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Credit for the invention of Restorative Justice is given to many different civilizations, people, countries and communities, including pre-feudal Europe. From the indigenous and Maori people who always brought their tribes together when a crime happened, to the people of New Zealand who have reformed their court and corrections system to start with a Restorative process.
We like to say that Restorative Justice brings us back to the way things used to be…the way they should be. Restorative practices present a way of looking at criminal justice that emphasizes repairing the harm done to people and relationships rather than only punishing offenders (Zehr, 1990). |
Restorative Justice in Vermont
Vermont is a nationally recognized leader in the development of community-based restorative justice services to victims. Springfield Restorative Justice, as many Restorative Panels throughout the state, started as a grassroots endeavor. Building on the community-centered movement in Vermont in the 1980s and 1990s, research suggested Vermonters wanted more involvement with the justice system to allow communities to better respond to crime and conflict. They wanted repair, not vengeance; what was broken, fixed; what was stolen, returned; what was defaced, cleaned; what was destroyed, replaced.
As a result of this research, in 1994, the Department of Corrections received a Bureau of Justice Assistant grant to pilot Reparative Probation to allow volunteers to voice the harm to community and facilitate a restorative agreement with those responsible. In 1998, based on the success of those programs, the Department of Corrections (DOC) partnered with municipalities to develop the first Community Justice Centers (CJCs). Restorative Justice in Vermont is the result of the leadership and dedication of many throughout the state.
As a result of this research, in 1994, the Department of Corrections received a Bureau of Justice Assistant grant to pilot Reparative Probation to allow volunteers to voice the harm to community and facilitate a restorative agreement with those responsible. In 1998, based on the success of those programs, the Department of Corrections (DOC) partnered with municipalities to develop the first Community Justice Centers (CJCs). Restorative Justice in Vermont is the result of the leadership and dedication of many throughout the state.
In February 1995, the first case referred to a restorative process in Vermont was adjudicated in Newport, VT. District Judge Brian Burgess, who later became a justice of the Supreme Court, referred a young man convicted of Possession of a Malt Beverage by a minor. Maggie Hawksworth was the intake Probation Officer and Jane Woodruff the States Attorney. The young man was sent to the Reparative Board in Newport as a condition of a suspended sentence. While every case is different, in 1995 the young man sent to the Reparative Board in Newport was described as a “young rebel” in conflict with the law and disconnected from his single mother. Those who know the family describe that panel as a turning point for him. While sadly he passed away in 2015, he had more 20 years with his mom, helping her and being part of her life. This was a trajectory he was not on before the reparative board. Today, there are 20 CJCs delivering services to youth at risk, victims, Vermont communities affected by crime, and those responsible for criminal offenses. In 2015, services included hundreds of hours of training and education on crime prevention, in depth support to victims of crime, 1,819 new restorative justice panel referrals and 58 new Circles of Support and Accountability (COSAs). Together efforts involved more than 700 community volunteers who together worked more than 22,000 hours.
By 1995, the Department of Corrections had set up three reparative boards in Vermont, stationed in Newport, St. Johnsbury and Brattleboro. The boards, made up of local volunteers, worked with low-level offenders to identify the harm they created through their offense, to find ways to fix the damage and heal their victims, and to move on. Probation officer job descriptions changed, field supervisor units were created, and after just a year, 30 reparative boards were set up around the state, run by 400 or so volunteers. “It was a real community-based program,” Perry said. “It really started to take off.”
The Department of Corrections eventually went on to see Community Justice Centers set up in every county, where volunteers could not only run reparative boards, but they could also put on legal clinics, presentations, school programs, and other useful activities. In 2005, Vermont Department of Corrections adopted COSA, or Circle of Support and Accountability, a yearlong program that originated in Canada where volunteers work closely with high-level offenders to help them re-integrate back into society.
The mission of the Springfield Restorative Justice Center is to empower the community, local organizations, individuals and schools that are committed to peacefully resolving conflict, addressing crime and building a safe and healthy community. The Community Advisory Board (CAB) will provide direction and support for the Springfield Community Justice Center. The CAB consists of a representation of the community, with varied perspectives and abilities.
