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McDonald, J and Moore, David B and Hyndman, M and O'Connell, Terry and Hyndman, M and Thorsborne, M and O'Connell, Terry and Moore, David B and Hyndman, M. Family Group Conferencing: A Training Manual

This training manual was developed by the Australian innovators of the Wagga model of community conferences/family group conferences in New South Wales. This loose-leaf booklet provides a brief history, theory and philosophy of community conferences. Presented are explanations of receiving case details, developing a conference plan, contacting participants, arranging the conference, the conference process, conference resolutions, and techniques of conferencing coordination. Additional materials include mediation versus conferencing, the coordinator's guide with sample forms, and the coordinators checklist. Case studies, training transparency masters, and additional readings are appended.

McDonald, J and Moore, David B. Real Justice Training Manual: Coordinating Family Group Conferences

This training manual was developed for use with a three-day Real Justice Training workshop. The manual introduces the history family group conferences (FGCs). The theories of why FGCs work so well, and the philosophy of restorative justice underlying the practice are presented. The role of conference coordinators and appropriate incidents for conferencing are discussed. The steps of conference preparation including contacting participants are explained. The conference process and resolution process are presented along with recommended coordination techniques. Included are necessary contact, conference, and evaluation forms, the conference coordinator's "script", and a glossary of terms.

Douglas, Cathie and Moore, Larry. A Healing River: An Invitation to Explore Restorative Justice Values & Principles.

A Healing River is a training resource for introducing groups to restorative justice. Designed to be viewed either in segments or at one time, it deals with issues such as trauma, recovery, and the psychology of the restorative process. The 84-minute documentary uses the voices of practitioners, victims and offenders to explore the meaning and values of restorative justice. Personal experiences are intermixed with comments from practitioners and academics discussing the problems in the criminal justice system and the potential of restorative justice to foster change. Individuals featured in the film include Kay Pranis, Barry Stuart, Sandy Bryce, Joe Solanto, Donald Nathanson, Harold and Phil Gatensby, Sandi Bergen, Dave Gustafson, Lize Elliot, Celine Lee, Deltonia Cook and Warren Glowatski. A 24-page discussion guide with comments and ideas for generating conversation is included with the film.

Correctional Service of Canada. Circles of Support and Accountability: A Guide To Training Potential Volunteers. Training manual 2002

Circles of Support & Accountability represent an innovative response to a controversial social issue in our society. The purpose of this manual is to assist in the training of volunteers who are willing to become a part of a Circle of Support and Accountability for warrant expiry sex offenders. This document is also an initial attempt at a distillation of the work and wisdom of many individuals across Canada who have worked with this still relatively new initiative. Its creation was occasioned by a recognition of the increasing need to develop greater consistency in the process and standards of orienting and training potential volunteers and professionals.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Community Justice Forum facilitator’s guide to the RCMP learning map.

While the Community Justice Forum is not the only possible restorative response to conflict, it is a significant component in the restorative justice and community policing emphases of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This document is a learning tool and training aid in two ways: it is a guide to facilitate discussion in a Community Justice Forum; and it is an aid in the training of RCMP officers and community members in the process of Community Justice Forums. The document has three main sections: an outline of traditional versus restorative approaches to justice; an overview of the process of Community Justice Forums; and an introduction to the theory behind Community Justice Forums.

Crawford, Donna and Bodine, Richard. Conflict Resolution Education: A Guide to Implementing Programs in Schools, Youth-Serving Organizations, and Community and Juvenile Justice Settings; Program Report

The first chapter defines conflict as a natural condition and examines the origins of conflict, responses to conflict, and the outcomes of those responses. It presents the essential principles, foundation abilities, and problemsolving processes of conflict resolution; discusses the elements of a successful conflict resolution program; and introduces four approaches to implementing conflict resolution education. Each of the next four chapters discusses one of these four approaches and presents examples of programs that use the approach. One chapter describes an approach to conflict resolution education characterized by devoting a specific time to teaching the foundation abilities, principles, and one or more of the problemsolving processes of conflict resolution in a separate course or distinct curriculum. Another chapter describes an approach in which selected, trained individuals provide neutral third-party facilitation in conflict resolution. A chapter presents an approach that incorporates conflict resolution education into the core subject areas of the curriculum and into classroom management strategies, and another chapter presents a comprehensive whole-school methodology that builds on the previous approach. The next two chapters address conflict resolution education in settings other than traditional schools, including juvenile justice and community settings. The final three chapters address more overarching topics: conflict resolution research and evaluation; a developmental sequence of behavioral expectations in conflict resolution; and the process of developing, implementing, and sustaining a conflict resolution program. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.

