Restorative Justice

Restorative Justice in Our Community and Yours – NVMS webinar presented as part of the ADRhub.org annual programs.

How is Restorative Justice Different?

A restorative justice (RJ) conference is a dialogue between people who were harmed and those suspected of creating the harm. It is a safe and guided process that holds people accountable for their choices and behaviors, while strengthening relationships in the community.

Traditional Justice	Restorative Justice
What rules were broken?	What happened?
Who broke them?	Who was harmed?
How should they be punished?	How can this harm be repaired?

The Restorative Justice Process

At NVMS we have a roster of trained and experienced restorative justice facilitators. If you experienced a harmful incident that you believe would benefit from an RJ conference, we are here to help.

How It Works

Step 1. Intake After all parties have agreed to move forward, brief individual phone interviews are conducted to determine the parties’ issues, appropriateness for mediation, and availability. This information will be used to assign the most qualified mediator to your case and provide background information before the first session.

Step 2. Scheduling Once the intake is completed, an RJ facilitator will be assigned to your case.

Step 3. Pre-Conference Sessions The trained facilitator will reach out to each RJ conference participant and schedule individual pre-conference discussions. At these pre-conferences, the facilitator will meet with each participant to understand their perspective about the incident, their needs, and their willingness and readiness to meet jointly with the other participants.

Step 4. Joint Conference After all participants have completed a pre-conference session the facilitator will schedule a time to bring the full group together. In the joint restorative justice conference, the facilitators help participants engage in a safe and confidential conversation about the incident of harm. They will assist the participants in constructing an agreement that repairs the harm (as much as feasible) and restores affected relationships.

Participation in a restorative justice process remains voluntary. You have the option of terminating the session at any time if you don’t feel that it is an appropriate venue for you.

Step 5. Agreement and Compliance If all participants reach an agreement, the facilitator will capture it on paper. All participants will be asked to sign the agreement and commit to fulfilling their responsibilities. This document is not legally binding.

Other Restorative Justice Services

Fairfax County Alternative Accountability Program
NVMS provides restorative justice conferences for juvenile criminal cases that are referred through the AAP. Click here for more information about the Alternative Accountability Program.

Restorative Justice Training and Consultation
Are you looking to set up a restorative justice program in your community or school? NVMS trainers and facilitators are available for:

• case facilitation
• consultations
• program design
• training and mentoring new restorative justice facilitators