What is Restorative Conferencing?  

Restorative Conferencing provides paths, structures, and opportunities for future community building.  It is a structured meeting between offenders, victims, and both parties’ family and friends during which the consequences of the crime or incident are dealt with and decisions are made about how to best repair the harm.  Conferencing is a victim-sensitive problem-solving method allowing participants to address their problems.  It is neither counseling nor mediation, but an opportunity for victims and others to be heard;  to confront the offender, express their feelings, and have a say in the outcome.  Offenders hear how their behavior has affected people directly;  allowing them the opportunity to apologize and otherwise repair the harm.  Offenders are held accountable while being able to be reintegrated into the community, school, or workplace.