Restorative Justice Initiative

In 2002, the Iowa Eighth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services hired its first victim-offender services coordinator to implement restorative justice principles into programming and services for victims, offenders and community members.

For those unfamiliar with restorative justice, the underlying principles recognize that crime occurs against people, not just the state. Unfortunately, in the past, the needs of victims and communities have been secondary to that of offenders and the criminal justice system. Restorative justice practices seek to address that problem by equally involving crime victims, community members and offenders while working to repair the harm resulting from crime.

Traditionally, the criminal justice system has been charged with holding offenders accountable through the enforcement of laws and legal sanctions such as prison, jail, probation, or restitution and fines. Although legal accountability is a prerequisite to any civil society, it is impersonal at best and does not necessarily serve the best interests of victims, community members, and offenders.

Restorative justice practices complement the traditional criminal justice system; they are not substitutes, nor do they reflect a diminished sense of responsibility on the part of the offender. Indeed, restorative justice calls for a second level of offender accountability, one of a more personal nature, based on that fundamental recognition that not only has a law been broken, but someone has been harmed.

The questions addressed by restorative principles are basic: Who has been harmed? What is the harm? Who is responsible for repairing the harm? How that harm is repaired can take many forms. To that end, the district offers a number of restorative programs and services for victims, community members and offenders alike.

For crime victims, the district offers victim-offender mediation or the opportunity to serve on victim impact panels for offenders. In addition, the victim-offender services coordinator will personally assist crime victims in resolving issues related to the criminal justice system after an offender has been prosecuted. One common concern for crime victims is receiving court-ordered restitution payments in a timely manner.

Opportunities also exist for community members interested in addressing crime to enhance public safety. Currently, the district supports four community accountability boards that serve the Youthful Offender Programs in Ottumwa and Burlington and adult offenders in Burlington and Mt. Pleasant. The boards meet with offenders at least three times while in the programs. The mission of the boards is to represent the communities’ perspectives in holding district staff and offenders accountable while, in turn, providing support for offenders to successfully complete probation. These innovative boards have served as a model for districts across the state.

More recently, the district completed a restorative justice training and subsequent strategic planning sessions for community professionals and concerned citizens to recommend ways to implement more restorative justice practices with an emphasis on victim-sensitive services.

For offenders, the district offers cognitive skills-based curricula with courses ranging from reasoning skills and conflict resolution to victim impact and substance abuse. The classes are designed to address and change criminal thinking patterns. Other offender services include victim-offender intervention sessions, community service and victim restitution.

For more information about restorative justice programming and services in the district, contact Victim-Offender Services Coordinator Chris Baker at (641) 472-4242, Ext. 109 or follow the links in the left column.