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Facilitating Restorative Group Conferences

Lesson 3: Understanding the Participants

Minnesota Department of Correctionswith the National Institute of Corrections

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Lesson Objectives (1) Identify the impact of crime on victims Learn how to facilitate conferences =

sensitive to and address needs of victims, their families & their supporters

Identify how the offender is impacted by his/her own actions

Understand the dynamics of criminal thinking

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Learn how to facilitate conferences = responsive to the needs of the offender, his/her family & supporters

Understand the impact of crime on the community

Identify members of the community to be involved in the conference

Lesson Objectives (2)

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Activity

Simple, Challenging, Outrageous

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Restorative Conferencing Addresses Shared Interests

OffenderInterests

VictimInterests

CommunityInterests

Victim/Offender/Community

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Zehr’s Restorative Approach Questions

What is the harm? What needs to be done to repair the

harm? Who is responsible for this repair?

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Stakeholder Identification Questions

Who was harmed? Who caused the harm? Who else may have a stake in the

process?

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Understanding Victims: Four Major Impact Areas

Physical Emotional Psychological Financial

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Victims’ Physical Responses

Physical shock, disorientation, numbness Physiological reaction to “fight or flight”

instinct: Adrenaline begins to pump Body relieves itself of excess materials Heart rate increases Hyperventilation, sweating, etc Heightened sensory perception Exhaustion

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1) impact stage: shock, disbelief, denial

2) recoil stage: emotional roller coaster Anger or rage Fear or terror Frustration Grief or sorrow Guilt or self-blame Spiritual trauma Re-experiencing the trauma

3) reconstruction of equilibrium:a new and balanced equilibrium

Victims’ Emotional Reactions

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Severity of the Crisis Reaction = Affected By: Intensity of event Suddenness of occurrence Duration of event Ability to understand what happened Stability of victim/survivor equilibrium at

time of event

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Victims’ Recovery = Affected By: Severity of crisis reaction Ability to understand in retrospect

what happened Stability of victim/survivor equilibrium

following event Supportive environment Validation of experience

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Recovery Issues Getting control of event in

victim/survivor’s mind Working out understanding of event and

redefinition of values Re-establishing new equilibrium/life Re-establishing trust Re-establishing identity and future Re-establishing meaning

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Needs of the Victim

SAFETY & SECURITY

VENT & VALIDATE

REMAIN NON-

JUDGMENTAL

FOLLOW-UP

KEEPPROMISE

S

RETURN

PHONE CALLS PREDICT &

PREPARE

PROBLEMS & PLANS

EMPOWER

TREAT WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT

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Helpful Responses Support victim Reject stereotypes and myths Appreciate natural and formal

support systems Assist in developing new systems &

resources Actively collaborate Examine your own attitudes,

understanding and knowledge

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Tolerate victim’s ambivalence, anger and roller coaster feelings

Allow victim to work through his/her own problems

Do not re-victimize; offer support and information so victim can gain sense of his/her own power

Be realistic in all aspects

Helpful Responses - 2

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Facilitator’s Initial Contact – DO: Listen – allow victim to describe in

his/her own words Provide information about process Clarify your role Maximize victim’s choices Evaluate readiness & appropriateness Provide information about other

assistance

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Facilitator’s Initial Contact – DO NOT:

Sell conferencing or pressure victim Talk about needs of offender Minimize impact Ignore victim’s feelings or concerns Promise things not in your power

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Common Questions Do I have to do this? What will happen if the other party refuses to

cooperate or creates problems? Will the offender be more likely to retaliate if I

do this? What if I choose not to do this? How will this benefit me/why would I do this? How do I explain this to friends or family

members who doubt the process? I feel pressured – can I take some time to

think about it?

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Applying Restorative Theory in Conferencing (See Scenario)

Who were the victims (direct & indirect)?

How was each victim impacted by the crime?

What are the concerns of each victim that should be considered when conducting the conference?

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Understanding Offenders:Excuses (“Officer Krupke”)

What excuses do offenders make for their behavior?

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Cognitive Behavioral Intervention: Restorative Goals

To help the offender change: What they think (content) How they think (process) How they behave (behavior)

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It Is Important to Communicate That:

How and what offenders think affects their behavior

Thinking can be influenced People are capable of change Hard work can change old ways of

thinking and behaving

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Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Requires: Cognitive restructuring - changing “what

we think” Cognitive skills development - changing

“how we think” Behavior strategies - changing “how we

behave”

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Criminal Thinking Distortions

Displacing responsibility Minimization Dehumanization Moral justification Reconstruction of the act Comparison Diffusion of responsibility

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Applying Restorative Theoryin Conferencing (Scenario)

Who are the offenders? What excuses might they use? What should you be attentive to in

preparing for the conference? How might those related to offender

be affected?

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Understanding Community: What Is Community?

People connected: Geographically By relationship By responsibility or interests

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Why Involve Community

?

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Community’s Role in Conferencing

Address how community is affected Hold offender accountable Support completion of agreements Identify resources to contribute to

agreements

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Community’s Role with Victims Support victims Validate experience of victims Hold offenders directly accountable

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Community’s Role with Offenders Support offenders by looking at

behavior, not individual Help offenders understand how their

behavior affects their community Establish community norms Provide a means for reintegration

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Community’s Rolewith Itself

Conferencing process builds community competency and problem solving - brings community together

Community members share responsibility for dealing with neighborhood issues

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Involving Community: Things to Remember (Setting Up A Conferencing Project) Respect diversity of community and

each community member’s beliefs Diversity shapes the most appropriate

solutions Be inclusive Assure that all views of impacted

community are represented

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Invite participation throughout conferencing process

Encourage community members to become invested in program

Understand that community members also experience shock, disbelief, anger, fear, etc.

Be sensitive

(2)

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Involving Community: Things to Remember (Setting Up a Conference)

Provide sufficient notice Be accessible Speak with community members before

conference to explain process and purpose Involve community in developing outcomes Keep community members informed of

outcomes

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Practice Conference 1Steps in a Conference

Preamble: facilitator intro and role, intro of participants, purpose, agenda, ground rules, (set tone)

Participants’ stories: victim or offender (victim’s choice), the other, supporters of each, and again until done

Repairing the harm: agreement

Closing the conference

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Processing Questions

How did it feel in each of your roles? What did you see that you liked? Was a reasonable agreement reached? What made it difficult to reach

consensus? What helped to move the group along? How could the facilitator have improved

their performance?

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Evaluation of Today

In groups of approximately 5 people, discuss and note:

What worked well for you today? What you would like to see done

differently or added tomorrow?

* A reporter from each group will stay after to report the group’s feedback