Burford, Gale and Pennell, Joan and MacLeod, Susan and Pennell, Joan. Manual for coordinators and communities: The organization and practice of family group decision making

The authors of this manual intend it for community or government groups who are interested in instituting family group conferences, and for individuals who will be coordinating or participating in family group conferences. Originally written with respect to the specific legislative, social, and economic context of Newfoundland, the manual is nevertheless useful to a wider audience of interested people and groups. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the definition and purpose of the family group conference, effective implementation of a conference, and its key stages and elements. Chapter 2 deals with community and project development, including research, evaluation, and follow up. Chapter 3 surveys referrals to family group conferencing. In Chapters 4, 5, and 6, the authors detail preparations for a conference, conduct of a conference, and post-conference activities. Chapter 7 contains a sample family group plan. Several appendices cover mission and philosophy statements, roles of staff and related groups, measures to ensure safety, and a checklist for preparations for a family group conference.

O'Connell, Terry and Wachtel, Benjamin and Wachtel, Ted and Wachtel, Benjamin. Conferencing Handbook: The New Real Justice Training Manual

Real Justice was the name of an organization founded by Ted Wachtel in the United States in 1994. Subsequently, Real Justice has been transformed into the broader International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Real Justice continues as IIRP’s program in the sphere of criminal justice. Ted Wachtel initiated Real Justice after hearing Terry O’Connell talk about his work as a police officer in Wagga Wagga, Australia, where in the early 1990s O’Connell adapted and employed a New Zealand model of conferencing in his youth justice efforts. Real Justice, then, promoted this Wagga Wagga model of family group conferencing, with its emphasis on the use of a script to conduct the encounter between young offenders, their victims, and their families and friends. This document is a training manual or guidebook for facilitating real justice conferences. It focuses on lesser incidents of wrongdoing, not serious, violent incidents. The manual covers the following topics: the script itself; determining when to hold a conference; preparing for and running a conference; establishing a conferencing program; restorative justice practices beyond a formal conference; and appendices on conference observation and data sheets, conferencing program literature samples, and facilitator training notes and training agenda.

Cypser, Cora E. Restorative Justice Supplement to Training Manuals

Compiled by Cora Cypser, this is a booklet of short writings and excerpts from longer writings by a number of authors and sources. Her aim – based on her belief in human rights for all people and restorative justice for victims, offenders, and communities – was to provide useful additional resources to training materials produced by Departments of Probation, Correction, and Parole in their officer training programs. The various writings cover a number of topics, including the following: why people go to prison; addiction; reading handicaps; mental health; forgiveness; restorative justice; human rights; and building community.

Department for Courts, New Zealand. Facilitator Training Manual

In late 2001 the New Zealand Ministry of Justice initiated a pilot program of court-referred restorative justice conferences in three court districts. The conferences in the pilot program are managed by facilitators who have been trained and approved by the Ministry of Justice. This document consists of materials for training facilitators in the processes, skills, and information needed to manage a constructive conference. After an introduction to the pilot program and the manual itself, the training modules cover the following topics: the nature of restorative justice; restorative justice conferencing in this pilot program; victim and offender issues; cross-cultural issues; facilitation skills; preparation for a conference; and the post-conference process.

Czwartosz, Elzbieta. Awareness of RJ among lawyers in Poland (abstract).

The aim of the study that will be presented was to diagnose the level of knowledge of RJ and mediation procedures among lawyers (including practitioners like judges, prosecutors and future lawyers-students). The subject of our interest was how the respondents assessed advantages, restrictions and dangers connected with implementing mediation into the criminal law system. The study consisted of three aspects: 1) The way of understanding the idea of RJ, i.e. presumptions concerning the model of RJ, knowledge of consequences of new law order, knowledge of law settlements concerning the application of mediation. 2) Attitudes towards the institution of mediation in the community of lawyers, beliefs concerning efficacy of mediation in penal conflicts and reasoning for its application in different phases of the trial process. 3) Preferred model of conducting mediation in court practice: expectations connected with the role and function of mediator, beliefs concerning the reasoning of mediation application in certain types of penal conflicts, views concerning criteria for the selection of cases for mediation. Author's abstract.

Petterson, Gordon. How to enable prosecutors and judges to make use of RJ practice in their work. The results of the AGIS project on the training of legal practitioners in RJ.

It is clear that in practice the success of mediation programmes in most European countries depends entirely on the co-operation of legal practitioners. This co-operation is important for the selection and referral of suitable cases, for taking into account the results of mediation and for safeguarding the necessary legal rights of the parties Is it possible to develop a short training programme for legal professionals that could have impact on their knowledge, skills and attitudes? Is it possible that a short training programme could help prosecutor and judges start seeing mediation as an option and know how to integrate it into their daily work? (excerpt)

Lyon, Ben. Training and accreditation; approaches to the development of best practice and regulation of practice (abstract).

This presentation will explore the development of a common approach to best practice, training and accreditation in England and Wales. The Government’s position expressed in the strategy document published last year and the work that has taken place since to develop an agreed approach to best practice, covering both mediation and conferencing approaches will be set out as well as the challenges that this has presented in terms of the different perspectives and traditions of the two approaches coming together. Then it will be discussed how these agreed best practice standards will be translated into national occupational standards and accredited awards open to practitioners in any professional or voluntary setting to achieve, and how the establishment of a new professional association for restorative practitioners could have an important role in future in licensing practitioners. Then the discussion will be opened up to ask people in other countries how they have taken forward regulation of the training and accreditation in other countries. In the UK we are likely to take quite a deregulated approach – i.e. that anyone in any professional field can become a practitioner, and that anyone can train practitioners, but they must then prove their competence on-the-job and get a recognised award to become members of the professional association. But we are aware that other countries have approached this very differently and it would be good to discuss those different approaches. Author's abstract.

