COMMUNITY JUSTICE PROGRAMMING

Pay Fees

Community Justice Programming (CJP) provides support to offenders and victims using restorative practices. Evidenced-based models include Restorative Conferencing, Neighborhood Accountability Boards, and Parent-Adolescent Mediation. Programs are coordinated by OVM staff with the assistance of trained volunteers. Referrals may come from county corrections, city or district attorneys, probation officers, law enforcement, school officials, families, or community members. Self-referrals are also welcome. Read on to learn more about CJP programs.

• Restorative Conferencing
• Neighborhood Accountability Boards
• Parent-Adolescent Mediation

PROGRAM CONTACT
Kathy Neufeld Dunn
 Program Director
[email protected]

 ​Additional Restorative Services: Though all services work to address cognitive behavior and decision-making skills, any of our services may include additional educational components to address shoplifting, anger management, and other specialized concerns. Our programs are also offered as an Immediate Intervention Program (IIP) for juveniles in the 9th Judicial District.

If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy.
​Then he becomes your partner. 
​Nelson Mandela

RESTORATIVE CONFERENCING

Trained facilitators guide participants in a restorative practice that includes all parties involved in the situation. Each person who will participate in the final conference is coached individually so they can listen carefully, say what is true for them, and be prepared to discuss their own and others' concerns. At the joint meeting, they talk through what is needed to make things as right as possible and to prevent future misbehavior. This is written into an Agreement and OVM follows up on the completion of promises. Conferences may involve direct victims, offenders, family members, or others with an interest in the participants and situation. 

NEIGHBORHOOD ACCOUNTABILITY BOARDS​

OVM began offering Neighborhood Accountability Boards (NAB) in 2017. In these restorative circles, individuals who have caused harm meet with community members to discuss their situation. Community members are not a jury, but rather concerned neighbors with the interest of the person or organization who experienced the harm, the one who caused it, and the whole community in mind. NAB encourages participants to take responsibility for their actions, striving to make decisions that will positively contribute to the community. 

Evidence shows that prompt and direct correction from caring community members is an effective way to influence young people for positive social development. Following the 2016 Juvenile Justice Reform Act, OVM partnered with the 9th Judicial District to offer qualifying individuals immediate restorative alternatives to being charged by the juvenile justice system. VOC and NAB are two main ways juvenile offenders can participate in the Immediate Intervention Program. 

PARENT-ADOLESCENT MEDIATION

Improved understanding and communication can benefit families. Especially where youth have come to the attention of police, improved understanding and communication can benefit families by identifying immediate concerns and making plans to prevent future misbehavior. State-certified Parent Adolescent Mediators are available to help families develop mutual agreements on such things as communication, household rules, curfew, and agreement to spend time together. While these may seem like minor matters, the process establishes what could be a new method of listening and problem-solving together. The experience can change their relationship. There are 1 to 3 sessions with individual and joint sessions that may last up to 2 hours. The final Agreement is shared with the referring agency.