Why Restorative Justice helps us with ‘belonging’.

Maslow’s Hierchy of needs, from changing minds.org.  There’s belonging right in the middle.  First we have the basic needs, food, shelter and clothing.  Then freedom from danger, and in the middle, BELONGING.
How many incidences of crime or harm do you think DON’T impact the bottom two,  safety and basic needs?  Sleep disturbance is a common impact of [...]

Restorative Justice Talking Circles, the simplest of questions can connect us.

I teach Intro to Restorative Justice at UWRF, and I our class format is the Circle process.  I LOVE it!  The students love it.  In three semesters of teaching it, I have only gotten one student that didn’t like the process.  Anyway . . .
I came up with the “getting acquainted” question off the top [...]

Volunteer statements: “every Circle is my favorite”, “I needed this Circle more than anyone here”

Once and awhile I get tired.  I get tired and lonely and frustrated.  I wonder why I am a workaholic and kick myself for doing this to myself.  I keep repeating a cycle.  Then I am in Circle and people say things that catch me off guard.
Suddenly someone is talking about surviving physical abuse as [...]

Having no boundaries works . . . when it comes to volunteer recruitement.

I got the wrong number and tried to get the person to become a volunteer.
A man on the treadmill next to me,  tried making small talk, I tried to get him to volunteer.  Someone came to the office to use the phone.  I got him to volunteer.  To convert a wrong number to a volunteer, that’s a new [...]

Volunteer gratitude, a community member responds to the “we were bored” explanation.

You can’t do Restorative Justice without community members.  I believe they bring in collective wisdom.  I train our volunteers on aspects of Restorative Justice, and request they show up with their best selves.
I focus on Restorative Justice Accountability as being:

acknowledging you caused harm
understanding that harm from anothers point of view
recognizing where you had choices
take steps [...]

The Fundraiser was a smashing SUCCESS!

I got to the hotel banquet room early.  I wish I would have snapped a photo.  The SCVRJP logo was on the program at each place setting.  Coffee mugs with the SCVRJP logo created a circle shaped center pieces.  There were 15 roundtables, each seating eight set up the length of the banquet room.  As [...]

Can I admit this . . . Restorative Justice Volunteer Facilitators are hard to maintain.

We have a blessing at SCVRJP, our conferencing case referrals for June, more than what we’ve had January – thru May.  This has forced me to get volunteer facilitators to do some cases.  When we have had small numbers, I usually can cover them, I like to do it this way.  I feel I have [...]

Small acts of kindness go a long way – and Restorative Justice is effective for being personal.

I am in beautiful Boise Idaho.  The 2nd Annual Northwest Alcohol Conference – it’s already seeming like it will be a good conference.  Last night in our hotel room, my daughter and I were starteled by a knock at the door.  Surely, they must have the wrong room, “I have a delivery for you”.  What!?  [...]

How Restorative Justice impacted a former cop and a former delinquent.

I was in my hometown coffee shop today, waiting to meet with some volunteers.  I recognized a customer, took me a moment to place that he was my financial guy from Edward Jones.  He didn’t seem to recognize me, he left and then came back in.  My guess is that my car license plate reminded [...]

The Restorative Justice storyteller, is a hero, transforming hearts, opening minds.

SCVRJP had a board of directors meeting tonight.  A strategic planning meeting and it went quite well.  I have recently really framed my role as one of support and being a resource to the board.  (it would take an entirely different post to explain).
I offered the resource of having board members tell a story about [...]