Kearney, Niall. Introduction to and first results of the AGIS project on the training of mediators and facilitators (abstract).

In the year 2003, the European Forum for Victim-Offender Mediation and Restorative Justice succeeded in getting funding from the European Commission, under its AGIS Programme, to run a project entitled "Working towards the creation of European training models for practitioners and legal practitioners in relation to restorative justice practices." Part of this project consisted in trying to obtain more information concerning the state of affairs of the training of mediators in criminal matters. A group of experienced trainers coming from 11 different European countries had the opportunity to meet twice. They exchanged information on the training models that they used, and compared the models. They also discussed the desirability of developing European standards for training mediators. The meetings resulted in the drafting of recommendations for the training of mediators. Other initiatives to work together in the future were taken as well. Author's abstract.

Semper, Anja and Gutling, Bernd-Uwe. Mediation in schools "MeinS" (abstract).

The presenters will show how victim-offender mediation works in schools. They will discuss the training of school mediators and the rules for the mediation practice. They will show a video (11 minutes) developed with 13-year old children in a school in Oldenburg [Germany]. This video shows the different steps of the development of conflicts in schools and how they can be solved by means of mediation. Authors' abstract.

Paus, Karen Kristin. Volunteer or professional mediators.

Through my presentation in this workshop I wish to outline some issues for debate regarding the choice between using laymen or professionals as mediators between victim and offender. What are the benefits and strengths and what might be weaknesses i.e. regarding legal safeguards etc. By using the Norwegian model as a background for my presentation focus will be towards laymen as mediators. I can already admit that I think the choice of using laymen is a good one, but both systems do in my opinion hold dilemmas that need to be addressed. (excerpt)

Robinson, Betty. Volunteering for my community.

When considering the issues for volunteering, the three main topics for discussion were: - 1. COST EFFECTIVENESS OF VOLUNTEERS 2. VOLUNTEER AND ORGANISATION EXPECTATIONS 3. DO VOLUNTEERS REDUCE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES? (excerpt)

Montanez, Joe and Ruth-Heffelbower, Duane. Victim Offender Mediation Refusals: A study of mediator perceptions

Restorative Justice has been described as a way to bring the victim and offender together to promote a better understanding of the consequences of the crime and healing for the victim and community (Gerard, 1996, p.3). With this in mind, the researcher conducted a quantitative random study of why mediation refusals occur. The researcher interviewed 45 Victim Offender Reconciliation Program mediators who had mediated cases between 2001 and 2003. It is the hope of VORP and the researcher that the findings in this study will allow VORP to become more successful at obtaining mediation agreements. The literature found within this paper suggests that the success of mediation is determined by the knowledge of the mediator. We hope that the use of the instrument designed for this study will allow us to determine the areas that may present the most problems for mediators. Victim-offender dialogue in a mediation setting is the primary tool used to bring about restorative justice. A review of the literature on restorative justice and mediation suggests many reasons for the success or failure of the mediation process. Factors shown to contribute to successful mediation include: 1) the mediator’s style, 2) the ability of the mediator to show empathy, and 3) the mediator’s competence. The mediation process, on the other hand, may be unsuccessful due to some of the following reasons: 1) if there is unequal power between the parties involved, 2) if there is a low motivation to come to an agreement, and 3) if there is no follow-up of the offender to make sure he/she complies with agreement that he/she has made. VORP of the Central Valley has an over 99% agreement rate once the parties agree to mediate. The research process here will utilize a case analysis to examine reasons for success or failure during the lead-in to the mediation process in the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program in Fresno, California. (excerpt)

Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Restorative justice: Helping to meet local needs. Web-based guidance

Resource material developed for local Criminal Justice Agencies by the National Criminal Justice Board in the UK.

Kecskemeti, Maria. Restorative Conversations - Is changing ways of speaking enough to change relationships, discipline systems and school cultures?

Ways of speaking that call for achieving greater control by teachers over students as a response to problems and that require students to be more docile in the management of their behaviours are among the most readily available relationship and behaviour management practices that are used in schools. Though most schools try to foster a climate of inclusion on a policy level, there are many schools that struggle to make their discipline and behaviour management system work. In this paper I propose that ideas from positioning theory have potential for supporting the development of restorative behaviour management practices. I argue that such ideas should first be applied to the many daily conversations that teachers and students have with each other. I will show, through excerpts from conversations, how calling on positioning theory could produce ways of speaking that are restorative of relationships. I suggest that such ways of speaking can not only enrich the repertoire of restorative practices but they can form the basis of behaviour management strategies and discipline systems that are based on respect and foster a culture of inclusion. Abstract courtesy of the Centre for Justice and Peace Development, Massey University, http://justpeace.massey.ac.nz.