The Crime Victim Role: Family Group Decision Making and Restorative Group Conferencing

1. The Crime Victim Role: Family Group Decision Making and Restorative Group Conferencing Susan Blackburn Patti Noss April 23, 2014

2. Workshop Objectives • Identify and compare the core values and principles of Family Group Decision Making and Restorative Group Conferencing • Recognize the similarities and the differences in the meeting process between the 2 models • Differentiate the role of the crime victim in each model • Recognize how each model addresses the reduction of the traumatic stress of justice involvement by families, youth and crime victims

3. Systemic Clarifications • Balanced and Restorative Justice is the mission of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice System built on values, principles and beliefs • Restorative Group Conferencing is a process/program that encompasses those values, principles and beliefs and empowers crime victims • Family Group Decision Making is a practice built on values, principles and beliefs supported by the PA Department of Public Welfare and The Administrative Office of the PA Supreme Court • The Family Group Conference is a process that encompasses those values, principles and beliefs while empowering families and community

4. PA Balanced and Restorative Justice Community Protection Victim Restoration Youth Redemption Three Clients: • Community • Victims • Youth Three goals: • Community Protection • Accountability • Competency Development

5. Shared Interest Offender Interests Victim Interests Community Interests Victim/Offender/ Community

6. What is FGDM? • Family Group Decision Making is a strength based, solution focused, collaborative practice that draws on the inherent strength and knowledge of family and community • A practice that addresses key concerns in order for an agreed upon purpose to be achieved via a written and collaborative planning process

7. FGDM : Foundational Values and Beliefs • Families have strengths and can change • Strengths resolve concerns • Family Members should be the primary decision makers for their family • Empowering people is preferable to controlling them

8. Empowering families will lead to families controlling their lives Family Members know their families best Children are best raised in families Families should be respected Mistakes are opportunities for growth and development

9. All families have the greatest investment in seeing their children safe and successful • All families have the ability to come together and solve family concerns • All families have some resources they can count on to help them in times of need

10. What is RGC ? • Restorative Group Conferencing is a practice which provides opportunities for those most directly affected by a crime (victim, offender, families, and other community members) to be actively involved in the process of addressing harms, needs and obligations • Conferencing focuses on offender accountability and repair of the harm, victim healing, and community safety, through a face-to-face encounter/dialogue

11. RGC Process: Foundational Values and Beliefs • When a crime is committed victims and communities are harmed • By committing these offenses, juvenile offenders incur an obligation to repair that harm • Victims, communities, offenders and their families should have opportunities for active involvement in the justice process

12. Comparison of Meeting Process Family Group Decision Making Restorative Group Conferencing • Referral • Preparation • Meeting Process • Introductions • Guidelines • Family Tradition • Brief History • Sharing of Strengths • Sharing of Concerns • Agency Bottom Line Concerns • Referral • Preparation • Meeting Process • Introductions • Review Process and Incident • Participants Stories • Victim or Offender (victim’s choice) • Input from supporters of each • Discussion on harms, needs and prevention • Reparations, needs, and prevention plan

13. Family Group Decision Making Stages Restorative Group Conferencing Stages • Meeting Process (con’t) • Sharing of Resources • Sharing of a meal • Private family time • Presentation and acceptance of the family plan • Follow-up via Post Conference and 30 Day Call • Meeting Process (con’t) • Acceptance by group of the plan components • Plan write up/documentation • Facilitator • Sharing of meal (very optional) • Follow-up

14. Dynamics of Victimization • A crime victim does not choose to be a victim • Many crime victims suffer from the crime and can be impacted in numerous ways such as: • Physical, financial, and emotional harm • Crisis reactions and PTSD • The effects from victimization vary with individual victims • Care must be used when assessing the victims ability to face the offender/family

15. Concerns Around Victim Inclusion • Varying levels of crime victim trauma • Relationship of crime victim to the child and family • Confidentiality for crime victim, child and family • There may be times that a crime victim may not be appropriate for a family group conference

16. Crime Victim Role Family Group Decision Making Restorative Group Conferencing • Process is family driven with victim voice followed • Youth must admit to offense • Preparation is comprehensive for both crime victim and their supporters • Victim has a choice as to what level of involvement, if any, they want • Victim may incorporate a “bottom line concern” that addresses their needs which the youth/family must address • Process is victim- focused • Participation is voluntary • Youth must admit to offense • Preparation is comprehensive for both crime victim and their supporters • Victims may be asked to complete an impact statement • Victim(s) and supports are seated first • Victim has option of speaking first • Meeting Process • Participants share their stories • express their feelings and needs

17. RGC and FGDM Similarities • RGC provides a format for the inclusion of all parties • RGC provides a format for the offending juvenile and his/her family to be accountable and responsible to repair the harm caused to the victim and the community • RGC provides a venue in which that participation can occur safely • RGC provides an opportunity for the family / participants to develop a plan that addresses accountability, competency development and community protection • FGDM provides a format for the inclusion of all parties • FGDM provides a format for accountability to occur in a collaborative manner to ensure that the juvenile is held accountable and responsible • FGDM provides a venue in which that participation can occur safely • FGDM provides an opportunity for the family group to develop a plan that addresses accountability, competency development, and community protection

18. RGC and FGDM Differences RGC • Incident focused • Victim centered • Victim /community needs • Participants narrative (victim option for speaking first) • No Private Participant time • Victim Empowerment FGDM • Family driven • Family and victim needs • Sharing of strengths • Sharing of concerns • Private Family time • Family and Victim Empowerment

19. Victim Voice in RGC/FGDM RGC Victim’s choice to be involved: • Not involved • Submit a victim impact statement • Make an informed decision to participate in a RGC • Secondary victim’s can be involved in they choose FGDM Victim’s choice to be involved as they choose: • Not involved • Written statement • Written statement with accountability expectation • Phoned in for part or all of FGC • Present for part or all of FGC

20. FGDM & RGC in Juvenile Justice: • Both processes are a means to address juvenile justice goals • Both processes are evidence based practices FGDM/RGC Work Best : • As a diversion to entering the Juvenile Justice System/Intake • When a juvenile has admitted to the offense or been adjudicated of the offense • When a juvenile is under JPO supervision • When a juvenile is returning from placement

21. Questions/Comments