About Restorative Justice

WHAT IS RESTORATIVE JUSTICE OF NORTHWEST WISCONSIN, INC.,
WHAT DO WE DO, AND WHO ARE WE?

Restorative justice is a philosophical framework which has been proposed as an alternative to the current way of thinking about crime and criminal justice. RJNW emphasizes the ways in which crime harms relationships with the victim and the community.

Restorative Justice of Northwest Wisconsin, Inc. (RJNW) is a community-based response to connect individuals, strengthen relationship, and build safe communities through the use of restorative justice practices. It is a response to crime that is concerned with repairing the harm caused and helping all people affected. Victims often feel ignored and forgotten in the criminal justice process. RJNW attempts to look at the needs of the victim. Often times, this acknowledgment can provide a sense of empowerment for the victim. It also can provide an opportunity for restitution and vindication. This may be the only time a victim is given the opportunity to ask the offender about the crimes committed and why they were chosen to be victimized.

For the offender RJNW gives them an opportunity to take responsibility and be held accountable for their actions.  It can also ease some of the guilt and shame they may feel while making the connection back into the community possible.  The offender takes responsibility and has an obligation to put right the wrongs done.  After they have taken responsibly then it decided by all involved what the offender can do to make this right.  This may include repairing some damage caused, paying back money that has been taken, or preforming a number of community service hours.

RJNW cannot succeed without the support of the community.  Community members are also affected by crime.  When community members become involved in the RJNW process they are showing support and encouragement to both the victim and the offender.  In short, RJNW attempts to show that crime affects more than just the victim and the offender. It also shows that crime is a violation against a victim and the community as a whole.

RJNW has been asked to think outside the box in a community with limited resources. As you will see in the pages that follow, RJNW has met that request with additional programming. It has been our privilege to serve the residents of Burnett and surrounding counties.

re·stor·a·tive jus·tice
noun
a system of criminal justice that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large.

WHAT WE DO

Programs Included . . .

Hiding in Plain Sight Room
Restorative Justice has created a Hiding in Plain Sight room.  This room is an awareness program for parents.  It is designed to educate them on some of the things that they may be missing in their teens room. This room is unique in that it is much more than just listening to a lecture.   This is an interactive exhibit for adults only.  Parents are invited to come up and look around the room.  They try to identify items that could be a sign of risky behavior.  Items in the room help parents to better understand that many seemingly ordinary items can have double meanings.  The room may also help parents identify the warning signs of drug use before it becomes an addiction.   The earlier that parents are aware, the earlier they can intervene.  This can start communication with their child and help to maintain a connection when it comes to drugs and alcohol.

Technology and the internet are making it easier to access products that are being used by youth to hide drugs and paraphernalia.  There are over 50 items in this room that are directly linked to drug and alcohol use.  Most items were purchased on line. This room is an effort to educate and inform parents about what is in the community. The room has been to 11 different locations and has had over 400 visits to date.

Operation Safe Exchange
Operation Safe Exchange assists parents and family members with the peaceful exchange of their children at a safe place. It also establishes healthy exchange patterns which will, in the long run, keep families safe. The program allows children to look forward to seeing their other parent without worrying about any altercations between parents.

AODA (Alcohol and Other Drug of Abuse) Youth Educational Circles
The program is structured to be interactive and takes place in a circle meeting style. Small group discussions center around Choice’s curriculum, with participants sharing their responses with other peers and receiving feedback. Community members are also in the circle offering their life experiences.  A key recovery speaker from the community shares their story of their own high risk behaviors and how it affected their life. Education, risk reduction, and changing of behaviors are the ultimate goal of these circles. These circles are also designed for the youth to make a connection with the community and members in it. It gives them a sense of something larger than themselves. Often times making them realize their dangerous behavior has huge consequences to all.

Community Service
Community Service Program is an alternative to jail placement or fines for some non-violent offenders at the discretion of the court for both adults and juveniles. Community Service fosters a sense of social responsibility for offenders. Participants are provided with a constructive means to repair the harm they have caused the community. Community Service greatly reduces the burden to the county by reducing jail expenses.

Victim Impact Panels
Victim Impact Panels consist of a small group of victims, offenders, and secondary victims of drunk driving tragedies who relate how their lives have been affected by the sudden loss of a loved one or someone they harmed.  At a Victim Impact Panel, OWI offenders listen to these personal stories of the devastating effects of the decision to drink and drive. These panels are intended to change behavior while being provided a nonjudgmental setting.  Program evaluations continually point out the importance of this program to the offenders.

Victim Offender Conferences
Victim Offender Conferences provide victims of crime the opportunity to meet with the offender in a safe and structured setting with trained facilitators to disclose the full impact of the crime. Victims help hold offenders accountable for their actions and help decide the best ways to repair the harm.  Families of victims and offenders also participate in this process.  Most referrals come from the circuit court, social services, or municipal court.