A restorative community conference is a one-time meeting, either face-to-face or virtual, between the person(s) harmed/community and the person who caused harm. Led by a trained facilitator, this encounter seeks to identify, repair, and prevent harm based in values of meaningful accountability. Participation of the community and/or persons harmed is completely voluntary, and participation of the referred participant is based upon their willingness and readiness. Conferences focus on empowering the participants by looking at underlying causes to co-create a restorative agreement to be completed in a timely manner. This process includes four steps:
1) Intake
A phone conversation between a person who has caused harm (referred participant) and the Adult Case Coordinator to determine eligibility
An in-person or virtual meeting between the Adult Case Coordinator and the referred participant to describe the process more fully, providing opportunity for questions, and enrolling them in the program
2) Orientation
3) Community Conference
(a) Discussion of Impact — The referred participant shares narrative of what happened, root causes of the behavior, how they feel about it, and who was affected. Community members ask questions for understanding, share how the behavior impacted the community, and provide support. Anyone directly harmed and/or their supporters are welcome to participate. (b) Creating an Agreement – Through consensus, the group creates an agreement for the referred participant to repair harm and move forward in positive ways. The agreement is not a punishment; it is a meaningful and constructive way to make amends. Agreements are unique to each individual and could include elements such as community service, letters, personal development, or other activities.
Each referred participant has 2 months from the date of the conference to complete the agreement. In many cases, the charges are dismissed if the referred participant successfully completes the agreement.