Restorative Justice Trainings Prepare Community Participants
Safe & Sound’s new Restorative Justice Coordinator, Lauren Thrift – AmeriCorps VISTA, has been working with Erin Katzfey of the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office to offer trainings for the Community Conferencing Program and Safe & Sound’s new Circles of Accountability.
The Community Conferencing Program specializes in non-violent crime and provides an alternative to traditional criminal sentencing by bringing together the victim, offender, and affected community members. Together they discuss the impact of the particular crime and plan how the offender will repair the harm. Similarly, Circles of Accountability expose juvenile first-time burglary offenders to the human reality of their crimes.
A successful Community Member Volunteer Training for the Community Conferencing Program was held on Monday, October 3rd. Another was held on Wednesday, October 5th, from 1:30 to 3:00 PM at Blessed Savior Parish, 8607 West Villard Avenue. Participation in this introductory session enable interested residents to learn the basics of restorative practices, how to ask questions, and to share stories in a manner that builds community and creates a safe space. Upon completion, you can become a volunteer community member participant in actual criminal cases with non-violent first time offenders.
Over 20 people signed up to be trained as facilitators for the Community Conferencing Program. The training ran from 8:30am – 4:30 pm both days and was held at Neighborhood House, 2819 West Richardson Place, one of Safe & Sound’s Safe Places. Safe Place youth development staff and any interested community stakeholders were encouraged to register and take part in this valuable training experience.
Once trained as Community Conferencing Volunteers, those interested are also eligible to be trained as Community Representatives with Circles of Accountability and be part of conferences with first-time juvenile offenders. The Circles of Accountability Community Representative Workshop was held on October 18th from 6:30 – 8:30 PM.
Safe & Sound is also seeking individuals who have been victims of burglary for these Circles. Called ‘Surrogate Victims,’ individuals who share their stories often feel empowered after describing their own personal experience and hearing the stories of young burglary offenders. This is a unique opportunity for those who would like to share their story of how burglary has impacted their lives, and seek impact the lives of young offenders through this process.
To register for trainings, please contact Safe & Sound at 414-221-6700 or Lauren Thrift, Restorative Justice Coordinator.
DOWNLOAD: Community Conferencing Facilitators Training
