Partners in Restorative Initiatives helps victims, defendants and their attorneys through Community Conferences. These conferences provide a safe environment where victims can share stories and find answers, defendants can begin to make amends, and attorneys can support their clients in a process that provides an opportunity for genuine healing. Please contact us if you need a facilitator for Community Conferences or would like training in becoming a facilitator.
What is Community Conferencing?
Community Conferencing:
- Gives you the opportunity to make amends directly to those who have been harmed.
- Allows you to tell your story, while at the same time holding you accountable to the acts that caused harm.
- Is a relatively quick and immediate response to wrongdoing and gives you the opportunity to move on from the incident.
“You will never know how important this circle has been for me. It feels like a big load has been lifted off my shoulders.”
Local parent of juvenile offender.
How can Community Conferences work with the judicial system?
A Community Conference can be an alternative or parallel process to criminal proceedings.
A Community Conference allows those who have caused harm to come together with those who have been harmed by their actions to hear the impact of their actions and create an agreement as to how to put things right.
As a parallel process, if the prosecutor determines that the case is eligible for Community Conferencing, the case is adjourned until the Community Conference is complete. The agreement will then be provided to the court. It is up to the defendant to provide evidence of agreement fulfillment to Partners in Restorative Initiatives AND to the court. If, for any reason, the Community Conference does not go forward, the case will be returned to court without prejudice.
For a copy of our referral process, as developed and approved by the Public Defender and District Attorney, please contact us.
To refer a case, please contact us for a referral form.