Restorative Conferencing for Youth is a victim-offender conferencing program for juvenile offenders. The service is offered as a sentencing option through the Boys and Girls Club Peer Court program and the Portage County Health and Human Services deferred prosecution program.

Restorative Conferencing for Youth is a process that provides interested victims an opportunity to meet their juvenile offender(s) in a safe and structured setting with the goal of holding the offender directly responsible for his or her behavior, while providing important assistance and support to the victim. Offenders referred to our program begin participation  in a victim-offender conference. Only offenders willing to accept responsibility for the harm they caused are brought into the program to be held accountable to those they have harmed. The conferences are dialogue driven and bring together victims, offenders, families, supporters and other community stakeholders impacted by the crime. With the support of trained volunteer facilitators, participants are guided to work toward a mutual agreement that repairs the harm and promotes healing between all participants.

What have we learned from research?

• Victims of crime who meet with their offender are far more likely to be satisfied with the justice system.
• Process reduces stereotypes on the part of both the victims and offenders.
• After meeting the offender, victims are significantly less fearful of being revictimized.
• Offenders who meet their victim(s) are far more likely to successfully complete their restitution obligations and to be directly accountable to the victim for their behavior.
• Considerably fewer and less serious crimes are committed by offenders who participate in victim- offender conferencing programs.

Are crime victims interested?

Yes, victim-offender conferencing is not appropriate for all crimes. In all cases, it must be presented as a voluntary choice to the victim. With more than 20 years of facilitating many thousands of cases throughout North America, experience has shown that the majority of victims presented with the option of conferencing choose to enter into the process.  A recent statewide public opinion poll in Minnesota found that 82% of a random sample of citizens from throughout the state would consider participating in a victim-offender conferencing program if they were the victim of a property crime. Interviews with 280 victims who participated in conferencing programs in four states, found that 91% felt their participation was totally voluntary.