in building a community-based model of restorative justice. Neighborhood organizations or similar groups who are interested in the concept of restorative justice as a way of holding low-level offenders accountable for their behavior in the community can view this "primer" as a simple guide for conceptualizing a restorative response to crime and making it operational while maximizing the participation of all those who have a stake in the process and outcome.

Immarigeon, Russ. Reconciliation between victims and imprisoned offenders: Program models and issues.

Compiled by Russ Immarigeon for the Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Office on Crime and Justice, this report is intended to give people useful information for either starting a victim-offender mediation program or setting up a specific victim-offender meeting at a local jail or prison. Immarigeon begins by presenting an overview of victim-offender reconciliation programs, both in the community and in penal institutions. This leads to descriptions of models of jail- and prison-based programs that address victim-offender concerns. Then he identifies critical issues to consider in planning such programs or meetings. At the end is a bibliography of resource materials and a list of resource centers.

RESTORE. RESTORE: Overview Manual

The RESTORE programme offers an alternative to conventional justice processes for victims of sexual assault. This manual describes the basis for the programme and the processes used.

Totten, Mark and Caputo, Tullio and Kelly, Katharine and Caputo, Tullio. Community Toolkit for a Youth Restorative Justice Project.

The purpose of this toolkit is to describe, in plain language, how to plan for, deliver, and evaluate a youth restorative justice program in your community. The material in this toolkit may be freely copied by people involved in restorative justice work. Your ‘community’ might be a school, neighbourhood, an ethnic group, or church congregation. Depending upon your needs, the focus might be solely on criminal behaviour. However, many harmful behaviours are not against the law. Therefore, your most pressing need might be to resolve interpersonal conflicts between tenants or students. Or, your neighbourhood may be experiencing racial conflict. Our intent is to provide a generic framework which is applicable to any youth setting. You do not need to get new funding to run this project, although a small budget will make tasks easier. Many of the resources and supports discussed in this toolkit are available at no cost. The breadth and strength of your partnerships is key. Good partners are able to bring resources to the project from their own organizations. Other partners volunteer their time and link you up with needed neighbourhood supports. (excerpt)

Title, Beverly and Seidler, Mark and Leonard, Lana S and Seidler, Mark. Restorative Justice in Action: A Program Implementation Manual from the Longmont Community Justice Partnership.

The Longmont Community Justice Partnership is a community-based, restorative justice program in Longmont, Colorado. The partnership involves the Longmont Police Department, Longmont Municipal Probation, St. Vrain Valley School District, Clearview Educational Center, and Teaching Peace (a nonprofit organization which manages the program). Using a restorative justice model, this program provides alternative conflict resolution processes for victims, offenders, and the community. This document consists of ideas and materials to assist individuals and organizations who want to initiate and operate a restorative justice program. Toward this end, it covers information on the following: restorative justice ideas and practices; steps for building a community partnership; putting together a board of advisors and a team of facilitators; case management; program evaluation; program personnel; treatment of victims; training; financial management; and more. Samples of useful forms are also provided in both paper form and electronic form (Microsoft Word files on an included CD-ROM).

Reimund, Mary Ellen. Confidentiality in Victim Offender Mediation: A False Promise?

Confidentiality is one of the chief principles of mediation, and mediators often promise to maintain confidentiality of what is discussed in a mediation process. Mary Reimund cautions, however, that this may be a trap for the unwary, especially in victim offender mediation. The promise of confidentiality is not an impermeable shield. The legal status of confidentiality in mediation remains unsettled and problematic. Reimund underscores this issue in this article. In doing so, she attempts to provide a framework whereby victim offender programs can seek confidentiality while averting potential disaster. She does this by explaining the philosophical goals of restorative justice, the victim offender mediation process, mediation in relation to restorative justice, areas of concern about confidentiality in mediation, and relevant statutes and cases.

