Restorative Conferencing

A Restorative Conference invites participation into a safe, carefully facilitated conversation. Restorative Conferencing is always voluntary for all participants and the entire process is confidential.

Restorative Conferencing can be an effective process for repairing relationships during, or in the wake of, conflict. It provides an opportunity for exploring the roots of conflict, enhancing mutual understanding, and supporting individual and collective healing.

Restorative Conferencing is often used in cases where one person(s) has caused specific harm to another or others. In criminal justice parlance, these conferences are often called Victim-Offender Conferences (VOC) or Victim-Offender Mediations (VOM). When harm has occurred, those responsible for causing the harm and those harmed by the actions/behavior of others come together to discuss what happened, the impact of the harm, and what can be done to best repair it. Often, members of the community that has been impacted by the harm, are invited to participate in the conference. As with other participants, they are encouraged to share both how they have been impacted and how they can help support efforts toward restitution and reparation.

Pre-Conference Meetings

Prior to a Restorative Conference, the facilitator speaks separately with each party to explore their goals/hopes for the conference, answer questions and help them prepare. In meeting with the person who caused harm, the facilitator will determine their readiness to accept responsibility for their actions or behavior. If the person who caused harm does not acknowledge the harm done, a restorative conference will not be convened.

The Restorative Conference

The actual conference is a structured meeting, led by a trained facilitator, during which all parties are given an opportunity to share their view of what has happened. The harmed party is given an opportunity to describe how they have been impacted by the actions of the person who caused the harm. The person who caused harm has an opportunity to explain their actions and accept responsibility for their harmful behavior. After all, participants have shared their perspectives on what happened and the harm that was caused, the process then turns to developing a plan to best repair the harm.

Benefits of Participation in a Harmed Party

In a Restorative Conference addressing specific harm, you will have the opportunity to:

tell your story in a safe setting, and to be heard and understood
to ask the person who harmed you questions you may have about the incident
to directly share with the person who caused you harm the impact of their actions, including any anger and pain they may have caused
learn more about the person who caused the harm and, potentially, why they did what they did
participate in a collaborative discussion about what can be done to help repair the harm
help ensure that similar incidents will not harm you or others in the future
advance your own personal healing process

Benefits of Participation for a Party that Caused Harm

In a Restorative Conference addressing specific harm, you will have the opportunity to:

tell your story in a safe setting, and to be heard and understood
to have an opportunity to explain your motivations, actions, behavior
to share how the incident has affected you
participate in a collaborative discussion about what can be done to help repair the harm
to avoid having a decision imposed by a judge or some other legal process that may be difficult or impossible for you to comply with
be accountable for your actions and advance your own personal healing process