The Victim-Offender
Reconciliation Program of Metro
Denver
www.DenverVORP.org  P&F (303)534-6167  rj@denvervorp.org
430 West 9th Ave Denver, Colorado 80204
Restorative Justice is a set of principles and practices that focus on empowering victims,
restoring relationships and giving offenders an opportunity to make amends for their actions. Think of RJ as “restorative
practices” –that is anything that repairs relationships and harm after a crime.
Restorative justice principals are indigenous to most cultures and is used in a variety of contexts like schools, prisons,
community based organizations, and governmental organizations . At VORP we use restorative justice as a tool to end
the school-to-jail pipeline and keep youth out of jail because youth that go through restorative practices are less likely to
re-offend (VORP Evaluation 2012).
Restorative Justice
Criminal Justice
Focuses on the harm done to relationships.
Focuses on the crime against the state.
Bring individuals and community together
Separates the “offender” from the community.
Stakeholders = victims, offenders, and community.
Terminology = victims, offenders, perps, etc.
The “offender” is held accountable and takes
responsibility for their actions.
The “offender” is sentenced often without any direct
input or testimony.
The “victim” is empowered through the ability to express
the harm and learn about the circumstances of the
“event”.
The victim is an observer in the process.
Regaining trust: the offender is given a chance to make
amends and change their role as a “bad guy”.
Stigma: the offender gains a reputation and holds on to
the role due to guilt.
Victim versus offender: in RJ we can discuss the harm of
the “stakeholders”. “Offenders” have experienced
victimization and “victims” have often been “offenders”.
No discussion—these roles of “victim” and “offender” are
set.
Forgiveness: (though NOT REQUIRED) can be an
outcome for both parties. In giving the parties an
opportunity to make sense of the “event” , the “victim”
can forgive the “offender”; and the “offender” can
forgive himself or herself.
Forgiveness (or making sense of the impact of the “event”
in their lives) is something done privately, without the
benefit of the other party.
What needs to happen for this to be effective?
The
offender(s)
The victim(s)
The
facilitators
The
community
The Victim &
Offender
Support

They need to be held accountable by members in the circle

They need take responsibility for the harm they caused

They need to be given an opportunity to make amends

They need to feel social pressure from the people in the group (not oppressors)

They need to have the capacity for empathy. (otherwise, may re-traumatize the victim).

They need to feel heard.

They need to feel safe.

They need to have some control over how the offender makes amends.

They need to be present

They need be authentic

They need to model language, behavior, presence, authenticity

They need to move the process along.

They need to protect both the offender and the victim from more trauma.

They should be trained as facilitators.

They need to speak for the authentic community of the offender and victim.

They have an obligation to support both the victims and the offenders.

These people are ancillary to the crime or event and can either support or disrupt the
process.

They need to a chance to talk about how the “event” or crime has affected them.

The facilitator needs to establish boundaries for their participation.
Where is RJ used & where you find work using RJ?
1. Schools: “post-Columbine” environment where there is “zero-tolerance” for “anti-social” behavior. The result is
police are in schools & youth receive municipal tickets for fighting, drugs etc; youth have a “criminal
background” before reaching adulthood and have established a relationship with the criminal justice system
most-likely based on humiliation and negative feedback. The School-to-Jail Track.
Important orgs: Padres y Jovenes Unidos- Lalo Montaya, VORP Board Member, was critical at re-negotiating the
contact between DPS & DPD and passing state legislation to change the role of police officers in schools.
2. Community Based Organization (CBOs): contracting with local municipal, county & district courts to provide
forms of restorative justice such as victim-offender mediation, community group conferences (both called
Face2Face @ VORP), victim- impact panels, community-based mediation services & training. Most labor is
volunteer.
3. Government: there are limited number of cities/counties/states that use restorative justice & mediation in a
very limited way. Ft. Collins, the 4th Judicial District in Colorado Springs, Jefferson County, Denver County. Most
labor is volunteer.
New trends & things to be aware of:
Post-Traumatic Stress (not PTSD—this is not a disorder).
The most interesting work being done in this area can be found at traumahealing.com – headquartered in Boulder! Get
trained and be very aware of the symptoms, treatment & self-care. (There are need-based scholarships for training—
take advantage while you’re still poor).
The New Jim Crowe
Social justice is critical to working in criminal justice & restorative justice.
Emerging Fields in RJ: (all @ The Butterfly Effect of Colorado .org)
1. Alternative Sentencing for Adults
2. Community-based Re-entry circles: The Butterfly Effect
3. Sex-Offenders: COSA—Circles of Support & Accountability
4. Using RJ in all member-serving organizations.
5. Training organizations & communities in the use of RJ: ethnic communities, HOAs, small governments
Emergent Theories of RJ:
We know that using RJ reduces recidivism rates, but it is difficult to determine how much given the nature of the data.

Few CBOs track data well. Governments track data differently, in different systems, with different laws

There is disagreement over the role of RJ and in trying to capture it, you need to define it. Colorado RJ Board is
trying to create a survey to be used throughout the state.
1. Social contract theory
2. Dignity: Donna Hicks –speaking at CU Denver @ noon Oct. 16th & Colorado Springs Oct. 17th.
3. ___________________________________________________________________
What makes RJ effective:
1. Cannot be shaming or oppressive:
a. Dignity by Donna Hicks
2. Genuine community must be representative in the circle.
a. Over-representation of Minorities in Criminal Justice (New Jim Crowe by Michele Alexander)
3. Ground-rules
a. always state the norms of the circle
4. Listening—not lecturing. See VORP’s 5 Steps to changing behavior.