Ouellette, Melissa. Who Owns Restorative Justice? Exploratory Interviews with Restorative Justice Practitioners

Restorative justice challenges the notion that the effects of crime can only be resolved by professionals, and represents a shift in power away from state control to community control of justice issues. As a different way of doing justice vying for a place in relation to the mainstream justice system, tensions exist between theory and practice. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with people who occupy various roles in the field of restorative justice in the Lower Mainland explored how different actors see the tensions being addressed, exacerbated and/or resolved. The sources of tension included questions regarding (1) what is classified as restorative justice and if standards should be adopted; (2) who gets to provide restorative services; (3) which service providers get to take which types of cases and at what stage in the justice process, and (4) the lack of adequate, stable sources of funding for restorative justice programs. Author's abstract.

Bender, Valerie R. Victim/Community Awarness: An Orientation for Juveniles

The curriculum is designed for a group with a maximum of 15 offenders, and the 3 sessions of the curriculum encompass 3 to 4 hours. The first session is an introductory session that involves welcoming participants and group introduction, the administering of a pretest, the presentation of a group contract for behavior within the group, and an overview of balanced and restorative justice. The second session focuses on the impact of crime. In this session, group participants engage in role-playing as a crime victim or someone in the community who must deal with the aftermath of a crime described by the group facilitator. Each group member is assigned a role to play that involves thought about the kinds of feelings the character might have. The third session builds upon the second session by having each group member describe in detail the offense he/she committed, followed by a description of how his/her offense affected the victim and community. Group members may ask questions and provide feedback regarding the impact of each member's offense. Part of this session is having group members compose an apology letter to their victims and to the community. Materials for each session are provided, along with guidance for the facilitator. A section on information and resources includes a victim/community awareness completion report, a victim impact statement, guidelines for assessing offender accountability, suggested readings, and descriptions of victim-awareness video clips. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.

Blood, Peta and Thorsborne, Margaret. The Challenge of Culture Change: Embedding Restorative Practice in Schools

This paper seeks to broaden the perspectives of senior and middle management and restorative practitioners around what restorative practice in schools can look like; and to present some practical guidelines which represent a strategic approach to the implementation of restorative practices, so that they "stick" -- that is, become sustainable. It represents a work in progress and the authors encourage readers to engage with them in ongoing dialogue about the issues (we don't know all the answers yet!) and share with us their butterfly (successes) and bullfrog (failures) stories, in meeting the challenges of developing a restorative culture within schools (Zehr, 2003). It should be noted that there is an overwhelming body of literature (Hargreaves, 1997, Fullan, 2000 etc) dealing with school reform, effective teaching, classroom and behaviour management practice and that this paper focuses on the implementation of restorative practice in schools. (excerpt)

Moxon, Jude and Smith, Samantha. A Pyramid of Restorative Practices: The Massey High School Model

For the past two years Massey High School has been incorporating restorative practices, where appropriate, in response to wrong doing at all levels across the school. These processes have been applied to a wide variety of harming events ranging from ongoing classroom disruption to incidents of serious physical, social and/or emotional harm. This innovative approach allows for the community of people involved to come together to explore the harm and restore relationships. Those affected have a more active involvement in the justice process and those responsible are more accountable to the people they have harmed, thus restoring emotional as well as material losses of victims. (excerpt)

Yantzi, Mark. Restorative Justice and Past Sexual Abuse - Reflection on 20 years experience with a program model

This paper will: outline the program model for REVIVE, a support/accountability program at Community Justice Initiatives (www.cjiwr.com) offering support to all persons affected by past sexual abuse; reflect on what has been learned from this involvement; describe a model of facilitated dialogue where at the instigation of the victim/survivor and after extensive preparation for all parties involved, an opportunity is available for a facilitated confrontation/dialogue between the parties. 'Community Justice Initiatives' has for more than 20 years offered support groups to persons affected by past sexual abuse. Support groups, facilitated by trained community volunteers - sometimes former group members - are offered for persons who as adults are addressing past sexual abuse. The cluster of support groups include groups for women who were sexually abused as children, groups for men who experienced childhood abuse, groups for men who have sexually offended, support groups for spouses of survivors of past abuse, and for spouses of persons who have offended. Abstract courtesy of the Centre for Justice and Peace Development, Massey University, http://justpeace.massey.ac.nz.