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Marathon County
Restorative Justice Programs
STANDARDS
OF PRACTICE
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Cases will
be assigned by the Coordinator as soon as
possible. Within 72 hrs of receiving a referral,
the facilitator will:
Facilitator
will document ALL contacts with the victim,
offender, or any collateral sources.
Documentation will be done by computer in the
Activity/Progress Notes format.
Link to required
Forms Folder 1
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Within one
week of the introductory letter being sent, the
facilitator will contact the offender/family to
set up a pre-conference meeting. The
pre-conference may be held at Goodwill, in the
client’s home, or at some other appropriate, yet
private, meeting place. The facilitator should
not meet with a juvenile client in their home
alone. A parent or other responsible
family member should be present.
Link to required
Forms Folder 2
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At the
offender pre-conference, the Facilitator will
follow the Pre-Conference Interview Guidelines.
The Release of Information Form will also need
to be explained and signatures obtained. If the
offender is willing and deemed to be an
appropriate candidate for a Victim – Offender
Conference, get several dates that might work
out for a full conference. If the offender is
unwilling to meet with the victim, explain that
the referral will be sent back to the referral
source and the case will take the normal legal
route. If the offender is willing, but the
facilitator does not feel the offender is a good
candidate at this time, state that you will
discuss the case with the Coordinator and get
back to them.
In cases
where no victim is identified on the referral
form, (i.e. Family Group Conferencing [FGC],
Youth Educational Shoplifting Program [Y.E.S.],
Youth Restitution Project [YRP], and the Prime
for Life AODA Program) treat the family members
as the victims and proceed directly to a
full-conference (#7). A pre-conference with the
family members is not necessary for these types
of cases.
Link to
required Forms Folder 3
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After the
offender pre-conference, a victim introductory
letter and brochure is mailed. If however, you
have questions as to the readiness of the
offender to meet with the victim, hold off on
sending such a letter until you have discussed
this with the Coordinator.
Link to required
Forms Folder 4
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Within one
week of the introductory letter being sent, a
facilitator will contact the victim to set up a
pre-conference meeting. The pre-conference may
be held at Goodwill, in the victim’s home, or at
some other appropriate, yet private, meeting
place. The facilitator should not meet with a
teen victim in their home alone. A parent or
other responsible family member should be
present.
Link to required
Forms Folder 5
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At the
victim preconference, the Facilitator will
follow the Pre-Conference Interview Guidelines.
If the victim is willing to meet with the
offender, suggest the dates given to you by the
offender. If these dates do not work for the
victim, collect some other possible dates and
decide on a meeting place for the conference. If
the victim is unwilling to meet with the
offender, ask the victim what they feel the
offender might do to make things better. State
that you will suggest these things to the
offender and will get back to the victim on the
status of the case. If both parties are willing
to participate in a victim-offender conference
however; schedule and confirm a date, time, and
place for the conference. It is best to find a
neutral place that both parties will feel
comfortable with (i.e. Goodwill Community Room,
school conference room, library conference room,
etc.).
Link to required
Forms Folder 6
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During a
full conference (VOC or FGC), the following
things will need to be covered: the Consent to
Participate Form, the conference interview
(follow the Conference Facilitator’s Script),
the Agreement Form, and the Participation
Surveys (voluntary). The follow-up of the case
should be discussed between the Coordinator and
Facilitator and a plan will be made to bring the
case to a successful completion.
For
referrals such as the Youth Educational
Shoplifting Program and the Prime for Life AODA
Program, a Family Conference is held and an
agreement (use Family Conferencing Agreement
Form) is made between the family members. For
those referred for the Restitution Project, a
Victim-Offender Conference may have already
taken place. If the teen has made an agreement
with the victim, but needs assistance earning
the funds, the teen and their parent/s will sign
the Restitution Agreement Form. If a
Victim-Offender Conference did not take place,
and is not asked for on the referral, a Family
Conference is held and the Restitution Agreement
Form is used.
Note:
Copies of the Agreement Forms are given to the
parties at the conference, if the Facilitator
has access to a copier, or mailed to them
shortly after the conference. Pre-conference
notes, Conference notes, the Agreement Form, and
the Release of Information are all sent to the
referral source after the conference takes
place.
Link to
required Forms Folder 7
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Once the
case is complete, the Facilitator will be
responsible for sending a Closure Memo to the
offender and victim. A letter is also sent to
the victim and offender, thanking them for their
participation.
The Closure
Memo and copies of any other documentation (i.e.
apology letters, community service logs, AODA
related attendance records, etc) are sent to the
referral source on the closure date.
A
statistical sheet will be completed by the
Facilitator and placed in the file. Statistical
data will also be entered into the Excel program
designed for this purpose.
The
Coordinator will do a Case Review, before the
file is placed in the file cabinet with the
other closed cases.
Link to
required Forms Folder 8
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