Transcript Restorative Justice

Restorative Justice
and Reentry: The Indiana
Restorative Reentry Initiative
“The problem of crime cannot be simplified to the problem of the
criminal”
-Leslie Wilkins
Traditional Reentry Approach
Parole
&
Aftercare
Offender
Needs
Treatment
Remedial
Programs
Offender
Risks
Surveillance
Monitoring
Lehman et al. (2002:2)
“Perhaps it is time for us to move away from
what is seen as another ‘offender-centered
approach to one that is by definition more
clearly victim-, community-, and harmcentered.”
The Three “R’s” of Reentry
1) Reparative Justice
- Offender Accountability
- Victim Needs
- Community Healing
The Three “R’s” of Reentry
2) Relationships
- Informal Social Control
- Social Support
- Social Capital
Making reentry “desistance-focused”
(Maruna et al., 2004)
Relationships: Strengthen ‘Concentric Circles
of Support’ (Travis, 2005)
Community Institutions
Criminal
Justice
Agencies
Family
Returning
Prisoner
Peer Group
Service Providers
The Three “R’s” of Reentry
3) Responsibility
- All stakeholders have a responsibility
- Offenders: Make things right; Not reoffend
- Communities: Allow offenders opportunity
to show remorse/repair harm
- Agencies: Allow offender opportunity to
admit wrongdoing/make reparations;
Address victim needs
Promising Approach: Restorative
Justice
 Common definition:
A process whereby all the parties with a
stake in a particular offense come
together to resolve collectively how to
deal with the aftermath of the offense and
its implications for the future.
Goals of Restorative Conference
 Hold offender accountable
 Promote victim’s voice
 Teach offender consequences of act
(empathy)
 Strengthen social bonds
 Restore offender
 Restore victim
 Restore community
 “Earned redemption”
What do we Know about RJ?
 Victims are satisfied with process
 Offenders are satisfied with process
 In some situations, reduces reoffending
 May be most effective with serious offenses
-Sherman and Strang (2007)
Research Gap: RJ and Reentry
 Most of what we know:



Diversionary programs
Low-risk or juvenile offenders
Minor offenses
 Very little research:

Post-sentence RJ
 No systematic evaluations:

In-prison RJ
Indiana Restorative Reentry
Initiative
 Multi-year, DOJ funded, study of face-to-face
restorative conferencing with adult offenders
nearing their release from prison.
 Research Question: Does restorative
conferencing facilitate a more successful
return to the community for offenders leaving
prison?
Sample
 Adult inmates
 Incarcerated at the Plainfield Reentry
Educational Facility (PREF)
Application facility
 Serving final 6-24 months of sentence
http://www.in.gov/idoc/2404.htm

 Violent, property, drug offenses
Methodology: Randomized
Experiment
 Goal: 300 participants (150 in each
condition) by end of 2010.
 Measures:

Pre- and post-surveys




Attitudinal scales (empathy, legitimacy of justice
system, empowerment, etc.)
Positive adjustment (social bonds, housing,
employment, etc.)
Victim healing
Official records

Re-arrest, re-conviction, re-incarceration
RJ Process
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Orientation at intake
Offender sign-up (voluntary)
One-on-one meeting
- eligible?
- discuss nature of study
- consent, pre-survey
Contact victim, family members
- consent, pre-survey
Randomization
1)
Control Group: post-surveys; refer to other programs
2)
Experimental Group: schedule, prepare for conference
Conference
Follow-up
- post-conference interview; post-release surveys
Conferencing Model
 International Institute for Restorative
Practices (IIRP)

Formerly ‘Real Justice’
 Three Phases
1)
2)
3)
What happened?
How were people affected?
What needs to be done to make things right?
 Ends with ‘reintegration ceremony’

Travis (05) – Promote Successful
Reintegration
Outcomes
 Randomization began July, 2009

12 cases
 18 months of previous piloting

42 conferences
Offender Narratives
 Audio
A Victim’s Story
 Video
Institutional Feedback
“The RJ program has provided an avenue to make amends not only
with their victims but with themselves for their mistakes. This program
accentuates the essence of forgiveness and understanding, and has
helped transform the campus environment at PREF.”
Mike Lloyd – Reentry Director, Indiana Department of Correction
- Former Superintendent (PREF)
“RJ is a great addition to the reentry process at PREF. I’ve heard
testimonies from residents…and it seems to give them a sense of
closure. It benefits the residents in many ways and allows them to
begin the next chapter of their lives.”
Latoya Lane – Acting Superintendent
“Restorative justice is a transformational program for residents in
reentry. It has allowed them an opportunity to learn the ramifications of
their offenses and begin the healing process.”
Mia Black – Unit Team Manager
Feedback cont.
“This program provides the residents here at PREF and their
victims/families an opportunity to become responsible for their past
actions and to move on with their lives in a positive and productive
manner.”
Joel Schopmeyer – Instructor
“Being able to attend Restorative Justice meetings has been an
incredible experience for me to learn more about how an offender’s
crime affects so many people in addition to the direct victim. I think this
program is an excellent resource for victims and the offenders to begin
the healing process. “
Elizabeth Slavens - Counselor
Feedback cont.
“When I first heard about the restorative justice program, I did not think
that it would benefit the criminal justice system, the inmate, or the
victims of crimes. I was a non supporter of the program until I sat in on
a conference with a resident that had been incarcerated for over thirty
years. He had a conference with his family that he had not contacted in
over ten years. He was able to reconnect with his family and make
amends with the people he had hurt with his crime. I think that the
restorative justice program is a great asset to the resident’s reentry. It
should be an intensive part of the resident’s release and every inmate
should take advantage of the program. I have seen great
transformation in the residents who have participated in the restorative
justice program.”
Miranda Weliver – Counselor